How do I bleach naturally dark brown hair? After bleaching, can I immediately color?

Question

I have been dying my hair a couple of shades darker than it is naturally, for years. I would like to go red, but the color won't take properly, since my hair is pretty dark. I was told that if I bleach / lighten it first, whatever red I put on afterwards it would take like it's supposed to.
I just want to make sure I don't mess it up.

Answer 1

STOP!! Color is naturally progressive. That means it only gets darker. Example: if you put a blond color on your artificial dark hair it will get darker. Color does not lift color. Now as far a bleaching it. Your mid shaft and ends will take the longest to "come up". So naturally that is where you start. STAY OFF THE ROOT!!!! After your hair becomes a orangish color begin applying to the root. Once the color is a uniform orange or perhaps yellow orange, shampoo out. Here's the trick. Your buying store color, it comes with 20 volume peroxide. You don't need that now. You are pre-lightened. Pour half of the developer out and add water. You now have 10 volume. Mix it with your color and color your hair in the reverse fashion of the bleaching roots first leave on for 10 minutes, apply color to midshaft,10 minutes then the ends for 10 minutes. You know have red hair. Good luck.

Answer 2

I'd also advise going to a salon. As stated before, sometimes overprocessing the hair with bleach can cause the hair cuticle to become severely damaged. When color is then applied, the cuticle can't hold the color the way it ought to, resulting in a weird, muddy, orange-y color. If you've been using box color for a while, you might need to lighten gradually over time so you don't fry your hair. When you make an appointment at a salon, please be sure to tell the receptionist that you've been using box color at home and a little bit about what you're wanting. Sometimes the process takes more time than a normal appointment and the stylists greatly appreciate the information so they can properly plan and book your appointment.

Answer 3

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RE:
How do I bleach naturally dark brown hair? After bleaching, can I immediately color?
I have been dying my hair a couple of shades darker than it is naturally, for years. I would like to go red, but the color won't take properly, since my hair is pretty dark. I was told that if I bleach / lighten it first, whatever red I put on afterwards it would take like it's supposed...

Answer 4

Be really careful about this. I tried it several years ago, and after bleaching (double processing), my hair would not take the lighter color I wanted it to be. The color was just absorbed into my hair, and it ended up being a sort of sick, light orange creamsicle color. I would advise talking to a professional hair stylist. Good luck, and I hope you don't go through what I did! (I haven't dyed my hair for years because of this!)

Answer 5

You can bleach it all out first, that's how we do it in the salon. But, make sure you are doing this professionally. If you try and do it yourself, your hair could turn out looking pink or orange. Make sure you color you hair first and then highlight it because if you put the highlights in first and then do the color, you will be coloring over the highlights. You can color your hair immediately after bleaching. Hope this helps :)

Answer 6

i wouldn't bleach it yourself.
go to the salon & have them do it. because if you do it yourself it will turn into an ugly orange color. & i know from experience, & then once it turns into that ugly orange, you will not be able to color it for a couple of weeks. but yes, go to the salon, & have them color it blonde, or whatever shade that you would like ( not going too blonde) & then if you are gonna do it yourself, do it red.

Answer 7

Double processing can be VERY tricky especially if you already have color in your hair. Please go to a salon. I've seen some wild looking hair colors and some folks who lost quite a bit of hair.

Answer 8

No because it might go a different colour than it should because you have had bleach on it before.