How to Bleach Your Hair Without Damage or Breakage

Hair Lifted using Brilliant Blondexx Bond Protect Bleach

1. Bleaches Vary a Lot in Lifting Power

Bleaches vary a lot in lifting power.

There are many beauty store bleaches out there which needs to be processed for 30 minutes and upwards, and require high developer strength (30 and 40 Vol) to work.

The result is that the bleach sits for a long time on your client's hair - damaging it and if you have used ultra strong developers, severely compromising hair integrity.

2. Not All Bleaches Can be Placed on the Scalp

The other issue you need to consider is: are you intending to place the bleach near the root area or even on the scalp?

If so, you need to realize that not all bleaches can be placed on the scalp.

Some provoke allergies or irritation when you attempt to do so - leaving you with an unhappy customer!

3. Our Recommended Choice of Bleach 

For most stylists, our recommended choice of bleach would be Brilliant Blondexx.

Brilliant Blondexx is a unique lightening system with bond protection built in.

It has been developed for professional hairdressers looking to achieve ultra white blonde results. It can be safely placed at or near the root area (near the scalp, in other words).

Thanks to a very unique creamy white oil-like consistency when mixed with developer, it is comfortable when sitting on the scalp.

Its lifting power is strong. Meaning you can use it with 20 and 30 Vol developer, depending on the degree of lift required. 40 Vol is never required.

Best of all - you can get the hair to a totally white blonde when using it. In one session only. This is important because these days customers do demand it...yellow blonde, gold blonde does not cut it any more.

Hair by Elona Taki. Bleached with Brilliant Blondexx and toned with Pearl Blonde toner 10V

4. How to Mix Bleach with Developer & How to Choose Developer Strength

Mix 1 part Brilliant Blondexx with 2 parts developer.

Use a non-metallic bowl and whisk and mix into a smooth creamy paste.

The Developer strength you need is a function of how many levels you are going to lift by.

Use 20 Vol developer for up to 3 levels of lift, & use 30 Vol for a higher degree of lift.

Please refer to the chart below to check where your client's hair is.

Subtract your hair's current level from 10 (which is where you need to take hair to) and you will know how many levels you need to lift by.

So, for example, if your client's hair is level 4 (medium brown), that is 6 levels lift. 

So in this case you would need to use 30 Vol developer.

5. How to Apply Your Bleach

Hair at the back is thicker and will need the most processing time.You should start applying here.

Hair near the root will process faster and will need less processing time. You should apply here later.

If parts of the hair have been lightened in a previous application, you will need to take this into account in your calculation of processing time and order of application.

The aim should be to produce a consistent, even, very pale yellow color result from roots to tip. So watch carefully and keep checking as the hair level changes, making a fresh mix and adding more mixture if necessary.

Remember that if you are trying to take your client blonde, you need to get the hair to a consistent level 9 or ideally 10. Please see images below for what the hair should look like after bleaching, rinsing & toweling.

Be aware that the hair nearest the root always lifts extra fast due to the heat from the scalp.

So it is a good idea when doing full head bleach applications, which takes time, to leave the root part out and return to it at the end.

That way you are reducing the development time of the bleach mixture on the root area.

Hair Bleached by Ashley Betancourt, New York.

After 30 minutes processing time, rinse.

If at this stage you have not got it everywhere to the color above, make a fresh mix and re-apply.

Always avoid applying directly on the scalp. But near the root is OK with Brilliant Blondexx.

Watch Video Below of a Full Application using Brilliant Blondexx (Followed by Toner)

Hair by Elona Taki

Not sure which toner to use after bleaching?

Follow our toner guide below. It will make it easy to choose the right one for your client.