Bleach bathing involves a gentler and more gradual process than regular bleaching. Just like bleaching, the process requires a bleach powder and a developer. However, you’ll need shampoo to reduce the chances of irreversible damage to your hair and dilute the bleach’s lightening chemicals.
Key Takeaways
- A bleach bath is a milder bleaching process that lightens your hair gradually or removes color one shade at a time.
- Bleach bathing differs from the regular bleaching process because you add shampoo to the bleach mixture and apply the formula on wet hair instead of dry hair.
- Bleach baths come in handy when stripping hair dye, lightening fragile hair, and correcting over-toned hair.
- Bleach bathing requires a lower hydrogen peroxide volume.
- The bleach bath causes minimal damage to your hair compared to regular bleaching.
Read on to learn how to bleach bath hair to remove color, when to use it, and how to prepare and apply it for easy results with minimum hassle.
Reasons to Remove Color
You should settle on a bleach bath when you want to:
- Lighten weak hair
- Make your hair lighter by one shade
- Fix over-toned hair
- Remove existing permanent hair dye
You don’t need to worry if you have a problem removing your current hair dye. A bleach bath is critical in eliminating permanent dye or any color traces. While a bleach bath may not be as effective as regular bleaching, it’s less damaging to your hair than the latter.
The Bleaching Bath Process
Will a bleach bath lighten hair? Yes, a bleach bath helps lighten your hair to your desired results. Before the bleach bathing process begins, there are a few preparation steps to follow.
- Pick the Appropriate Shampoo
Using a moisturizing shampoo is advisable to minimize the treatment’s harshness. Identify a shampoo designed for dyed hair because it contains natural oils necessary for hydrating hair. Sulfate-free shampoos reduce bleach powder’s effectiveness.
Consequently, steer clear of clarifying shampoos because they’re too strong for the bleach bathing mixture. Also, bleach causes itchiness, so not shampooing your hair for at least two days before the bleaching helps.
- Choose a Suitable Developer
It’s vital to choose an appropriate hair developer. A potent developer contains more hydrogen peroxide content. The strengths range from 10 to 50, but you can stick to 10 or 20. You shouldn’t go higher.
- Mix the Ingredients
When preparing the bleach bath ratio for hair, mix one part of the bleaching powder with two parts of the developer. After that, combine them with the shampoo in a plastic bowl. Remember to use the same shampoo quantity you use while in the shower.
- Apply the Bleach Bath to Your Hair
You must wear gloves to prevent damaging your hands. After that, clip your hair into sections because it makes it easier to apply the bleach bath. Also, wear a cap or clothes you don’t mind staining, and cover the work area with old towels.
Apply petroleum jelly on any areas of your face the bleach is likely to touch, like the eyebrows and ears. Furthermore, ensure that the hair is damp but not dripping wet.
Apply the mixture on each section’s bottom half of the hair. Once you’ve covered all sections, proceed to the top half. The top half comes last because the hair roots bleach faster. At this point, you can now work the mixture through the entire head.
Try and avoid the scalp as you rub the mixture into the roots. If the results aren’t as light as you prefer, wait for a minimum of one week before applying another treatment.
Here’s how long you need to leave the bleach bath mixture on your hair before washing it off:
- For dark-colored hair or if you desire two shades lighter, leave it on for 45 minutes.
- When dealing with permanent or semi-permanent have, leave the bath for 20-30 minutes.
- Leave the bleach bath for 10 minutes if your hair is already lighter.
Related: How Much is Hair Bleach? A Guide to Affordable Hair Bleaching
Preparing Hair
Before having a bleach bath, wet your hair with cool water. Use a towel to dry it gently so that you leave it damp rather than soaking wet. After that, you can apply the bleach bath as desired.
After Care
Here are key considerations when taking care of bleached hair:
- Conditioner
You must use intense conditioning and gentle styling until you fully restore moisture. Also, like regular bleaching, you shouldn’t bleach bath more than once a week to avoid stressing the hair.
- Heat Protection
When using heat in styling, use a spray or serum to protect the hair, especially if you’ve just bleached the hair. Avoid using a curling rod, straightening iron, or blow dryer for at least the first few days after the process.
