How hair bleaches work. And how to choose your bleach.
BY SALLY MADISON
NATIONAL COLOR TRAINER
Introduction
A hair bleach is a crucial tool for hairdressers and colorists, allowing them to achieve significant lifting of the hair.
But what exactly goes on chemically when hair bleach is applied?
In this article we will explain the science behind this process.
What hair bleaches typically contain
The principal active ingredient inside a hair bleach will generally be a persulfate or a combination of several persulfates.
Typical persulfates used in hair bleaches are ammonium persulfate, potassium persulfate, and sodium persulfate.
These persulfates are powerful oxidizing agents.
They will work in conjuction with your developer to lighten your hair.
What happens when hair bleach and developer get mixed together
When mixed with developer, the following things happen:
Oxidizing Action
The persulfates dissociate to release sulfate ions and peroxydisulfate ions.
These peroxydisulfate ions are the active oxidizing ions and they are responsible for breaking down the natural pigment molecules in the hair.
Decolorization
As the natural pigments get broken down, the hair gets lighter.
Stabilization
Persulfates also serve to stabilize the bleach mixture.
They help maintain the alkaline pH necessary for optimal bleaching performance and contribute to the overall stability and shelf life of the bleach product.
If I want more lift I need to use a stronger developer. Correct?
As we saw above, hydrogen peroxide, the active ingredient in the developer, plays a key role in oxidizing the melanin molecules within the hair.
So the stronger the concentration of the developer, the more lift you will undoubtedly get.
The concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the developer determines the lift or lightening effect achieved during the bleaching process, with 40 Vol achieving the greatest lift.
But, you need to be careful. You should not use a stronger developer strength than you need to get to your desired level.
The stronger the developer, the more you will be opening up the hair cuticle and the more you will be compromising hair integrity.
Later in this article we will give you some guidelines as to which developer strength you should use when.
How we would advise you to choose your bleach
Our advice would be to first make sure that the bleach you are using can lift very fast and very well.
Ugly Duckling bleaches (we have 2) are both very effective and you will find that they lift fast and very consistently.
Let's go through them now.
Best bleach for dark hair
For very dark hair (level 5 or darker) and for hair which has been box colored or colored darker, we would recommend Brilliant Blonde.
It has been specifically formulated for dark bases and difficult to lift bases.
It can lift up to 8 levels in one sitting.
In other words you can take hair from very dark to level 10 blonde in one sitting with this bleach.
Not many bleaches can achieve that.
Be very attentive to processing time as you use this bleach. It does go fast.
In general, we would recommend that you use it for off-scalp use as far as possible.
If you do need to use it on-scalp, you can do so.
But apply later, with lower volume developer and leave on for less long.
It will process faster there due to the heat of the scalp so watch it carefully.
Best bleach for on-scalp use
For most hair types, our default suggestion would be Brilliant Blondexx with Bond Protect.
Ugly Duckling was the first to bring out this type of bleach, and it's one of the highest rated bleaches of its type.
Based on totally new technology, this formula lifts very very well. Up to 7 levels, fact.
At the same time it contains Bond Protect. So it will protect the scalp and the hair as it lifts.
Thus reducing scalp irritation as well preventing hair breakage.
You will immediately notice the difference when you start mixing the developer with the bleach.
It produces a really creamy, oily mix which is totally different from most bleaches.
Which developer strength should I use with my bleach?
Now we get to developer choice.
As we said earlier, never use a stronger developer strength than you need.
We suggest that you use 20 Vol for lifts up to 3 levels.
And use 30 Vol for lifts up for lifts greater than that.
For the root area, always use 20 Vol only.
And for second applications in the same session, 20 Vol only.
Try to avoid using 40 Vol developer with bleaches. It isn't necessary.
If you use Ugly Duckling bleaches, which have very good lift, you will find that the above developer choices will work perfectly.
How should I make my bleach mix?
Our recommended mix is 1 part bleach to 2 parts developer.
This mix ratio gives you a nice wet mix, which is what you need.
At the same time, it will not drip off your brush when you are applying it.
Remember, a bleach mix will be active so long as the mix is wet.
When it dries out, it stops working.
How should I apply my bleach mixture?
When doing a full head bleach application. always start at the part which needs the most lifting.
If, on the other hand, you have a dark root to lift, then you would start there.
Then move on and extend to other areas.
Segment finely and really saturate the hair.
The hair needs to be literally drenched in the mixture, otherwise it won't work properly.
And work fast, because with bleach it's all about timing.
Should I make a second application in the same session?
Absolutely, you should not be afraid to do so.
The rule is after you have applied everywhere and waited around 15 minutes, you need to check.
You check by peeling back some of the mixture with your tailcomb brush and looking very carefully at the color.
If it is still orange or yellow-orange at this stage, you are going to need a second application.
For that, make a fresh mix - don't just use the left over bleach mix from your first application.
And for this fresh mix, use 20 Vol only. Anything higher is not a good idea for the integrity of your hair.
When should I rinse the bleach?
Rinse only when you get to palest, palest yellow.
The color of the inside of a banana skin.
Remember, under-processing is the most common bleaching mistake that hairdressers make.
What do I do after rinsing off my bleach?
You will need to use a toner.
Ugly Duckling has a wide choice of toners, which you can access on our website.
6 popular toners are given below. You will need to work out which one best corresponds to your target color and your hair level after bleaching.
You may also like to use a purple shampoo or purple mask.
These products will help you get the final look as accurate in terms of tone choice as possible.
Finally, we would also recommend that you use Bond Protect hair treatment products in order to maintain your bleached and toned hair.
Just look around on our website and you will find plenty of guidance regarding the use of these products.
