Lightening hair with hydrogen peroxide

Today, many women are actively experimenting with hair color changes at home. In addition to ready-made compositions for clarification, in the course of self-painting, folk remedies are very often used. Among them, hydrogen peroxide should be distinguished, since its effect on the hair shaft allows you to achieve the desired result.

Due to its properties, peroxide is a part of almost every hair dye, but individually it is able to change the color of curls. In addition, the composition has a minimum cost, and you can use peroxide for clarification even at home. Despite its accessibility, inaccurate and illiterate use of the composition can cause significant damage to the hair shaft, so removing pigment from hair that has already been bleached or damaged is not recommended. In order to qualitatively and safely lighten the hair on the head with a solution of hydrogen peroxide, it is recommended that you strictly adhere to the instructions for transforming hair and changing color. Since the bleaching process itself occurs due to the oxidation reaction into which the solution enters with oxygen, such effects on the hair shaft lead to the loss of colored pigment - melanin.

Due to the fact that peroxide is quite actively used to brighten and discolor both at home and in salon conditions, its positive and negative features should be highlighted. The advantages of this method include the following:

• the solution allows you to lighten all hair or part of the curls with significant cost savings;
• with strict adherence to bleaching technology, the procedure itself will be available for execution even by itself, without resorting to the services of beauty salon masters;
• since peroxide penetrates well into the hair shaft, washing pigment, re-staining can be done much less frequently than with other brightening agents.

This variant of clarification and such disadvantages as:

• black and other shades of peroxide will be quite difficult to discolor;
• peroxide dries and dehydrates the hair rods, so bleached hair will need subsequent rehabilitation care;
• errors related to working with the solution can lead to the fact that the curls will eventually be burned with a bleach.

Given the initial color of the hair, it can be assumed what result will be achieved.

• Dark shades. For owners of chestnut, dark blond and black hair, the result of bleaching with hydrogen peroxide will be a change in tone by a maximum of 2-3 positions. In addition, women with hair in a dark color palette should be prepared for the fact that a copper shade will appear on them.

• Fiery colors. In this case, the use of the solution can lead to a rather unexpected color. With the wrong dosage or exposure on red strands, it will be possible to observe an orange tint.

• Light and light brown hair. Owners of such hair after peroxide can have a rather fashionable platinum color, in addition, girls in some cases after lightening become blondes. As a rule, the result of staining will be the colors in the palette from wheat to California blond.

To get a beautiful result after clarification of curls with hydrogen peroxide, it is worth preparing curls for such a procedure, following these steps:

• a few weeks before the planned bleaching, it is necessary to refrain from dyeing, as well as other effects on the hair rods, which will cause them even minimal harm - this applies to perm, lightening, and so on; the hair should be healthy, otherwise damaged and weakened peroxide simply burns;
• in the process of hair care before lightening and after, it is necessary to avoid the use of makeup products that will contain sulfates, since this substance dehydrates the hair rods;
• do not use styling products;
• It is necessary to refrain from contact with irons, curling irons, hair rollers and hair dryers.

Preparatory activities will concern the acquisition of the necessary materials for clarification. For home bleaching, you will need the following components:

• it’s best to get 3 percent peroxide, since a solution with an indicator above can seriously damage the strands; in some cases, for coarse hair, this figure is increased to 4 percent;
• spray is usually used - it is more correct to operate a new product, if it is planned to work with an old one, then it must be washed; sometimes peroxide is applied to the hair with a cotton sponge or comb;
• in addition to clips, hairpins and rubber bands for fixing, the bleaching process involves the use of a shower cap, because it will be needed when lightening the entire hair; for highlighting or discoloration of the roots, works in the ombre technique, a foil is required;
• you can protect your skin with gloves;
• so that the reaction goes faster hair is usually wrapped in a towel.

There is the following gradation, following which the concentration of the solution for lightening:

• for short hair about 30 grams of peroxide will be needed;
• for bleaching curls of medium length at least 50 grams of clarifier is recommended;
• to process long curls, You may need 2 times more peroxide.

