Bleaching natural black hair to blonde

[aztecangel]

Hey everyone. I want to bleach my hair at home and I'm just checking to see if there is anything I should know. I've bleached my naturally black (dark brown/reddish highlights but it looks black) in the past, but not since high school. I didn't really know what I was doing back then, and I'm pretty sure I used the wrong developer because it turned out red. I didn't mind it, but I really want blonde or even white blonde this time, because I'd like to get it lightened to a point where I can put manic panic on it (I'm thinking turquoise or purple, but if the blonde turns out well I might leave it blonde for a bit).

I have the Beyond the Zone bleaching kit which has the 40 volume lightener. I'm not bleaching my entire head, what I want to do is use the cap/pull through method (because this is what has worked best the few times I had it professionally done at the salon) and I want to do bright-blonde chunks all through my bangs and on my sidecuts, which are slowly growing out (I shaved both sides to the skin in January). As of now, all of my hair is completely virgin and in excellent condition. I won't touch the belly-button length hair in the back, but I figure since I keep it short around my face, even if it gets damaged it won't be a big deal. It grows fast and I cut it pretty regularly.

So, my questions:

1. Will I definitely need a toner to get it actual blonde and not that copper color? This bleaching kit has great reviews for turning black hair blonde and several of the reviews said that they didn't need to use a toner. But I want to make sure so I don't have to go shopping for toner with weird colored hair. :)

2. Do you think since my hair is virgin I will need to do any special treatments (such as soaking in coconut oil prior to bleaching)? I'm planning on using a deep leave-in afterwards and bleaching the hair while it's dirty, but I wasn't sure if there was anything else.

3. Does anyone know how light black hair has to be bleached for manic panic colors to look bright, pretty and the correct color?

Thanks so much for any advice! :) Oh and btw, My hair is currently a few inches longer than it is in my avatar and I style it the same way.

[lapushka]

Do a test strand, to see whether or not it does turn red - and if it does, I suggest professional help.

[kganihanova]

You're gonna go orange before you go blonde.

[aztecangel]

So are you saying I need a toner?

[lapushka]

A toner is too light and weak for red/orange hair if you want to go that bright and light. You might need to bleach twice, which is why I said strand test and if it turns red/orange go professional (you'll regret it otherwise). Bleaching that much hurts the hair and really is better left up to a professional. You don't want to rashly ruin your hair over this.

[hairpleasegrow]

I was once going to bleach my hair at home, so I watched about a dozen you tube "how to" videos and decided not to bleach at home after all. Suggest to spend a night studying you tube videos ….try searching for videos with people with similar hair type and colour as yours

[Hrtchoco]

Ummm... I hope you are ready for some seriously damaged hair. Well, maybe your hair will be fine.

[xoChesleyy]

1. Will I definitely need a toner to get it actual blonde and not that copper color? This bleaching kit has great reviews for turning black hair blonde and several of the reviews said that they didn't need to use a toner. But I want to make sure so I don't have to go shopping for toner with weird colored hair.

Everyone's hair is different. What works for others may not work for you and vice versa. However, going blonde from virgin hair is usually much easier than going blonde from chemically-dyed hair. When I used to bleach my hair, I bleached it from dark brown (chemically-dyed), and it took me a three week period to get it how light I wanted. In the three week period, I bleached it once every week. (Absolutely horrible and I do not recommend this, but I desperately wanted platinum hair at the time and didn't care about damage or take care of my hair at all.) After it was light blonde, I still had to use a toner to neutralize the yellow tones, which turned my hair almost platinum. If your hair gets orange or yellow tones don't be surprised because it usually happens the first time. If you achieve the blonde color you're looking for on the first try though, consider yourself very lucky. :p

2. Do you think since my hair is virgin I will need to do any special treatments (such as soaking in coconut oil prior to bleaching)? I'm planning on using a deep leave-in afterwards and bleaching the hair while it's dirty, but I wasn't sure if there was anything else.

