Hair

How To Bleach Your Hair Like A Pro

Want to channel Marilyn Monroe’s platinum-blonde locks? Follow *Vogue *’s guide to bleaching your hair for perfect results every time whether you’re doing it at home or in the salon.
Model with short bleach blonde hair wearing sunglasses
Jamie Stoker
Jamie Stoker

Learning how to bleach your hair is no mean feat, and it’s not for the faint-hearted. It is a lengthy, meticulous process and not an area where one size fits all. Far from it – some hair types take to colour with no hassle, absorbing multiple tones within minutes, while others will take hours upon hours in salon or out to achieve the desired finish. But once you know the basic rules on how to bleach hair responsibly to produce the best finish, that sought-after platinum white or blonde colour is right at your fingertips.

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Vogue’s checklist before bleaching hair:
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  1. Have you had any chemical treatments in the last six months? If so, have you trimmed away the treated hair or has it grown out? Any remnants of the chemical can compromise your final colour.
  2. Make sure your hair is in good condition before you start. Bleach can be very stripping on the hair, so it’s important to use plenty of conditioning masks and treatments. For two weeks in the run-up to bleaching, apply a mask every other night. Vogue recommends Kérastase Elixir Ultime Masque or Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment.
  3. Never-coloured-before hair that is light brown or lighter can be treated in one session, while darker hair will take multiple sessions. “The process really depends on the hair type, but a bleach on virgin hair will need bleaching on the ends first leaving an inch or so regrowth, then allowing this to lift for up to an hour and then bleaching roots to match,” says Shannon Gallacher, bleaching expert at Nicola Clarke for John Frieda.
  4. Don’t bleach freshly washed hair as a scalp stripped of natural oils can get irritated.

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How to bleach your hair in a salon (what to ask your colourist)
Jamie Stoker
  1. Ask for a sample strip, especially if you have coloured your hair before as this may affect the final result.
  2. Be prepared to visit again. “Roots need less time than ends as the heat from the head speeds up the process,” explains Gallacher. “Once the hair has an even tone, the bleach is rinsed off and toned to the desired shade, but some hair will need more than one service to achieve the colour wanted.”
  3. After you have bleached your hair with an expert, follow with an in-salon Olaplex treatment to immediately inject as much hydration as possible.
How to bleach your hair at home
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  1. Choose a good all-over bleach, at-home color. The best for an even colour are L’Oréal Paris Colorista Bleach Kit and Wella Blondor Lightening System.
  2. Protect your hands at all times with gloves. The bleaching powders are strong and irritating to the skin.
  3. Use white towels or linens to avoid staining.
  4. Mix your developer and bleach powder at the correct ratio for the planned effect – ie, highlights will require less bleach, while a full head of hair will need more.
  5. Use a dye brush to apply the bleach all over your head. Part the hair and colour as close to the roots as possible to ensure full coverage.
  6. Leave the bleach in for the stated time until your hair is a light-yellow colour.
  7. For darker hair, you’ll need to do this several times over, but try to leave a couple of weeks between treatments as it can damage the hair.
  8. Follow this with toner to get the exact colour you want.
  9. Rinse, rinse and rinse again.
  10. Finish the whole process with a hydrating hair mask – a lot of at-home kits come with this.

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How to look after your hair after you bleach it

Hydration is key. Use a hydrating mask immediately after you’ve thoroughly rinsed out your toner and bleach. A weekly hair treatment mask will keep the hair from getting brittle and knotted. Try Olaplex 3 for weekly treatments and keep applying hair oil to condition and smooth the ends. Vogue recommends Kérastase Elixir Ultime Oleo-Complexe Versatile Beautifying Oil. Leave-in conditioners will become your new best friend – apply at every point of heat styling.

Vogue’s bleach rules:
  • You should leave six to eight weeks between colour treatments.
  • Never run two consecutive bleach treatments through your hair in one sitting as this will cause far too much damage.
  • According to the American Pregnancy Association, the level of chemicals that can be absorbed into the skin from permanent and semi-permanent hair dye is minimal and non-toxic and therefore not dangerous while pregnant.
  • If you have very light brown hair, an extreme platinum blonde is achievable with a high ratio of bleach. However it is best to see an expert for this for at least the first treatment to ensure the correct colour is achieved.

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