As for the exposure time of the composition on the head, everything will depend on the structure of the hair, namely:

• thick the hair rods can be discolored if the reaction inside the hair shaft lasts at least 2 hours, sometimes the peroxide is left to oxidize for 6-8 hours; in some cases it will be necessary to lighten the curls in several stages;
• medium the thickness of the hair shaft is discolored with peroxide for 1.5–2 hours;
• for thin Curls are preferable to vary the exposure time in the range of 30-40 minutes.

When starting lightening, two important tests should be done first.

• Allergy Testing. To eliminate the risk of irritation on the skin, a small amount of the prepared composition needs to be treated on the skin at the bend of the elbow or behind the ear. After a quarter of an hour, check the reaction.
• Determination of the concentration of the prepared solution. To make sure the correct consistency and concentration of clarifier, you should test peroxide on one strand, it is best to choose a curl at the bottom of the head. Using a cotton sponge moistened in a clarifier, you need to apply a solution to the hair, having stood it for the necessary time. Depending on what color the processed curls acquired, it can be determined whether the product is suitable for further work.

There are several recipes for preparing a pigment wash formulation. However, the only thing that unites all the options used is the need to prepare them immediately before bleaching, since the substance has the property of being oxidized very quickly.

The first option requires the use of the following components:

• hydrogen peroxide - 40 ml;
• water - 40 ml;
• liquid soap - 20 grams;
• ammonium bicarbonate - 3 grams.

Another common way to make a clarifier from peroxide will be a combination of the following components:

• peroxide;
• ammonia.

Substances are taken in a ratio of 10: 1, so for one drop of alcohol you will need to use 10 ml of peroxide.

Regardless of the selected recipe for clarifier preparation, it is recommended to pour it into a spray bottle, and protect the scalp along the hairline with a layer of oily cream. For partial staining, it will work at times more convenient with a cotton sponge, which simply dips into the solution, after which processing of certain strands on the head is performed. Highlighting is best done by additionally wrapping curls with a clarifier in foil. Before bleaching, the hair is well combed and divided into equal parts for a convenient and uniform treatment. Work should begin with the roots, gradually moving to the ends.

Peroxide clarification using the ombre technique involves processing the hair rods only in the lower half. In this case, to get a beautiful overflow of color, it is best to work with a sponge, and not with a spray gun. The solution is washed off with warm water from the hair, after which the curls should be treated with air conditioning. At the end, you can rinse the strands with cold water, which will add shine to them, and the conditioner or balm nourishes and moisturizes the dried-up curls. After lightening, the hair should dry naturally. To enhance the effect of lightening, you can additionally rinse the curls with a decoction of chamomile after washing.

California highlighting at home is carried out by a different method. Instead of a cotton pad or spray, the bleach solution should be spread through the hair using a comb that has been previously moistened with the solution. The comb should be combed over the hair along the entire length until the peroxide is completely dry, and then dried with a hairdryer. To obtain a beautiful effect, such manipulations with the hair should be carried out for several days in a row.

After using peroxide, the hair will need to be restored. To keep them beautiful and healthy, in the process of care it is worth following some recommendations.

• No need to wash your hair daily since this process will wash out the natural oils protecting the cuticle of the hair shaft from the hair. The optimal frequency of washing will be 1-2 procedures per week. With severe contamination, you can use folk cleansing methods or dry shampoo.
• Heat treatment of bleached strands should be minimal.therefore it is recommended to use the hairdryer, irons and other styling devices as little as possible. Hot laying should be carried out more often than once a week, and in the process of drying it will be more correct to use the regime of cold blowing.
• Lightened hair requires careful and gentle handling., therefore, after washing the curls do not need to rub with a towel. When combing, you can first untangle the ends with your hands, and then walk with a comb or brush along the entire length to avoid unnecessary injury.
• Weekly masks are a must concerning care for bleached curls. It is most correct to make nutritious and moisturizing compositions based on natural oils. In this case, you can use olive, coconut or bergamot.

The method of clarification of curls with peroxide has mixed reviews among the fair sex, since to a greater extent the result depends on the structure and color of the hair rods. As a rule, hair of medium thickness can be gradually lightened by 2–4 tones, but it is important to choose the right exposure time and frequency of the procedures. With regular lightening, which will occur with deep restoration and high-quality hair care, you can achieve a beautiful light shade, while the curls remain healthy and shiny.

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