Lightening your hair should generally be done by a salon professional, but if you want to use bleach to lighten your hair at home, there are ways to accomplish it. One way is to bleach the hair with bleach, although this approach is frowned upon because of the damage it can do to hair. Using bleach for hair is a risky process when it involves the use of regular household cleaning bleach. It is done to lighten darker hair, but is not recommended for shades lighter than light brown.
A few days before you use the bleach, take 0.25 tablespoon (3.69 ml) of the bleach and combine it with about 0.25 cup (about 59 ml) of shampoo. Stir this mixture together with a spoon. Plastic spoons are generally recommended because the bleach may cause oxidization to occur in metal spoons.
Strip all previous color treatments from your hair. A couple of days before you begin to bleach hair with bleach, use a small amount of the bleach mixture on an unnoticeable strand of hair. This will help you determine how your hair will react to the bleach and what color hair you will end up with after the treatment. Rinse your hair thoroughly after a minute or two and dry it to see the color. Darker shades of hair may turn orange instead of blonde with the addition of bleach.
You may also want to place a small drop of the mixture on your elbow or behind your ear, where it can not be noticed. This will help you gauge your skin’s reaction to the mixture. If your skin is not very irritated by the mixture, you may be able to continue to bleach hair with bleach. Bleach is highly caustic, though, so most people will experience itching or even burning; watch carefully for signs of more dangerous allergic reactions, which will be listed on the bleach bottle, and contact a poison control center if you observe any.
When you begin to bleach hair with bleach, use a comb to apply the bleach to your hair. While you are doing this, make sure the clothes you are wearing and the towels you are using can be thrown away, because the bleach will discolor them. Wear goggles to prevent bleach from getting in your eyes; bleach can cause you to go blind if it gets in your eyes. After the mixture is applied, leave the bleach in for just a few minutes, watching it change the color of your hair as you do. Do not leave it in for too long because it can cause serious damage to your hair.
Rinse the bleach out by putting your head under the faucet of either your bathtub or sink. Do not get into the shower; you do not want the bleach mixture to get all over your body. Continue rinsing your hair thoroughly for 10 or 15 minutes, and then apply regular shampoo and wash your hair a few times. You may also want to mix a little vinegar in with your shampoo to stop the bleaching process completely.
Condition your hair every day for the next couple of weeks to limit the amount of harm the bleach causes. If your hair turns orange instead of blonde, do not immediately begin to bleach hair with bleach again. Doing so can cause a lot of damage to your hair. Instead, consult a professional on the next steps to take.