How To Get Healthy Bleach Blonde Hair

You want gorgeous bleach blonde hair that doesn't hint at orange. Hair so blonde it should be called white. Though what you really want is hair that doesn't feel like straw or stretches for miles before it breaks. Who does a girl have to flirt with to get the best of both worlds?

No one.

That's because I'm going to give you very easy and simple instructions that will leave you with wonderful blonde hair without taking five months to accomplish the look.

Step 1: Prepare

You have to preheat the oven before you stick in the turkey (kudos American Pie 2). So many things in life follow this simple rule. Including your hair. Bleaching is a very harsh process and can leave your hair very brittle if the right steps aren't taken.

Don't wash your hair! You have to sit back and let your hair's natural oils do their thing. Refrain from lathering with shampoo for at least one week, preferably two. (Girls, time to find some nice hats, it's not going to be pretty.) By doing so, you are conditioning your hair. When it comes time to put the bleach on, it isn't going directly onto your hair. This keeps your hair from ending up extremely dry with tons of breakage.

Step 2: Shop

Time to get what you need. Do not get those bleach boxes from the local drug store or any store for that matter. Sure they have their purpose and their time, but this is not one of them. Those boxes won't be able to lighten your hair enough and if you have dark hair, it will only make your hair orange.

*you can find the following at your local beauty supply store. i.e. Sally's

1) LOREAL Super oreal Blanc Powder Bleach

2) LOREAL Creme Developer - Choose a higher number for more lifting. Preferable for darker hair. (if you can't find the loreal developer than any other developer will do)

3) Hair Toner : find a toner that you like the best. This will get rid of any extra orange in your hair. I have never tried it myself (I have light hair and never had the need for it). Though I know girls who use it and it works wonders for their brunette locks.

Step 3: Follow the directions carefully

Read and Re-read the directions. It is crucial that you don't leave the bleach in for too long. You may think that if you leave it in longer, it will become whiter. Trust me, this is not the case. It will only lighten so much and once it has reached its limit, the only thing the bleach will do is damage your hair (resulting in very stretchy strands).

Step 4: Rinse, wash, & condition

Now you can do it. Go ahead and lather away. Make sure you don't forget to wash your hair. I know it seems a little contradicting to use shampoo on your hair right after you have bleached it. Wouldn't that dry out your hair? Truth be told, passing up the shampoo now will dry out your hair even more. By using the shampoo, you are washing out all of the bleach. You really don't want any remnants sitting in your hair.

Now condition. Don't be afraid to use a lot. Rinse out the conditioner and gently ring out your hair.

Step 5: Tone

If you have some orange in your hair that you want to get rid of, give yourself one to two weeks (no shampoo) and follow the steps of your hair toner.

Step 6: Lay off the heat

If you really want your hair to look and feel healthy, then you have to say goodbye to the heat tools for a little while. Be gentle to your hair and don't fry it. Continuing to constantly use the heat products, especially after bleaching, your hair will gain horrible, unmanageable frizz. No girl in her right mind wants that.

Mind you, that's not to say never again use them...just please be wary and use a heat protector.

Step 7: Repeat

Not everyone is the same, especially when it comes to your hair. If the color is not exactly the way you want it, there is no shame in repeating the process. Just wait a couple of months so you won't end up with dry, brittle hair.

*The darker the hair, the harder it is to get it to lighten.

I have tried many failed attempts to lighten my hair. This process was the 
only thing that actually worked and got my hair to the desired shade with just
one try.