Most definitely. Especially considering you said you were going to be using volume 40 bleach. Volume 40 is the most damaging, but the most lightening. Treatments will be essential to prevent your hair from literally turning into mush and snapping off. I would start doing coconut oil treatments or whatever deep treatments you normally use a week prior to bleaching, then continue the treatments after bleaching as well. To make the treatments the most effective, apply a shower cap, and leave it on for at least an hour.

3. Does anyone know how light black hair has to be bleached for manic panic colors to look bright, pretty and the correct color?

It depends on the color you are trying to achieve. Platinum blonde hair will turn extremely bright when colored with Manic Panic colors. The lighter the blonde, the more intense the color.

I hope this helped somewhat! This is just what I did when I used to bleach my hair, but if you have any other questions, feel free to ask. My only other advice is to make sure bleaching is really what you want to do beforehand. The damage is usually pretty irreversible and I'm still trying to get rid of damage on my hair from when I previously dyed/bleached it. Good luck! :D

P.S. The toner that I previously used is the Schwarzkopf Bonacure Color Save Silver Shampoo.

[molljo]

Wanted to chime in on why your hair turned red the first time you tried to bleach it. The pigment in your hair is slowly removed in levels, with the cool tones being the first to go. So it will go dark brown ->reddish brown -> reddish orange -> super orange -> brassy blonde -> yellow -> yellowy white. I'm guessing that either the bleach you used wasn't strong enough to take you past reddish orange and/or wasn't on long enough.

[kganihanova]

Honestly, I'd lay off the bleach and let that beautiful virgin hair be. Bleach is not a monster worth playing with......if you want long hair.

[aztecangel]

Thanks for the advice! It's no worries because I really don't care about damaging the front part of my hair. I kinda have one of those "scene" haircuts that are sort of like anime hair, so all the hair around my face is pretty short and I plan on keeping it that way. I'd never touch the long part of my hair. I've just had it all dark since 2005 and I'm looking for a change. I think I'm definitely going to invest in the toner. And yeah molljo, when I did it at home in the past I don't think I used the 40 volume stuff, but I'm pretty sure that's what they've used whenever I've had it professionally done.

[JustPam]

Your hair will definitely need at least 2 bleachings to go as light as you want it, with at least 4 weeks and a lot of TLC between applications. I've never used a bleach kit, I always got powder bleach and peroxide creme from Sallys so I can't say how the kit will perform. You're gonna need patience, you can use some Manic Panic colours on part-lightened hair to tone any orangey bits to a more neutral brown if you hate the orange, normal violet toner for light blonde hair wont work because it counters yellow, you need green to counter red, or blue to counter orange.

Have a browse through this forum, I was on it for years when I was a bleach-head and there's a lot of experienced folk with good advice on bleaching and toning during the process http://www.hairdyeforum.com/index.php?board=18.0

[rohirrrims]

I've beached my hair so many times from very dark and yes definitely soak your hair in coconut oil overnight and leave it on for the bleaching, that will help prevent a lot of damage. You will probably need two goes of bleach (wait a week in between!), it will go from black to dark red to red to orange to yellow to white. For adding manic panic colours you'll need to be as close to white as you can get (ouch). If you just want white then you need to tone, you can tone with purple manic panic mixed with conditioner, but if you're going for a bright colour straight away then no need to tone, just put the colour on your bleached hair as long as the bleached hair is lightened enough.
Do a strand test first of course!

Speaking from 8 years of experience messing with every colour of permanent dye, growing out bleach damage is not fun, especially when you bleach just one section and have a chunk of very porous damaged hair that will never take colour the same as the rest of your hair again. I did exactly the same as you and when I wanted rid of the bleached look I tried to dye it to match the rest of my hair and it would never work. I always had this chunk of fried hair that wouldn't blend in texture or colour till I got it all cut out in 2 years... So just be sure, this is a long term thing even for a shorter piece of hair you will trim regularly!

[Johannah]

If I were you, I'd go to a professional salon to be sure. But off course that's just my opinion.

[clioariane]

Hmm if you're 100% sure you want to go blond, let a professional do it. My biggest hair regret ever is doing it myself and it took years to cut out the damage.

[queenovnight]

It should be fairly easy if you have virgin hair.. And if you go to a salon, it could be done in one step with minimum damage. - If your hair is not virgin hair, it can cost up to $400.

