Planning To Bleach Your Hair? 10 Things To Look Out For And A Step-By-Step Guide

Colouring your hair is the new 'it' thing; social media is proof! The introduction of home-grown, vegan and cruelty-free brands seems responsible for the increasing number of people colouring the tresses in pretty, funky colours.

For natural Indian hair, which varies from jet black to a deep brown, bleaching is the first step in hair colouring. The dark shade of our hair has to be lightened if you want the preppy colours to be visible.

When bleach is applied to hair, it oxidises the melanin granules that make it look black. Because this causes hair damage, your hair needs to be in good condition before you bleach it. If your hair is dry or damaged, wait a month or two before you bleach it. While you're waiting, you can revive your hair. At least two weeks before you bleach your hair, start preparing it - that is, by applying oil regularly, pausing hair styling and straightening and regularly conditioning.

We've all heard it and still hear it - 'don't bleach your hair, it ruins it,' but well-behaved women (and men) seldom had fun (or something like that), right?! So, while there will be certain damage to your hair, proper hair care after bleaching and colouring can go a long way.

Here are certain points you need to keep in mind before bleaching your hair. Take a look.

Things To Keep In Mind Before Bleaching Hair

1. Know Your Hair Type: Is your hair suited for bleach? Bleaching dries the hair and causes damage, so if your hair is dry and prone to damage, you may want to improve your hair health before bleaching hair.

2. Research Different Brands: Spend time and search for the types of bleaching agents available and what your hair specialist is likely to use. Also, decide whether you want to go for a store-bought bleach or a natural ingredient.

3. Choose A Colour To Suit Your Skin Tone: Not all skin tones will suit all shades of hair tones. If you cannot make up your mind, try doing a colour test with computer images. Seeing yourself in different hair tones can help you decide better. Another thing that you can do is visit a wig store and try different coloured wigs. Ooor, you can just go crazy and colour your head the shade you wish - who's stopping you!

4. Bleach Makes The Hair Dry: It is no secret that bleaching causes the hair strands to go dry, and hair strands are damaged. Are you ready to let your hair go through that damage? Consult a professional as to what steps to take to minimise damage.

5. Check Scalp Health: Your scalp needs to be in good health before a hair bleaching session. If you have any infection, are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, have lice or scratchy scalp, try to get that healed first. Bleaching in such conditions can worsen the existing conditions and irritate the scalp.

6. No Going Back: Before you bleach all the hair, do a test run. Try bleaching a portion of your hair, some area which is not much visible. If your hair and scalp are in good condition after the bleach, that means it suits you, and you can go ahead and bleach throughout.

7. Test Before A Complete Change: Whatever your decision regarding bleaching hair, always keep in mind that there is no going back once you bleach. So, think twice or even thrice and take a decision with all confidence.

8. Your Hair Will Require Extra Care: Normal hair requires care for health and bounce, and for bleaching hair white, you need to be careful to cover all the strands. You need to be careful about washing bleached hair and check the changing colour as time passes. Use dry shampoo as far as possible. Try to keep hair tangle-free. Select hair care products specially formulated for bleached hair.

Step-By-Step Guide To Bleach Hair At Home

Now that you have an idea of whether bleaching is suitable for your hair, here is a step-by-step on how you can do it at home.

Step 1: Get all your supplies ready - bleach powder, developer, plastic bowl, brush and gloves.
Step 2: Wear some old clothes.
Step 3: Section your hair.
Step 4: Mix the developer and bleach (as per instructions).
Step 5: Apply the bleach and cover your hair with aluminium foil or a plastic bag.
Step 6: Apply the colour first to the tips and mid-lengths of your hair as they take longer to lighten than your roots.
Step 7: Let the bleach sit for at least 20 minutes before you apply the colour to the roots.
Step 8: Do not leave the bleach on for more than 30-45 minutes.
Step 9: After 45 minutes, rinse the bleach out thoroughly using a mild shampoo to balance the pH levels of your scalp.
Step 10: Air-dry your hair, and now you are free to colour your tresses!

Warning: If you notice redness, itching, or burning after you have kept the bleach on your hair for a while, please wash the bleach off and consult a doctor.

Note: If you are having second thoughts to bleach your hair at home, go to a salon and getting it done by a professional.