Q&A for How to Bleach Brown Hair

No, your hair needs to be dry when bleaching it. It also helps if your hair is naturally greasy; it will help protect your hair from damage and make it easier to bleach. If your hair is very dry, consider applying some coconut oil to it instead.

It might make your hair super dry, chemically burn your scalp, turn you hair an orange shade, and you will probably lose hair. Do not leave bleach in for more than an hour.

You can color your hair immediately after you rinse, shampoo, and condition your hair after bleaching it. The sooner you apply color to bleached hair, the more your hair will absorb the color.

Yes, you should wait a full 24 hours before rebleaching.

Yes. However, you may need to re-bleach in a couple of weeks, as red (whether natural or dyed) is one of the harder colors to remove.

Do not use house cleaning bleach, that is very dangerous for your hair, scalp, and surrounding skin. It must be the bleach specially formulated for use on hair.

You should wash your hair with purple shampoo for light ash blonde once a week to banish brassy tones, but you don't need to use it immediately after toning.

Some hair, especially if it's very dark, will unavoidably have orange tints from bleach. The best way to get rid of brassiness, or orange tints, is by using a blue-based toner after you bleach your hair.

It's recommended to apply bleach to unwashed hair, but you can apply to washed hair as well. It just may work faster, so be sure you're checking your hair for damage every 2-3 minutes.

No longer than 50 minutes. If it is not as light as desired, wait at least two weeks to re-bleach.

Darkening your hair color, or making it darker than the bleached parts, will not damage it. However, each time you lighten with more bleach, it does damage to your hair because it strips your hair of all color.

If you just applied fresh color to your hair, you should wait a few weeks before bleaching it. Trying to bleach it too soon will make it harder for the bleach to work; you'll need to leave it on longer and risk having it damage your hair.

If you are swimming in a lake or ocean, it is perfectly safe. Salt may bleach your hair further. If you are swimming in a pool, it is better to wear a cap over your hair. The chemicals may turn your hair green and make the color dull.

It is not suggested, due to the fact that bleaching already dries your hair out. If you shampoo as well, then you are further removing oils that have just been stripped away.

People usually do this for highlighting to avoid having the bleach contact other parts of the hair that you do not want bleached. If you're bleaching all of your hair, it's unnecessary to use foil.

Semi-permanent dye should be okay to use after bleaching and will work much the same as a toner. To avoid further damage, choose one without any ammonia.

One bleach will most likely turn your hair back to light blonde. If you get brassiness (red, orange, or yellow tints) from lightening the brown dye, just use a toner to neutralize it.

No. Wait a week to let your hair recover and then use bleach on any darker spots.

I use Splat hair dye kits. I have medium brown natural hair and I use the bleach kit. It doesn't leave any brassy undertones and it's affordable.

Probably not after the first time. Bleaching is a process; try bleaching once a week until it reaches a color you're satisfied with.

You don't need to bleach it if you're dyeing it a darker color. Blonde hair is very easy to dye.

Yes. It is safe to dye your hair within 24 hours, as long as it is with semi-permanent dye, as these dyes are less harsh on your hair.

It’s generally suggested to wait at least two to four weeks between coloring hair, especially after bleaching. That’s the minimum interval, but it would be better to wait six or seven weeks to avoid doing a lot of damage.

You can dye your hair directly afterwards, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d wait one day or two, and use a hydrating hair mask after bleaching so that the damage to your hair will be minimized.

You can get items for hair coloring and bleaching at any major retailer or beauty supply store.

You can, but it's not required. If you're bleaching the rest of your hair straight after the strand test, it's best to leave it and condition it with the rest of the hair, because too many products at once can damage your hair further.

Foil works well for doing some sections of hair; it is also best once treated. Starting with it sectioned with clips make it much easier to work quickly through the hair when applying bleach.

I would recommend waiting until after bleaching your hair to trim your split ends since the bleaching process could make them worse.

A semi-permanent dye or hair toner will help you reach your desired shade (since freshly bleached hair can look artificially yellow). Some gentler semi-permanent dyes may also make your hair look smoother and shinier. Using permanent dyes (which contain more peroxide in the formula) is not recommended as these will further damage bleached hair.

No, I wouldn't use this on your face. The skin on the face can be very sensitive, so dyes and bleaches should be avoided.