Now, with that kit.. You could get your hair white. I got my hair white with it after about 5 applications over a period of three months.. (this was years ago) of course, my hair was fried. But it turned white. I personally would just recommend going to a salon though.. That bleaching kit is really awful, and cheap.

[chen bao jun]

Can't you wear a nice wig for the color you want to get it out of your system http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-Game-of-Thrones-Daenerys-Targaryen-Wig-Long-Wavy-Blonde-Anime-Cosplay-Wig-/161358526917?pt=US_CSA_MWA_Wigs_Extensions&hash=item2591b7b9c5rather than destroying your hair?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/heat-resistant-long-bangs-long-Straight-Cosplay-Anime-Wigs-free-gift-/201002660816?pt=US_CSA_MWA_Wigs_Extensions&var=500210141959&hash=item2eccb133d0

[MINAKO]

I would also suggest to stay away from the bleach and buy some brightly colored clip ins instead. If you must do it, i would suggest to bleach twice and not try to make it super strong in one goor mess around with exceding the time and such. From black to platinum there are plenty of people expiriencing breakage right at the roots, so you have to be super super careful.

[aztecangel]

Thanks for the advice! I was just about to ask if the manic panic could tone it. I don't do clip ins or wigs, I wish I could but I've tried extensions and they drive me crazy, pull at my scalp, feel hot/heavy and generally look completely weird on me. I really don't get how people wear them or make them look good. I even invested in the super nice, real human hair kind and I could never get the hang of wearing them.

My hair has been bleached enough times that I have a pretty good idea of how it can handle it, so I'm not really worried about it breaking off or anything. I'll just keep the application to a minimum. Thanks again!

[aztecangel]

Hey guys! I went for it! And I'm glad I did because it turned out cool and I achieved quite a bit of lift with only one bleaching! My hair is bright yellow and orange now:

http://38.media.tumblr.com/12a1c6e80536791d75fa96535d7f2714/tumblr_n93ovc244S1roqnpoo2_500.jpg

There wasn't much damage, honestly. It was a little dry and crackly when I first shampooed all the bleach out, but as soon as I put some conditioner on it, it's felt really moist and nice. I can honestly barely feel a difference in texture between the bleached and my virgin hair. I used the kit with the 40-volume bleach.

My friend and boyfriend thinks it looks cool all bright yellow and orange but that wasn't the look I was going for, so I'm going to continue with another bleach, except this time I'm using a weaker developer (20 or 30 and I'm going to do the cap method so only a few of the orange parts are highlighted to a lighter straw blonde. I made a huge mistake by mixing up all the bleach in the kit because people said there wasn't enough...I didn't take into account that I wasn't doing my whole head. I should have used half and saved the second half for my second bleaching, but instead I had to throw away a ton of bleach last night...sigh. Either way I think the kit was overpriced for what it contained and I'm just going to buy the powder and developer from sallys this time. And only make a LITTLE at a time.

But yeah, for my first try in over a decade, I'd say I did pretty good. I soaked my hair in coconut oil beforehand, and maybe that's why I have no damage. I'll do the same again next time. I hope the cap method is easier because getting the entire front of my hair saturated with bleach without allowing it to get all over my skin and burn my face was hard.

But yeah, I know some of you were concerned about damage so I just wanted to let you know that most of the lightening is done without any damage. Thanks so much to this forum for the tips about the coconut oil! :) I wish I had known about that when I used to bleach in the past!

[Firefox7275]

Do a hydrolysed wheat or soy protein treatment before you bleach again, that can both patch repair and help protect from further damage. It's totally compatible with the coconut oil method.

[aztecangel]

Oops, I already bleached again before I saw this lol. I'll try that next time. :) It's okay, it turned out all right.

[aztecangel]

Okay, I'm sick of attempting to be blonde, lol. My hair doing well after two bleaches, but I don't want to bleach a third time, so I'm going straight for the bright colors.

[Akville]

can you post a picture? please I'm curios how did it turned out..

