You can help ensure that your hair is as healthy as possible by deep conditioning it once a week for a few weeks before bleaching. Brush your hair to remove any knots or tangles before you start. Make sure that your hair is dry. You should never apply bleach to wet or damp hair.
If you don’t have newspaper, you can use plastic bags instead. Choose a work area that is easy to clean, such as a bathroom counter.
Use either a 10 or 20 volume developer. The higher the volume, the lighter your highlights will turn out, and the faster your hair will lighten. [1] X Research source This is a good amount for shoulder-length hair. If your hair is longer than that, use more developer and bleach powder; keep the proportions the same.
If you want to apply highlights throughout your hair, you’ll need to start at your nape and finish at your part. If you want partial highlights, you’ll start applying them at about ear-level. For an ombre look, you’ll only apply the bleach to the bottom half of each hair strand.
If you want to start the highlights lower, make the side part lower. Use plastic hair clips to pin the upper layer of hair out of the way.
Make the section about 2 to 4 inches (5. 1 to 10. 2 cm) wide. This will help separate the section into a top and bottom layer. You will only bleach the top layer.
The foil needs to be at least ½ to ⅔ the length of your hair. It would be better if it is the same length, however.
Never apply bleach starting from your roots. When you reach the ends of your hair, curl your hair into the foil, then continue to apply the bleach.
The exact size of the foil packet does not matter. The goal is to cover your bleached hair with foil so that it doesn’t get stained by the next section.
Keep going until you reach the top of your head. Always start applying the bleach to the bottom of the hair strand. For a subtler effect, let down a thin section of hair, leave it alone, then weave your brush through the next section of hair.
To help keep your highlights even, try using a higher volume developer on the back of your head so that the hair in the back lightens more quickly. For example, if you used a volume 10 developer on the front half of your hair, use 30 volume on the back. When doing the back of your head, it may be helpful to clip your hair out of the way, or have someone help you.
Do not cover your head with a shower cap, or you will mess up the foil. Most bleach kits will have recommended times for highlights. Use these times as a guide; your own hair might process faster. [10] X Research source
If your highlights turned out yellow or brassy, use a purple shampoo to neutralize the yellow tones. Follow the directions on the bottle to determine how long to leave the shampoo on your hair before rinsing (usually 2-10 minutes). You can use regular conditioner instead of a deep conditioner, if you wish. In this case, you only need to let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
If you live in an area with hard water, consider getting a filter on your showerhead. This will help preserve your hair color. If your hair starts to feel gross between washes, consider using dry shampoo.
If a clarifying shampoo is labeled for dry or chemical-treated hair, then it is okay to use. Double-check the ingredient label to ensure that it doesn’t contain sulfates, however.
In most cases, you’ll need to apply the shampoo to wet hair, wait 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse it out. Lighter, lavender-tinted shampoos are going to be gentler than the darker, deep-purple shampoos. Purple shampoo works really well for hair that has a yellowish brassy tint. Blue shampoo is great for hair with a brassy orange tint.
