How to Get Hair Bleach Blonde

How do I get hair Bleach Blonde?

This is a question we get a lot.

You want to take hair to a very light level 10 blonde, but you don’t want to damage it.

So how exactly do you do that?

Keep reading for the answer...

Hair Bleaching Levels

As you bleach the hair, it starts to change color.

As you lift it, it goes from copper to orange, then brassy yellow, then yellow.

Then finally very pale yellow.

Don't bleach with a timer, bleach with your eyes.

Getting hair bleach blonde is a visual thing. It's to do with the color you have lifted it to.

It's not a strict timing thing.

So what you need to do around 10 minutes after applying the bleach everywhere is to peel back the mixture from a portion of the hair and check.

If at this stage it's still brassy yellow, you will need to make some fresh mix and re-apply.

Do this to all the parts that have not lifted correctly.

What should the hair look like when it's bleached correctly?

See picture above for what correctly bleached hair should look like.

This is what it looks like at the backwash.

If it looks like this, you did it correctly.

I’ve bleached the hair but it’s still orange

Almost certainly you did one of these things:

You made the wrong choice of bleach. Or you made the wrong choice of developer.

Or you mixed it wrong. Or you applied incorrectly.

Or you didn't leave the mixture in long enough.

We'll go through each of these issues now.

Quality of Bleach

It's a mistake to think that all bleaches lift the same. They don't.

There are many bleaches with mediocre lifting quality.

We would suggest you use Ugly Duckling bleaches. They have excellent lift, and great safety at the same time.

Use Brilliant Blonde blue bleach for very substantial lift of very dark hair. 

And use Brilliant Blondexx for everything else, including on-scalp bleaching.

Developer Choice When Bleaching

The only 2 developer strengths you should be using when bleaching are 20 Vol and 30 Vol.

Use 20 Vol for up to 3 levels of lift.

And 30 Vol for everything else.

It's a good idea to have both strengths to hand when bleaching.

It's better, for example, to use 20 Vol only on the root area.

Second bleach applications should also only be made with 20 Vol.

So you may need to make separate mixes. 

Bleach Mix

The correct mix is 1 part bleach to 2 parts developer.

That gives you a rather moist, gravy-like mix.

And that in turn allows you to saturate and really coat the hair, which is the point.

Bleach Application

When applying, be very generous with the product.

Don't dab, don't poke. Slap on the mixture.

The hair needs to be literally drenched in the mixture. That way it lifts fast.

Under-processing of the Bleach

This one is a really common mistake among trainee and novice hairdressers.

Don't under-process the hair.

Wait for that very light, pale yellow to show.

Not just in one part, but everywhere, consistently.

That's the secret to getting to level 10.

Application

Section start from the back. Hair is the thickest part, It’s all about processing time

Be very generous with the product and saturate the hair

Apply twice if it doesn't look like it's going to get to level 10 palest yellow.

Using Foils

Using foils is a great idea because it keeps the heat in and allows you to lift the hair faster.

But you need to check here as well after 10 minutes.

Open up one foil, peel back the mixture and check what level the hair is at.

If it has not lifted enough, you will need to open up the foils, make fresh mix,  and reapply the mix directly on the hair this time.

Toning After Bleach

Of course bleaching isn't the end of it.

You are going to need to tone the hair.

Read this article to find a toner to suit you.

Care for Bleach Blonde Hair

And you are going to need to take care of the level 10 Bleach blonde hair.

Read this to learn about haircare for bleach blonde hair.