[rohirrrims]

Yeah don't bleach three times, not good!
It just need to be toned (purple manic panic or something similar with conditioner) or chuck a colour on top of it. It looks like it must be at the inside of a banana peel yellow stage now? Colours will be ok on top of that, though not as true as they would be on white.

[red-again]

I think you are very wise not to bleach a third time. Bleach am age for me wasn't there immediately after or even weeks later, it showed months later.
Have a look on the uk forum for all the crazy hair colour advice you'll ever need - hair dye forum. It's fab. Would have been better if I'd seen this before your initial bleach but better late than never!

[ErinLeigh]

1. Will I definitely need a toner to get it actual blonde and not that copper color? This bleaching kit has great reviews for turning black hair blonde and several of the reviews said that they didn't need to use a toner. But I want to make sure so I don't have to go shopping for toner with weird colored hair.
The toner will only really work once hair has gotten to a banana yellow color. They really do nothing at all the orange stage, you have to process past orange. Once you hit banana color a toner will get it to a nice platinum. There is an excellent youtube video about toning I will find and add back here for you.


2. Do you think since my hair is virgin I will need to do any special treatments (such as soaking in coconut oil prior to bleaching)? I'm planning on using a deep leave-in afterwards and bleaching the hair while it's dirty, but I wasn't sure if there was anything else.
I recommend the coconut oil. It really helps. Post bleach I like Redken Extreme Builder Plus deep conditioner.

3. Does anyone know how light black hair has to be bleached for manic panic colors to look bright, pretty and the correct color?
Banana yellow is really what you are looking for from bleach. Once toned, This will get you pure blond and colors will be truest. You could color over orangey stage bleach still but the color IMO looks a bit more muddy. I think it really depends what color you are adding. Blue on orange to me gets muddy looking. Reds and purples seems to cover well over orange but wont be perfect intensity to color swatch.

EDIT, just saw you did it! Glad to see coconut oil helped so much. I know it makes a huge difference on my multi processed hair.
I think you will get a decent color from what you have already. Are you gong to tone forst or just color right over?

[aztecangel]

I'm going to have to bleach at least one more time. I got impatient last night and went ahead and dyed it, and it turned out pretty. but nowhere near that candy/pastel/neon bright I was hoping for (this pic was taken in the light and it looks way brighter than it normally does). It's still not finished (Another manic panic color is going over the blonde parts when it arrives), but when it does, I'm going to finish it, wait for a month or so for it to fade and then probably try for platinum. I don't really care about the damage. I just got fed up doing so many bleachings at once.

Now that I look back, I remember it taking a pro hairdresser 3 full bleachings to get my hair white in the past. It wasn't too damaged after, but it took hours and hours.

Here is my current hair:

http://38.media.tumblr.com/060ec821ffce89a77e0fcb3f89676460/tumblr_n95vv1SGlR1roqnpoo1_500.jpg

I'll post better pics once it's completely done!

[aztecangel]

http://38.media.tumblr.com/95622f1eb87bd37a9fd0f5ff1a00cc29/tumblr_n97p27oLwZ1roqnpoo1_400.gif
http://37.media.tumblr.com/8b33fa1542fff93aaf4676de5c725acf/tumblr_n97ow2kHDk1roqnpoo1_500.jpg

^It looks really pastel in those. This is the color in better light. It's gorgeous! I love it! :)

http://33.media.tumblr.com/3a69d48a81f78d55b2ac0673a1466013/tumblr_n97ij2P2731roqnpoo1_500.jpg

I was going to add some blue/green but I decided to do everything with the ultra violet and I'm glad I did. It looks so pretty. I don't wash my hair a lot, so I'm hoping it will last.

Success! :D

[rohirrrims]

Looks great!
Did you mix the purple dye with conditioner to make it a pastel shade? That's the best and cheapest way to get pastel tones rather than using the colours straight.

[GetMeToWaist]

Bleach is so damaging :( could you try henna instead?

[rohirrrims]

Bleach is so damaging :( could you try henna instead?

Henna on black hair does nothing apart from a red flare in the sun. The OP said they wanted vibrant colours on their fringe which they always keep short anyway, so damage there will be grown out quickly. I bleach my roots all the time and the damage is minimal with the right steps taken to protect beforehand. The most important point is you can do what you like with your own hair, if someone wants to bleach their hair for a vibrant colour to feel good then good for them!

