Q&A for How to Bleach Your Hair With Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide can cause dryness and damage, but it isn't as harsh as many other chemicals. Used in moderation, it won't have a negative effect on the hair.

The speed at which peroxide lightens your hair is dependant on how dark your natural hair color is and how thick your hair strands are. You will generally achieve the maximum lightening possible in a single session after an hour. You may need to wait a couple of weeks and repeat the application.

Yes, it can. It is more effective at lightening when mixed with a powdered lightener but it will produce a subtle lightening effect on its own.

Well, everybody's hair is different and there's no clear cut answer for this. The best option, honestly, is to check with a professional to see if you're a great candidate for bleaching.

Peroxide can cause yellowing on gray hair. You should perform a strand test to see how it reacts with your hair.

Lightening hair is permanent. It is a removal of color, not an addition, so it will not fade (though it may get brassier over time).

You should wait at least 2 weeks between bleaching applications, and you should never bleach over the same area more than twice.

You can, but I would recommend waiting for at least 48 hours to minimize damage. The peroxide will make your hair more porous so you should use a color 2 shades lighter than you want the end result to be.

Unfortunately, no. The type of stain used for crayon box colors is not removable with hydrogen peroxide. In fact, using peroxide can actually push the stain deeper into the hair, making it harder to remove.

It's better to wait a few days if you can, but yes, you can bleach it right away. Just be aware that it will put added stress on the hair.

No. You will end up with an uneven result.

Root touch ups can be challenging. Wait until you have at least 1/2" of outgrowth and apply retouch with the edge of a color brush, dabbing instead of swiping. Use neat 1/4" sections. A friend will be able to see more clearly and apply the touch-up more neatly.

Hydrogen peroxide should lighten the color of previously dyed hair as long as the dye used was permanent hair color and not henna, vegetable dye, or some kind of stain. However, the effect will be more subtle than on natural color.

There is a chance it can severely damage your hair.

Bleached hair doesn't return to its natural color. You'll have to wait for it to grow out to see your natural hair color again.

Yes, it will help the hair absorb the hydrogen peroxide, and it'll improve the results a lot.

Use cotton balls and a toothbrush -- that way you don't have to use a spray bottle.

Yes. It will take, but the results may vary. You may have to repeat this process a few times for the best results.

Yes, you can. You just have to make sure your hair is completely dry before. Make sure you don't let bleach sit on you hair for too long.

As many times as you want, but it's recommended by most people that you take a break in between bleaching, to give your hair a break. Repeated bleaching can cause your hair to become damaged, brittle and weak.

You can wash out the peroxide, but unfortunately, you cannot wash out whatever color changes it has already affected. You'll need to grow out that part of your hair.

Don't worry. The color doesn't automatically show right away. It takes time. But if you want a lighter shade, keep repeating the process everyday for about a week or until you get the shade desired. But please let your hair rest for a while because excessive bleaching can cause your hair to be brittle and weak.

No, you cannot drink hydrogen peroxide. It will make you very ill.

You can't. Professionals use salon bleach, plus specific salon toners to achieve silver or grey on those who do not have the color naturally. They use these products in specific measurements designed for your hair length, texture, color, strength, etc. Trying to achieve the same look at home can not only be harmful to your color, but also to your hair integrity.

Three percent is the strength, i.e. 3% hydrogen peroxide/97% water. It's equivalent to a 10 developer in salon stores.

I would recommend going to a professional.

Not necessarily. Many dark-haired women dye their hair blonde, keep their dark eyebrows, and look great. It's very normal. Try it and see how it looks. If you don't like it, you can color your eyebrows to match your hair (generally a slightly darker shade than the hair on your head).

3% peroxide is the kind you can find at any local drugstore and considered by most to be "regular peroxide," so, yes.

Yes, you can bleach body hair using hydrogen peroxide.

Only if you bleached your hair all the way blonde. If so, yes. You just have to apply hair toner and use the dye you want.