Guidelines - Hair Bleaching
Disclaimer: The following information is intended to be a GUIDE. If ever you need a professional opinion, please refer to your trusty stylist or salon professional.
Things to prepare:
* Small plastic mixing bowl (Do NOT use metallic bowls, as this may react with the oxidizing lotion.)
* Plastic/rubber gloves - to protect your hands
* Hair bleach powder
* Oxidizing lotion/ color developer (9% for 3-4 lifts, 12% for 4-6 lifts)
* If you want to bleach strips/streaks/highlights of your hair, you need aluminum foil cut in rectangular shape according to the length of hair you wish to bleach. The foil will be used to wrap the specific hair strip you want to bleach apart from the rest of the head.
BLEACHING INSTRUCTIONS
BLEACHING TIPS
Things to prepare:
* Small plastic mixing bowl (Do NOT use metallic bowls, as this may react with the oxidizing lotion.)
* Plastic/rubber gloves - to protect your hands
* Hair bleach powder
* Oxidizing lotion/ color developer (9% for 3-4 lifts, 12% for 4-6 lifts)
* If you want to bleach strips/streaks/highlights of your hair, you need aluminum foil cut in rectangular shape according to the length of hair you wish to bleach. The foil will be used to wrap the specific hair strip you want to bleach apart from the rest of the head.
BLEACHING INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare hair bleaching materials. Cover any areas that you wish to protect from accidental spillage.
- Mix the bleach powder and developer in a plastic bowl. Mix until smooth and looks like cream.
- Using the application brush, apply the bleach mixture in hair, starting about 4-5cm away from the roots until the tips.
- If you are doing highlights, separate a strip of hair roughly an inch wide or depending on how wide you want the highlight. Then place the aluminum foil piece underneath the hair strip, and apply the bleach mixture on the hair strip. Then wrap the hair strip within the foil. Use a hair clip to hold the wrapped hair strip in place.
- The bleach works fast, so you can wait until desired hair color is reached, and then proceed to washing. Leave the bleach to sit and process for a maximum of 45 minutes, but do a visual check every 10 minutes. Bleach processing becomes less effective and most damaging after the 45-minute mark.
- Always bleach the roots last. In the last 10 minutes of processing, you can start applying the bleach mixture on the areas near the roots.
- Thoroughly wash off the bleach with shampoo to stop the processing. Condition hair too to help reduce damage caused by bleaching.
- If you have not achieved desired level of blonde, repeat the bleaching process. Spacing out your bleaching sessions one week at a time is recommended. Take note of your hair’s tolerance each time you bleach. Stop if hair is approaching thread-like appearance and quality (aka breaking point).
BLEACHING TIPS
- Do a strand test before bleaching your hair. Not only will you learn how many times you need to bleach your hair to achieve desired color, but you will also find out if your hair is strong enough for bleaching.
- Do a skin test to check for allergies. The last you want to be during a hair bleaching session is a swollen lobster.
- Do not bleach your eyebrows. Let the experts do that.
- Be careful about over-processing your hair (leaving the bleach on for too long). This will cause your hair to become excessively dry and brittle. (Think: fried!) When in doubt, always leave it to a salon professional to do hair bleaching for you.
- Do keratin or high-protein hair repair treatment after each session to further reduce damage caused by bleaching.
- Use conditioner every time you wash your hair. Bleaching leaves your hair drier than usual, so condition your hair to maintain a soft and smooth texture.
