A step-by-step on how I bleach my roots.

Hello everyone! So I'm pleased to be finally writing this post, as it was my main inspiration/motivation to get this blog up and running.

I think the sheer amount of people sharing their methods, tips and tricks is brilliant for those of us who are venturing into unknown territory when it comes to DIY bleaching; it can definitely pay off to read reviews from others when considering what products might work for you. Having said that, I know the products I use might not work for everybody, but currently they work for me :) 

Bearing in mind that I'm still new to DIY bleaching, I'm always on the lookout for different toners and I haven't looked for other bleaching products as for now the ones I'm using are working for me. Before I begin I have to say that I'm not, nor ever will be a trained hairdresser so if you don't feel confident to DIY please go to a professional! :)

Products used from L-R: Tint bowl and slim/wide tint brush, Wella Koleston Perfect Rich Naturals 10/8, Welloxon Perfect Pastel, Trulites RAPID BLUE Powder Bleach, Truzone Cream Peroxide 6% 20 Vol, hairclips, hairbands and gloves. Don't forget an extra pair of hands if you need some help and an old t-shirt! (optional)

Firstly, I made sure I had everything ready and set up before beginning, that way I didn't faff about whilst in the middle of putting the mixture on my hair! Also, I always leave my hair to get as greasy as possible before I bleach it, as the natural oils help to protect the hair as much as possible from potential damage. I mixed the powder and cream developer together using (quite strangely) a disposable fork! (Instructions call for 2 scoops of powder bleach & between 45ml-70ml of cream developer, depending on the consistency you like)

It may seem a bit strange, but by using a brush I always found it quite difficult to mix together. In comparison, the fork's sharp points helped to emulsify everything together and leave the mixture smooth instead of gritty. A bonus with using something disposable is you can obviously just throw it away after use :)

Next, I part my hair from ear to ear and tie the front part of my hair up. My mum always bleaches the back part of my hair as I always have trouble doing so, even when using a mirror to see. It's just more useful to have someone who can actually see what's going on back there!

As my hair tends to take more time to process at the back of my head, we completed the bleaching on that part first to give it a longer processing time. My mum is a fearful woman when it comes to helping me with my hair, so by doing the part of the hair which takes longest it gives her some extra time to put it on and also helps me out in the long run!

By the time she had finished it, you can see just how much it lightened already! This is why I would recommend this brand of bleach, purely because of the amount of lift it gives in a short amount of time :) Taking into account that I use a 20 vol developer, I think it is pretty impressive.

I tend to go from R-L when doing the front section, firstly sectioning down the middle and tying a side off. Then, using the tip of the tint brush, taking 1cm-1inch sections and coating them with the mixture. After completing one side, I then untied the other and used the same technique. Once I had finished it looked something like this, and again you can see the difference in development from completing the first half to the next :)

I left this on for about 90 minutes altogether (from the start of bleaching to the time of washing everything off), by this point it had reached a pale yellow colour which is what I was looking for. I didn't want it to be too brassy in case the toner couldn't neutralise it completely. As processing time is completely dependent on the natural colour of your hair, just keep checking how your hair is getting on by scraping off some of the mixture to expose the hair underneath, and then you can make the judgement as to when you wash it off. If like me, you do not use a shower cap or plastic bag to put on your hair (this helps to keep the moisture and heat in), then you might have to re-apply in places as the bleach mixture will stiffen and dry and therefore, stop processing. Make sure when you are washing bleach off, that you only shampoo your hair if you are planning on using a toner afterwards. Conditioner creates a barrier preventing any colour getting absorbed, so if you applied toner it wouldn't penetrate the hair shaft.

Once I washed it off, I was a little bit disappointed as it seemed a bit darker than what I thought it would be :( Undeterred, I continued on with toning. The toner I use can actually be used as a hair colour if mixed with developer, but I use it by combining it with the Welloxon Perfect Pastel (1:2 ratio - 1 part colour, 2 parts developer). Some toners, such as the Proclere Herbal Toner (which I have previously reviewed) do not need mixing with anything else, but what toner you use, if any, is completely up to you!

This shade of toner is 'Lightest Pearl Blonde'; I previously used the Lightest Ash Blonde and was happy with the result, but I thought I would try this shade just to see if there was any difference in subtlety. Mixing it up it looked a slightly peachy shade, and unlike the ash blonde which looked slightly pinkish when I put it on my hair, this shade came out more silvery when applied. I left it on for 30 minutes even though the instructions say to leave it on for 20 - TIP: be careful with how long you leave toners on for, as your hair is porous once you have washed the bleach off and depending on what base colour your toner is (purple, blue, green), you could be at risk of it turning a colour you never asked for! When you wash toner off, use cool water to help close the cuticle and seal in your new colour :)

The finished product, yay!

So all in all, this process took me just over 2 hours to complete, cost me less than £20 ($30 for all you American viewers!) and left me with some lovely renewed blonde hair! I think that I still have a bit of a journey to get my hair 100% in terms of an even colour and corrected (there are still parts of my hair that are just a smidge darker than what I would like, but maybe that's just because I'm very conscious when it comes to my hair!).

I hope this step-by-step can help anyone who is thinking of DIY'ing, I would definitely suggest using a 20 vol developer and to take your time when considering what products you decide to use, as it will make a massive difference :)

xx