[aztecangel]

Nope didn't mix anything. It's really not pastel, it just looks like it in the webcam pics. :) I'll try that in the future though. Thanks for all your advice! And yeah, my hair grows really quick so I'm not too worried about damage.

[aztecangel]

I think you are very wise not to bleach a third time. Bleach am age for me wasn't there immediately after or even weeks later, it showed months later.

Interesting... Do you know why this would be?

[JustPam]

Because bleached hair is hard to keep conditioned, it loses moisture really quickly. Gets kind of like trying to water a dead plant. Of course I used to bleach the lot every couple of months which probably didn't help... Nightmare.

[Ingrid]

Interesting... Do you know why this would be?

This was my experience also. I only bleached and dyed a couple of times. Straight after, my hair actually looked healthier than before. But the damage started really showing after a few months... I've been struggling with it ever since. My theory is that chemically damaged hair weathers more quickly and is more fragile than chemically untreated hair and therefore whereas it may be possible to grow natural hair for several months without it drying substantially, this is not true for chemically treated hair.

[Agnesagnes]

You have to leave the bleach for long enough to get the light yellow colour, similair to the inside of a banana peel :) Then you must use a toner to get the warm tones out! People seem to like Wella Colour Charm in Lightest Ash Blonde for toning brassiness.

Toners only work on very light colours. It won't even work that well on orange tones, since it is not light enough. It needs to lift to at least a pale yellow colour. I think you'll have to bleach it a couple of times to get this light colour, since it is insanely damaging to do that in one go, as you may know!

You should bleach your hair when it is dirty, since your natutal oils will help to protect your hair just a bit for the damage. Also, bleach the roots lastly, since they lift MUCH faster than the rest of your hair. I think you should deep condition your hair after the bleach, since the cuticle will be wide open and will need the moisture.

Nevertheless, I would not recomend to bleach your hair at all... It's not really worth the damage, in my opinion. I regret bleaching my hair, since it has left me with lots of breakage :( But it is up to you what you want to do!

Good luck and I hope youäll have lots of fun as a blondie! :)

[lapushka]

Very daring! Lovely!!! :D I hope you enjoy it. I experimented with my hair a lot when I was young as well, so I remember those days. Now, I see no need for that anymore and my love is damage free long hair (virgin long hair).

[MINAKO]

Niceee!
Happy it turned out so well for you. In case you expirience damage in a while some protein heavy treatment should help. Lot's of silk protein and a little bit of keratin should do a decent job to keep hair soft and healthy, but you might want to expiriment with the rest of the protein range as well. Not that i would be asking for it to desperately need them but they are equally as fascinating to me as oils...

Anyways, have fun with your beautiful color :o

[aztecangel]

Thanks! The only bad thing about this is something I didn't plan for: My acne medication. I have severe acne and have to follow a hardcore skin care routine to stay clear. Benzoyl peroxide is the only thing that has ever worked for me. It comes with a warning that it can bleach hair and fabrics, but it's never done much to my dark hair. However, on the bleached hair, it removes manic panic IMMEDIATELY. No matter what I do or how many times I dye, as soon as I apply my medicine, I have a white-blonde layer of hair surrounding my face. I guess it looks kind of cool, but it's a little annoying because in order to maintain the color, I'd have to dye my hair ever morning. Yet another reason to go completely blonde I guess.

Just a warning to anyone who uses acne medications.

[lapushka]

Thanks! The only bad thing about this is something I didn't plan for: My acne medication. I have severe acne and have to follow a hardcore skin care routine to stay clear. Benzoyl peroxide is the only thing that has ever worked for me. It comes with a warning that it can bleach hair and fabrics, but it's never done much to my dark hair. However, on the bleached hair, it removes manic panic IMMEDIATELY. No matter what I do or how many times I dye, as soon as I apply my medicine, I have a white-blonde layer of hair surrounding my face. I guess it looks kind of cool, but it's a little annoying because in order to maintain the color, I'd have to dye my hair ever morning. Yet another reason to go completely blonde I guess.

