How to Bleach Your Hair at Home

There is an old saying that "blondes have more fun." Often, this seems to be true whether the facts support the conclusion or not. This may be why many people choose to dye their hair and make it blonde. While women are probably more familiar with the techniques than men, this article is aimed at teaching the guys how to bleach your hair at home.

The first thing you should probably know is that bleaching your hair is not as simple as dousing it with peroxide. In fact, doing that could lead to premature hair loss, as in just a few minutes to completely bald. Fortunately there are solutions that are designed to bleach the hair, taking from black to platinum blonde if that is what you want. You just need to follow directions and exercise care.

Most hair bleaches come in a powdered form with a developer that is added to activate them. This developer is peroxide. Usually, it is at a strength of 20 percent, though some kits come with a 40 percent peroxide developer. The peroxide is added to the powder and stirred until you reach the consistency of a thin paste or a thick gravy. You do not want it to drip, but you also do not want it to dry too quickly.

Testing the mixture on a small section of hair that can be hidden or cut and timing how long it takes to reach the desired color is important for a couple of reasons. One, you do not want to leave the bleach on too long because it will burn the hair after a while and give a "chemical" hair cut to the unwary. You also want to ensure that the solution does not cause skin irritation on the scalp. Note: bleaching kits containing 40 percent peroxide are not intended for use on the scalp because this mixture is extremely caustic.

Once you have determined the approximate time it will take to reach the desired level of blonde, you can apply the bleach to the entire head, starting with the darkest areas first. These areas will take slightly longer than lighter ones. Work the bleach into the hair evenly. If one spot gets too much, you may have to rinse it out and start again to avoid chemical burns.

The bleach will continue to work until it dries in place or is rinsed away. You will want to cover the head with a plastic cap and time how long you leave the bleach in place. When the correct time has elapsed, rinse the hair thoroughly to remove all of the bleach solution. Leaving even a small amount in place will result in scalp burns or chemically damaged hair.