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View Full Version : Hair bleaching and fantasy dyes



Knightly
March 18th, 2019, 03:03 PM
I've been wanting to dye my hair kinda like this: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2Tc6xFtU9/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1d6obxnbicdem since I was in 6th grade and now that I'm old enough I really want to do it before it's too late lol so I've got some questions for y'all:

-what should I know before bleaching?
-how to take care of long bleached hair? (Treatments, washing, brushing etc)
-how to keep it from breaking off?
-how to mantain the color?
-what should i consider if my hair is quite thin and I dont have a lot of it?

My hair is quite dark and TBL so I know it'll take more than one bleaching process to get to the lightest shade so it can be dyed pastel colors and Im so scared of ruining it and having to cut it!

Please add any info that you think could be useful for me!!!

Ylva
March 18th, 2019, 03:46 PM
Do go to a professional for the bleaching! I don't know what kind of advice to give for dark hair other than make sure Olaplex is used.

Before bleaching, let coconut oil soak in your hair for 12+ hours. Your hair will probably need protein and more moisture once it's bleached, so prepare to look for products your hair will appreciate. It'll be more prone to breakage, so avoid brushing or combing it wet. Treat it very gently in all ways, incorporate silicones into your haircare routine if you don't already use them. But even all this considered, your hair will likely experience at least some breakage.

Maintain the colour by repeating the pastel dye process or by using a tinted conditioner.

blackgothicdoll
March 18th, 2019, 03:56 PM
I completely agree with Yvla, you will probably not be able to get your hair light enough for pink to deposit it at home on the first try. The brightest I could ever get my hair, even with a platinum bleaching kit, was bright orange, a little brighter than a penny. And no, pink would not deposit on that.

Now I circle back around to say, I got honey at the salon and my hair melted off in the front. Also not trying to scare you, just a very fair warning, and that's why I'd also suggest temporary color at first (however, to be fair, I didn't do any of the preparatory suggestions Yvla suggested since I had no idea what was going on, I also had a lot of heat used the same day). Also, I'm only assuming your hair is as dark as mine. Even look at those dyes that say they will deposit on dark hair, they're pretty cheap and worth a try (they are always demi permanent, though, and won't last long).

If anything, those will let you know if you like the look enough to commit to it.

lithostoic
March 18th, 2019, 04:00 PM
Bleached hair loves protein. That's the extent of my advice because I bleach to white in one go lol.

lapushka
March 18th, 2019, 04:26 PM
I've been wanting to dye my hair kinda like this: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2Tc6xFtU9/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1d6obxnbicdem since I was in 6th grade and now that I'm old enough I really want to do it before it's too late lol so I've got some questions for y'all:

-what should I know before bleaching?
-how to take care of long bleached hair? (Treatments, washing, brushing etc)
-how to keep it from breaking off?
-how to mantain the color?
-what should i consider if my hair is quite thin and I dont have a lot of it?

My hair is quite dark and TBL so I know it'll take more than one bleaching process to get to the lightest shade so it can be dyed pastel colors and Im so scared of ruining it and having to cut it!

Please add any info that you think could be useful for me!!!

For that color you are going to have to go pretty light; so I would recommend not risking doing it yourself. Bleach can be somewhat of a surprise if you aren't used to working with it! If you have at least seen it used once, it builds confidence for future at home projects, but for a first time? I would not risk it.

Good luck!

And yes, like lithostoic says, protein afterwards = important!
And Ylva brings up a good point, ask your stylist if they work with Olaplex or something similar!

If you do it, I would do it like the picture, and only do the very ends! If it ends in disaster, at least you aren't going to sacrifice *all* of your hair!

It's pretty! :)

Jo Ann
March 19th, 2019, 12:11 AM
Ylva has the right of it--if you've never bleached before, let a professional do it! Prepare beforehand with coconut oil on your hair--it will help alleviate damage (it won't stop it completely, but it will help decrease the amount of damage you'll get!).

Talk to the hairdresser/colorist/stylist who will do the bleaching for you and find out what strength developer will be used on your hair. If the hairdresser says 40vol, don't go for it--request a less intense developer, such as 20vol or 30vol (at MOST!). Bleach is bad enough, but a high-concentration developer such as 40vol will fry your hair, especially if it is light to begin with. Depending on the darkness of your natural hair color, be prepared to have more than one session to get your hair to the desired lightness. If your hair is, say, medium brown, you can probably have it bleached in one session--any darker, and it might take two or more--patience is the key here. You do NOT have to have your hair bleached to "white" to do pastel colors! Level 9 is perfectly suitable for pastels (http://hair-and-makeup-artist.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Natural-hair-colours.jpg).

Protein and moisture will go a long way to helping your hair look healthy and help curb breakage. Microtrimming (preferable) and S&D will help keep the split ends in check. Listen to your hair! If it feels "off," give it a protein and/or moisture treatment to bring it back into balance (I do both, but lean more toward moisture because my hair is dry to begin with).

If you have any questions after you do this, feel free to ask! Many of us have been there and can offer advice/help/support about how we dealt with our hair after bleaching it. Good luck!

LadyCelestina
March 19th, 2019, 02:23 AM
If you look at the picture carefully, you can see that the girls hair isn't bleached much beyond the orange stage :) Look at where the pink starts in her hair, you def don't need to go very light blonde for reds&pinks, esp. for pink like in the picture, which imo is not pastel, looks like the colour is just slightly washed out and some yellow from the bleached hair underneath is showing through :)

JustPam
March 19th, 2019, 05:02 AM
I don't think you'd need to go very light, a yellow/orange should take peachy pink nicely, but I agree get a professional to do the bleaching part then you can tint it at home yourself with direct dyes. I'd recommend getting it done over 2-3 sittings with a weaker bleach so it can "recover" in between, Olaplex or similar are quite widely used now in salons but you might still need to ask for it.

For bleached hair care, do regular deep conditions and protein treatments (I do 2 DCs to 1 protein), use a detangling spray if you comb wet, then use a silicone serum after drying to prevent grabby hairs. Some breakage is normal but manageable with the above care and S&D/microtrims.

I'm aiming for a similar look and am trying to get there from a dyed dark brown, I've had one bleaching and will probably have another 2 ahead of me to get it light enough. My salon specialises in fashion colours and I've been going there for a couple of years now so I trust them to do it carefully.

Knightly
March 19th, 2019, 11:10 PM
Thanks for your help!
I'll probably do a patch test as soon as summer break's in. I don't wanna get my hair totally screwed up and attend school like that lol
I'm hesitant about going to a professional though, I just can't trust anyone with my hair so I'd rather take the blame for screwing my own hair.

For the DIY patch test,which bleach brands would you recommend?

Jo Ann
March 20th, 2019, 12:08 AM
For the DIY patch test, Knightly, I would suggest using the same bleach your hairdresser/colorist/whatever would be using. Although the bleaching agent (potassium persulfate is the usual bleaching agent, if I'm not mistaken) is pretty much universal, there could be other ingredients in the bleach used that can cause irritation.

Begemot
March 23rd, 2019, 02:22 PM
Today I read about bleaching hair with clay. It's supposed to work well if you don't need to get very light very quick (works in natural hair and lifts dye). Hair salons that specialize in ecological treatments and products do it :) Weirdly enough I couldn't find much information about it in English... :confused:
I think I'll try it at some point but now I have been using just Olaplex no. 1 mixed in bleach and no. 3 product at home. I second protecting hair with coconut oil during the bleaching process. Weekly deep conditioning treatments, silver conditioner, protection from heat damage and mechanical damage, regular trimming and gentle care... that's about it for me. My hair isn't that long yet so I'm learning along the way.