Just a warning to anyone who uses acne medications.

Have you tried using one of those hair turbans (just an elasticated band that goes around your head), for washing your face? Don't know what they're called...

[Firefox7275]

This was my experience also. I only bleached and dyed a couple of times. Straight after, my hair actually looked healthier than before. But the damage started really showing after a few months... I've been struggling with it ever since. My theory is that chemically damaged hair weathers more quickly and is more fragile than chemically untreated hair and therefore whereas it may be possible to grow natural hair for several months without it drying substantially, this is not true for chemically treated hair.

Your theory is supported by published research. :)

[Ingrid]

Your theory is supported by published research. :)

Good to know I wasn't making too far-fetched and fanciful conclusions!!

[Firefox7275]

Good to know I wasn't making too far-fetched and fanciful conclusions!!

Not at all far fetched! Bleached hair is more porous (think of a sponge) so at higher risk of hygral fatigue/ water damage/ harsh surfactant damage. The loss of the dark melanin pigments makes it more susceptible to UV damage (think how a tan protects the skin). Persulphate bleach and peroxide also destroy the water resistant fatty f-layer on the cuticle, however this wears away with time anyway so longer/ older hair has little left.

Interestingly (to me anyway) my box lightened hair may be somewhat protected against UV damage by the colour molecules in my a darker semi permanent dye. I am experimenting with 'replacing' the lost ceramides (cuticle) and 18-MEA (f-layer) with conditioners containing these ingredients. At some point I will invest in a hair analysis from Goosefootprints on Etsy to see how well my hair is faring with such targeted ingredients.

[Majorane]

Argh, now I want to bleach and manicpanic a fun color in my bangs as well. Just when all the damage was grown out from last year! And my dip dye ends I curse every morning when they are so much more difficult to detangle then my other hairs.

I still have 7 bottles of cool colors....

[aztecangel]

Have you tried using one of those hair turbans (just an elasticated band that goes around your head), for washing your face? Don't know what they're called...

No because the washing isn't the issue. I wash with regular soap. The acne medication spreads out within your skin once you put it on, and it goes beneath the hairline an inch or so. It's unfortunately non-negotiable.. I've been on it about a decade now, tried to go off it twice and each time the severe cystic acne came back. When I say severe, I mean SEVERE... permanent scarring and disfigurement status... I've still got scarring from my last attempt to get off the stuff 2 years ago. :( I spent years visiting dermatologists and spending thousands of dollars on treatments and this stuff is the only thing to ever work for me. So I have to stick with it.

It does suck though. I have a face-framing blonde halo before it turns purple. The most I can do is go over it with temporary hair color each morning.

Majorane, DOOOOO IT! :) It's so much fun, as I'm sure you know.

[aztecangel]

OKay, I did more work on my hair and finally achieved something similar to what I was originally wanting. The purple was just an experiment.

http://38.media.tumblr.com/663faf01923d140fa671651c6c5a5d72/tumblr_n9tjkgDMSA1roqnpoo1_500.jpg
http://37.media.tumblr.com/7d0373acf8fbbc64c94d0d3b2e112bb9/tumblr_n9tjkgDMSA1roqnpoo2_500.jpg
http://38.media.tumblr.com/37910a1b451c358157e88569bc8e0e47/tumblr_n9tll0C5YJ1roqnpoo1_500.jpg

It took about 4 bleachings to get it that blonde on my sidecuts/fringe. The part I dyed blue/green (Manic Panic Enchanted Forest) only had 3 bleachings and was still an orangy color before the dye. But I'm happy to have finally got it close to platinum on the sides. It's still pretty yellow, but an acceptable yellow. I am happy. :) I left it blonde around my face to eliminate the issue of my acne medication bleaching out the color.

Things I used to heal hair after all that bleaching:

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
The Generic Paul Mitchell Strengthening Treatment from Sallys
Coconut oil

Thanks again for all the advice! It was a ton of work, but it's work I enjoy. :) I had fun and I'm so happy with how it turned out. My hair would be a lot more damaged without some of the tips I received (especially coconut oil) and I appreciate it.