Tips On How To Bleach Your Virgin Hair Extensions At Home

The summer will soon be upon us and so will the need to change up our look, including a new hairdo. If your itching to under-go a transformation, then why not sport a lighter or bolder look by bleaching your hair extensions. The word ' bleach' can sound scary, especially if you know nothing about bleaching hair. If done incorrectly, you can risk damaging your hair extensions altogether. Though, you can't escape this process because in order to go several shades lighter, you need to go through the bleaching process.

You may have already attempted to bleach your own hair or perhaps hair extensions and it may have turned out a hot mess. Don't worry though, we know how tricky bleach can be but with our bulletproof tips on bleaching, you will know how to safely bleach your hair in the comfort of your own home.

Determine The Color Of Your Hair Extensions

The results you will achieve, depend highly on the condition and shade of the hair extensions. Bleach works best on non-processed, virgin hair and in light brown shades. The darker your hair, the longer it will take to lift to your desired color shade and it may take multiple applications to get to that color.

Buying Your Bleaching Kit

You have the choice of either buying a ready-to-use bleaching kit or you can simply buy the product separately. Whatever you choose, make sure that you have the following items:

• Gloves
• Bleaching powder & peroxide
• Mixing bowl
• Old towel ( bleaching can be messy)
• Comb
• Vaseline (to protect your hair line and scalp)
• A brush to apply the dye
• Old t-shirt
• Hair Clips
• TimerNote: Bleaching kits come in different peroxide strengths and you should approach them with caution.10% - light hair
  20 % - light to medium hair
  30% - dark hair
  40% is very strong and is far too risky to have near your scalp, so it is reccommended to use on the tips of the hair.Hair PreparationTo avoid dry, damaged hair, make sure you deep condition the hair a few weeks prior to bleaching

it. Also, do not wash your hair for a couple of days. You want to savor as much moisture as possible, before the bleach strips the hair of its natural oils. If you bleach freshly washed hair, it will cause your scalp to irritate.

Applying

Before you even begin applying the bleach, perform a skin test 24 hours in advance. Obviously, if you're not wearing your extensions, you can skip that step.

If you don't have a timer, hold off from bleaching your hair until you do because timing is everything. From the moment you apply the bleach, the hair will begin to process. Taking too much time or taking breaks is not allowed.

Make sure you have everything to hand, laid out on the table ready for you to use. Most importantly, apply the bleach to every strand of hair, so take your time when applying but not too much time.

Neutralizing Shampoo

It is highly advised to use a neutralizing shampoo, which helps stop the chemicals from processing your hair any further. When you wash your hair with a neutralizing shampoo, you will notice the water will turn pink. You must continue to wash the hair out until the water is clear.

Tone

Don't be afraid if the hair looks slightly 'brassy' or a ginger color. All that is required is a good quality toner. Hair toners are what makes the color a more cool shade and removes any gingery tones.

When you apply the toner, you should let it sit for at least 20 – 30 minutes.

After-Care

Once you've lightly shampooed and toned the hair, apply a rich conditioner, concentrating on the end of the hair. If you prefer, you could even apply a hair mask instead of a conditioner.
After you have conditioned the hair, let it air dry instead of blow drying it.

Remember: Bleaching can cause irreversible damage if done incorrectly, so may want to seek a professional to help bleach your hair instead.