- Leave-in Conditioner
If the hair feels a little dry after conditioning, use a leave-in conditioner to add extra moisture, then follow it up with a smoothing serum to lock in the moisture. It’ll leave your hair at its best.
Once the hair has some time to recover, you can return to styling as usual. The good thing about a bleach bath is that recovery doesn’t take too long, and it’s a gentler way of getting the color you want while still keeping the hair feeling and looking beautiful.
Related: How Long Should You Wait To Bleach Your Hair Again?
Alternative Methods For Removing Hair Color
Although a bleach bath is safer than full-on bleaching, there may be better alternatives. Some people prefer to use minimal chemicals. Alternative options for removing hair color include:
Stripping
Stripping is one of the alternative methods for removing hair color that involves breaking apart hair dye and melanin bonds. Note that stripping doesn’t lighten the hair’s natural color, only your hair dye.
There are home remedies likely to fade the color but aren’t likely to fade a shade or two.
Baking Soda
Research shows that alkaline substances like baking soda can penetrate your hair’s cortex to help remove hair dye. If you wish to use it to fade hair color, make a paste by mixing baking soda and water.
Apply the paste to your hair and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing it.
Pros
- Baking soda is effective in lightening hair
- It’s not too harsh on the hair because it takes a few washes to get the desired color
- When used with an anti-dandruff shampoo, you’ll achieve faster results
Cons
- It can leave hair dry, frizzy, and brittle.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) may lighten your hair color by a shade or two, but it doesn’t return your natural hair color. When using vitamin C to remove hair color, mix half of a tablet with a clarifying shampoo. Leave it in for 30 to 60 minutes, rinse, and apply a hydrating conditioner.
Pros
- It’s a milder option for removing hair color
- Restores strength and health to the hair
- It doesn’t harm the vitality in your hair’s natural shade
Cons
- It leaves your scalp dry.
Clarifying Shampoo
A clarifying shampoo deep cleans your hair and removes product build-up. While it may not dramatically affect permanent hair dyes, it may cause them to fade over time. If you wish to fade your hair color, avoid “color-safe” clarifying shampoos.
Pros
- It helps you fade your hair dye over time
- Removes build-up from styling products
- It helps other hair products penetrate the hair better
- Boosts movement and volume
Cons
- Using the shampoo frequently can leave the hair feeling dry and dull.
Color Removers
Sulfur-based color removers open the hair cuticle and break down dye molecules attached to the hair’s cortex; then, it’s washed away. These color removers target the hair dye without interfering with the hair’s natural color. They help lighten the hair or prepare it for re-dyeing.
Related: Best Charcoal Bleach for Hair
How to Bleach Bath Hair to Remove Color? FAQs
Can I Dye My Hair After a Bleach Bath?
Yes, you can dye your hair after a bleach bath because it strips out unwanted color if the hair’s too dark or has absorbed too much hair dye.
Will a Bleach Bath Lighten Hair?
Yes, a bleach bath gradually lightens your hair, removing the unwanted color a shade at a time. However, if you desire heavyweight color lifting, you might need full-strength bleaching.
How Long Do You Leave a Bleach Bath on Your Hair?
The maximum time to leave the bleach on your hair is 30 minutes. Leaving it for longer than that means you risk serious damage, including brittle strands.
Is a Bleach Bath Better Than Color Remover?
Yes, a bleach bath is better than a color remover if you want better bleaching results. If you wish to remove hair dye, use a color remover.
Will a Bleach Bath Remove Color?
Yes, a bleach bath can remove color. It’s a milder way of removing color than regular bleaching. Also, it’s less damaging to your hair than other bleaching methods. You can also use a bleach bath on orange hair.
Related: Bleach Blonde Streak in Front of Hair – Guide & Method
Conclusion
A bleach bath is a milder way of removing than regular bleaching. It’s a great option if you wish to remove a small color amount, plus it’s less damaging than other bleaching methods. However, if you’ve used a bleaching agent on your hair, it won’t regain its natural color.
Remember to perform a patch check to confirm you’re not allergic to bleach. Once you’ve bleach bathed your hair, follow the hair care tips above to keep your hair beautiful and healthy.
