Bleach Bath Hair: How to Do It at Home (Expert Tips, Instructions & DIY Guide) (2023)

Do you want to know what it means to bleach bath hair?

Basically, it refers to a gentler way of lightening your hair.

It does so by gradually stripping away one layer of color at a time, compared to regular bleaching, which does it all in one go.

If you have somewhat fragile hair but want to try new hair color ideas, a bleach bath might be best for you.

How to Choose the Right Bleach for a Bleach Bath

You can choose any of the many brands of hair-bleaching products that you can find. The thing about bleach baths is that you will dilute the bleach in water and shampoo.

However, you should find the weakest bleach you can to ensure that the process will be as gentle and gradual as possible.

You can tell the strength by the number labeled on the developer bottle. Typically, for a bleach bath, you can use a developer strength of 10 to 20.

How to Prepare and Apply a Bleach Bath

Step 1 – Do an allergy test first

Do this before even applying the bleach to your hair. If you are highly allergic to the bleach you plan on using or are severely allergic to hair bleach, it could cause serious breakouts in the skin of your head, so look for bleach-free hair-lightening solutions.

Gather several bleaching options, mix small batches of the bleach and developer, and then place a couple of small blotches on your arm using a cotton swab.

Take note of which spot you placed each product. If the spots get itchy, swollen, or turn red, you should not go through with using that particular product.

Step 2 – Prepare the bleaching product

Consult the packaging of the bleach and the developer of your choosing. Prepare enough bleaching agents for the length and thickness of your hair. Mix the bleach and developer in a small mixing bowl.

Take an equal amount of shampoo and mix it into the bleach and developer mixture. It is best to use a clarifying shampoo as it will increase the results.

Step 3 – Use the bleach bath

Get your hair wet before you apply the bleach bath mixture. Wash your hair in warm water and then towel dry it until it is not sopping wet but still quite wet. Be sure you wear old clothes that do not mind getting ruined by the bleach.

It would be best if you also draped an old towel over your shoulders. Wear a pair of rubber gloves and start applying the bleach bath mixture to your hair. Start at the ends and then work your way up to the roots.

Step 4 – Cover your head and wait

Clip your hair up and cover your head with a shower cap. This will prevent the bleach from dripping all over the place. The shower cap will also help make the bleaching process happen much faster. Now, wait for the bleach to do its job, which can take around 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 5 – Gradually remove the bleach

After waiting at least 5 minutes, spray clean water on your hair using a spray bottle. Wipe away the bleach and water using an old towel.

Do these steps every five minutes or so, all the while keeping track of the progress of the hair-lightening process. Once your hair has reached your ideal lightness, you can wash the bleach entirely.

Step 6 – Wash the rest of the bleach out of your hair

Upon reaching the color you were aiming for, it is time to wash out the rest of the bleach. Rinse the bleach gently using lukewarm water in the sink or in the shower.

If you plan to color your hair afterward, you should not use any conditioner. However, if you aim to lighten your hair, apply a deep conditioner to repair and protect your hair immediately.

Aftercare Tips for Bleached Hair

• Don’t wash your hair too often. Because your hair was damaged and dried out by the bleach, you should not shampoo it as often as usual. The shampoo will only dry your hair even more and cause more damage, so you should use it twice a week or just once.
• Condition more often. Instead of shampooing, wash your hair with water and apply a conditioner. Use a hair conditioner daily and apply a leave-in conditioner to return the moisture to your hair much more quickly.
• Use a hair mask. Aside from conditioning often, start using a hair mask that would further repair and moisturize your hair. Make it a point to apply a moisturizing mask every week until your hair is back to its original smoothness and strength.
• Use a purple shampoo to prevent brassiness. When you bleach your hair, it will not remain perfect; it will turn an ugly, brassy color even after just a day or two. To prevent this from happening or slow the process down, replace your usual shampoo with a purple-tinted one. The purple tint will counter the brassiness of your hair.
• Use hair oil. This can help repair the cuticle of your hair. You can use the oil as a pre and/or post-showering conditioner. The oil will both moisturize and protect your hair from the damage that your shampoo will deal. This will ensure that the shampoo removes the dirt from your hair, not the moisture.
• Don’t use heat-styling methods for now. Using heat styling tools like curlers or irons adds more damage to your already vulnerable and severely damaged hair. You should not use hair dryers when your hair is still newly bleached. Use a towel to wring out most of the water and let your hair air dry. However, if you are in a hurry and need to dry your hair, apply a heat-protecting primer first.
• Get a hair gloss treatment. If you haven’t bleached your hair before, you may be surprised at how rough and dull your hair looks afterward. It would be like you are wearing a cheap wig. If you had your hair bleached at a salon, your hairstylist would offer a hair gloss treatment, and I suggest you get it. This will repair the hair shafts and make them shine again.

How to Bleach Bath Your Hair at Home

Step 1 – Do it in a well-ventilated room

When you bleach your hair, you will be using toxic chemicals, and they will emit noxious fumes. If you are particularly sensitive to chemical smells, you should do your bleaching process in a well-ventilated room or, better yet, outside on your patio.

Also, use a fan to ensure the air is circulating properly.

Step 2 – Use clarifying a shampoo

Before you bleach your hair, make sure to use a clarifying shampoo to get all the dirt and excess oils from your hair. This step will ensure that the bleaching agent will lighten your hair evenly.

Can you dye the still-wet hair? Yes, it is recommended that the hair is still a bit wet for a bleach bath.

Step 3 – Cover every surface

If you bleach your hair, make sure you use two mirrors. Separate your hair into sections and apply the bleach and developer one section at a time. Start brushing the bleach from the tips and go down to the base.

Try as much as you cannot get bleach on your scalp. Use the mirrors to ensure that the hair at the back of your head gets enough bleach. If you want to add highlights to black hair, apply the bleach to your chosen sections.

Step 4 – Condition the hair well

After waiting the prerequisite time, rinse your hair thoroughly under running water. Once you know that all the bleach is rinsed out, apply a deep moisturizing conditioner.

This will return some moisture lost due to the bleaching process. Afterward, towel-dry your hair gently and apply a leave-in conditioner.

FAQ

Can a bleach bath fix over-toned hair?

Yes, it can. In fact, it is the typical solution for fixing over-toned hair. This process will gently remove the excess dye from your hair, unlike straight bleaching, which will remove all color. You can also tweak your bleach bath if you only want to lighten your hair by one or two shades.

Can you dye your hair after a bleach bath?

Yes, you can dye your hair right after a bleach bath. Because the bleach opens up the cuticles of your hair strands, hair dye can penetrate through effectively.

How do I know if a bleach bath is right for me?

You first must check if the bleach you use could cause untoward reactions on your skin. To do this, perform an allergy test first. If a small blot of bleach on your arm does not cause any swelling, itchiness, or discoloration, it will be safe to use on your hair.

When should you do a bleach bath?

Since a bleach bath is much gentler than actual bleaching, it is a good choice if you only want to lighten your hair by just a couple of shades. One of the reasons why you should do a bleach bath is when your new hair color seems too bright for your liking.

This process can lighten the color.

How will bleach bath hair affect my hair color?

This process will gradually lighten your hair, unlike using straight hair bleach, which will strip away all the color. You can dilute the bleach even more if you want to lighten your hair slightly, like when you want to achieve a dirty blonde look.

The bleach bath can also eliminate any traces of your previous hair dyes. With that, you can expect this method to help give you a more consistent base.The bleach wash or bath is also a gentle method, which means that it will not cause a lot of damage to your locks even if you re-dye them immediately.