Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Katiesue Wadsworth on July 3, 2012 at 7:41am

I have natural blonde hair that I dye black and I bleach the sides white blonde. I do the coloring on separate days, like I do the black one evening and the next morning I'll do the bleach. I did them both at the same time once and the bleach sides turned a bit gray. Also for the first couple of days after coloring the black I'll wash the blonde pieces with a deep cleansing shampoo (I use one from Neutrogena in the clear square bottle) I found this helps get rid of any color that might wash out from the black. I usually only have to touch color once a month my hair doesn't grow all that fast. Hope this helps you some.

Permalink Reply by PamCake Mayhem on July 3, 2012 at 8:04am

Thanks for the tips, it really does help. It sounds like an awfull lot of work but i guess thats what it takes to look gorgous :)

When you bleach to you use some kind of foil so that the bleech stays only on the side parts...?

Im thinking of going to an alternative hairdresser and get it correctly done the first time before i attempt it myself at home. Its a shame its so expensive to colour at a saloon...

Permalink Reply by Katiesue Wadsworth on July 3, 2012 at 4:42pm

haha yeah it is kinda a pain. I usually section off the sides and pull the rest of my hair back so it's out of the way and then I also use foils so I don't get any bleach on my face. I 99.9% of the time do all my own cutting and coloring so I have all my tricks down to a science now, but the first couple of times it was a train wreck. I even fried off some hair once! But I've been accident free for the last few years, LOL practice, patience, and research are always helpful! good luck!

Permalink Reply by cela hyatt on July 7, 2012 at 3:16pm

if you have a really light color (like pastel pink or light blue or yellow) it will bleed a bit, but if you go for a brighter or darker color it wont be a problem.  I have had black and blue, black and green, black and purple, black with fuschia pink, I've never noticed very much bleeding from one color to the next, it helps to not wash your hair very often.  If you want the color to be vibrant you will have to bleach it, then bleach the roots as often as necessary, you could do more blending of your panels (so that it isn't a solid stripe) you can stretch the amount of time in between bleaching your roots, especially if your hair is coming in black anyway, it will blend nicely. i like to do a thin layer of black over the color so that i can go without bleaching for a few months, I find that it does less damage to my hair that way.  Have fun! 

Permalink Reply by PamCake Mayhem on July 9, 2012 at 1:53am

Thanks for all the great tips! It really has made me more confident to do it now. Im not really that worried about the bleeding anymore just the bleaching part, im worried about how it will effect the quality of my hair. But im really eager to try anyways :)

Permalink Reply by Tiffany Arnold on July 15, 2012 at 12:27am

Every time I've ever dyed my hair different colors I do it at different times. While I'm doing one color, I put conditioner on the parts of hair I don't want that color. It acts like a barrier. :)

Permalink Reply by PamCake Mayhem on July 26, 2012 at 6:10am

Thats a great tip, thank you! Will be sure to try that :)

Permalink Reply by Jenni on July 27, 2012 at 8:02am

I don't know your area and what's available, but I work in a chain salon and the girls there do good work. I would call around and mention what you're looking for. You'll know by talking to a stylist whether or not they are comfortable with it. What you're talking about is technically corrective color, so it can be expensive. I definitely understand going the DIY route!

 So I'll just give you the advice I would give any of my clients!

First, skip buying the box kits from Wally World.  instead, try finding a Sally's or other beauty supply stores that are open to the public. Look for tubs of powder and separately sold developer. You'll probably want at least 40 and 20 volume Developer). Always read the info that comes with your bleach. It will tell you exactly what restrictions it has ( Processing without heat, use on the scalp, etc.) Very important if you want to keep your hair/ scalp intact! also pick up an application brush and some mixing bowls. and of course, some good gloves. 

You may want to pick up a toner, since your hair may not lift to a nice cool-tone blonde color. Look for something with a cool base, that will cancel out warm-tones. They will have "Ash, Neutral, Cool" or the like in the name. there should also be swatches to help you get an idea. these will probably be necessary even if you're dying the hair a high pigment color like Blue or Green, or any Pastels.

If you're going for a dark purple, Fuschia, red, orange, etc, yopu can likely skip the toner, and the whole process will be much easier. The hair will only need to be lifted to an orangey blonde!

Next, divide out the hair you plan to bleach, and saturate the rest of your hair with a deep cream conditioner (Bonus Softening!). Base the scalp around the non-bleaching sections with this conditioner as well. You may want to put some conditioner on and around your ears if you're bleaching around them.

Starting at the bottom and working your way up in 1/2 inch sections, apply your strongest lightening mixture (40 vol) from the mid-shaft ( about 3-4 inches from the scalp) to ends. You can wrap them in foil or cling-wrap to keep them from drying out, but keep an eye on them, checking the first 30-40min, and every 10-15 after.  This could take a while, so watch a few episodes of your favorite show, do dishes, laundry, whatever. In fact, if you keep moving around your body temp will rise and the stuff works faster!

 When it starts to lift (look for a red/orange color after about 30min) it's time to hit the top. Mix your powder lightener with the 20 or 30 vol depending on what the manufacturer suggests for max on-the-scalp application. Be careful not to load it up so much that your scalp can't breath. Try to keep the sections clean, separated, and lifted off the scalp. Do not "Mush and Gush." 

Since you've been dying the hair black for a while,you'll have layers of color to lift through, especially if you run it through your ends every time you color like most folks do. This could cause your first attempt at bleaching to come out in the red/orange/yellow range. It'll be ok! just make a dilluted mixture ( add an ounce or two of shampoo and water) and reapply,avoiding the roots. If your new-growth area isn't as bright as you'd like it, wait until the rest is matching or close. Then you can very carefully touch up where you need it.

You can do the black color at the same time, but I agree with previous posters. for a DIY job it's best to do them separately. When you get around to doing your black, go ahead and stick with what has been working for you. Just separate the blonde( or whatever) the same was as before. Saturate hair and base the scalp with conditioner, and cover with cling-wrap or foil as best you can ( Secure with long thin clips if necessary.) Rinse the black out before uncovering or rinsing the lighter parts.

Hope this helps a little, good luck! ^_^