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Home Blog Can you bleach dyed black hair?

Can you bleach dyed black hair?

BY SALLY MADISON
NATIONAL COLOR TRAINER


Taking Box Dyed Black Hair Blonde - Watch Video

Hair by Elona Taki

Can I bleach my hair after dying it?

Can I bleach my hair if it has been dyed black?

And can I bleach my hair if it has been dyed black with box dye?

The answer to all these questions is: Yes, you can.

But you need to do it right. 

And done correctly, using quality products, it will work.

In this blog, we are going to show you how.

What you need to know about dyed black hair

Black Hair

Hair dyed black with box dye 

Dyed black hair is in fact one of the hardest things to lift out.

And if you have used any henna-based or any other metallic dyes it is very hard indeed.

However, the good news is that if you have dyed your hair bleach with oxidative dyes (color and developer mixed together), then yes, it is possible.

In this article, we will show you.

Is it harmful to bleach black dyed hair?

Let's be clear: it's not a process we would recommend that you undertake too often.

At Ugly Duckling we always recommend that you limit this sort of drastic process to once in the lifetime of the hair.

But provided you follow the proper procedure, and use quality products, you will absolutely be able to lift black dyed hair.

And keep the hair in relatively good condition.

We are now going to show you how.

How to bleach dyed black hair - what you will need

Brilliant Blondexx

Brilliant Blondexx Bleach with Bond Protect

When bleaching dyed black hair, the key ingredient is a really good bleach.

All bleaches are not the same. Many salon bleaches have insufficient lifting power.

Which means you end up having to use developer strength that is way too high.

And process the bleach way too long on your hair.

Neither is recommended for hair that has been colored black and needs to be taken lighter.

For this reason we would recommend that you use Ugly Duckling's Brilliant Blondexx.

It has Bond Protect built in to the bleach.

As a result, you will notice the difference even when you start mixing it with developer.

It produces a creamy, white bleach very similar to a regular color.

Thanks to the Bond Protect, it sits very comfortably on the scalp.

And it has excellent lifting properties.

We would recommend you use this to lift out dyed black hair.

Check the hair quality 

First, assess the hair quality and make sure that the hair looks strong.

Take one strand in your fingers and try and stretch it when wet.

If it stretches, that's good.

It means that the hair is elastic.

Which means it is strong and in good health - despite the black dye that you put on it!

Applying 4N on the roots

Applying 4N on the root area

Applying 4N Brown on the root area

We make a mix of Ugly Duckling 4N and 20 Vol developer and we apply on the roots.

Our client does have over 50% grey hair, so this is a great way of achieving good coverage on this area.

And we give her a smudge root, which will look nice.

Choose the right bleach and developer strength

Bleach and 30 Vol

Brilliant Blondexx and 30 Vol 

With our bleach we use 30 Vol, as the hair is dark and we need to take it blonde.

Making your mix and applying on the lengths

Mix of bleach and 30 Vol developer

Mix of Brilliant Blondexx bleach and 30 Vol developer

The proportion for the bleach developer mix is 1 part bleach to 2 parts developer.

Keep stirring until you get a nice, smooth, creamy mix as you see below.

Then apply on the lengths.

We will return there later once we have properly lifted the lengths.

Keep checking the whole head.

Keep checking to see if you are ready to rinse

Hair after bleaching

Black hair after bleaching with Brilliant Blondexx & 30 Vol

As we approach the final 10-15 minutes, it is important to assess the hair one more time.

Take a strand and do the pull test once more.

If it is elastic, that's good.

Keep developing the bleach mixture, re-applying as necessary.

Your aim should be to try and get the hair as light as possible.

However, you do need to be realistic with hair that was box dyed.

More than a level 9 is probably going to be unachievable for this hair.

See the picture above to see the level we managed to achieve: around level 9.

Remember: If you think the hair is losing its elasticity, you need to rinse.

Otherwise you could end up with broken hair or split ends.

Toning the lengths

Toners activating on the hair

Ugly Duckling toners processing on the hair

For toning, we used a combination of Ugly Duckling 9.1b and 10V.

9.1b is a blue based blonde ash toner and excellent at kicking out yellow orange.

10V is our whitest toner. It's purple based and it will neutralize yellow.

The two working together (blue and purple) will allow us to take the bleached hair to a very nice medium light blonde.

Light Cold Ash Blonde 9.1b

Light Cold Ash Blonde 9.1b

Pearl Blonde 10V

Pearl Blonde 10V

The Final Result

The Final Result

Hair by Elona Taki

After bleach haircare

Brilliant Blondexx mask

Brilliant Blondexx mask with Bond Protect (Plex Technology)

Taking care of the hair after bleaching and toning is really important.

Especially with this hair which has undergone what it has undergone - being colored dark with box dye and now being lifted up again.

We would suggest you use Brilliant Blondexx shampoo and mask on a regular basis.

These products contain Bond Protect and will help build the hair bonds from the inside and make the hair thicker and stronger.

They will also help condition and strengthen the hair.

And make it healthier and stronger.

They are acidic products.

Which means they will help close the hair cuticle and make hair more manageable (less frizz).

They are also sulfate-free.

About the author

Sally has been a hair colorist and trainer for many years in both the US & Europe. She currently does hair color training for Ugly Duckling. She also helps develop new & awesome products for the brand.



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