Blonde is still the most coveted of all hair colors. Don’t worry if nature did not give you the light blonde hair of your dreams. Helping Mother Nature out a little is easier and more accepted than ever. Today's clever bleaching formulations are gentler than they used to be, yet they can still lighten even very dark hair. Below, we share with you the essentials on bleaching hair the modern way
Bleaching applications lighten your hair by up to eight shades whether your natural hair color is medium blonde or light brown. Special bleaching applications for very dark hair (medium brown to black) still lighten hair by two or three shades without undesired red tinges. It helps to know how bleaching applications work. First, the hair’s smooth cuticle layer is disturbed to make it permeable to the bleaching solution. This allows the hydrogen peroxide in the bleaching application to penetrate deep into the hair shaft where it oxidizes the existing pigments. This renders the pigments colorless. The available bleaching applications contain different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and therefore bleach the natural pigments to different degrees. The bleaching occurs in several steps and the hair color changes gradually as well. In the process, the hair changes from its natural color via various shades of red and yellow before it reaches the final blonde color. You should therefore be sure to select the right bleaching application for the color of your hair and the desired blonde shade. Then you must adhere to the prescribed leave-in times (30 to 45 minutes) to prevent coloring your hair blonde with a reddish or yellow tinge because the bleaching process was interrupted prematurely. Leaving the bleaching agent in your hair too long is not going to lighten your hair to any significant extent but it will damage the hair leaving it straw-like and porous.
Bleaching applications come with a package of rich conditioners for bleached hair. Be sure to apply these conditioners to your freshly bleached hair for 3 minutes immediately after bleaching and rinsing your hair. The nourishing ingredients strengthen the hair and provide it with silky luster. Did you recently perm or chemically straighten your hair? If this is the case you should wait at least two weeks before you apply any bleaching application to your hair. Otherwise, you could wind up with excessively processed damaged hair. In case bleaching your hair is part of your regular routine, you naturally don’t always have to apply the bleach to your entire hair. Applying the bleaching formulation only to the newly grown part of your hair is much gentler and the outcome is the same if you distribute the application in your entire hair for the last two to five minutes of the total leave-in time.
You may prefer perking up your hair color with a few well-placed blonde streaks to bleaching your entire head. The streaks can be bleached two to six shades lighter than your natural hair and you also have the choice of highlighting different parts of your hair. Streaks work well for light blonde to medium brown hair. You may also like to give streaking applications a try, which color streaks in blonde and in caramel tones at the same time. The playful light reflections from these streaks are attractive and intriguing. Bleaching only streaks of your hair is far less stressful for your hair than bleaching your entire hair. If you create streaks in your hair for the first time you may like to consider asking a friend for assistance. A second pair of hands can be helpful especially for setting streaks in the back of your head.
Subtle nuances can have the most amazing effects. Blonde sprays are ideal for going blonde in baby steps or for just adding dazzling brilliance to your hair. These sprays lighten hair by a quarter of a shade with every application. Heat or the sun’s rays intensify the bleaching effect. Blow-drying therefore enhances the effect of bleaching sprays. Since the hydrogen peroxide concentration is low in bleaching spray, the application is relatively gentle to your hair. Still, bleaching sprays are not meant for continuous daily use but rather for use over a limited period. If you want to rescue your hair from looking dull between bleaching applications you may like to reach for bleaching spray as a convenient solution. It is important to treat your hair to some extra care while spray-bleaching it. A conditioner after every shampoo and a mask once a week keep bleached as well as spray-bleached hair healthy looking and shiny.