How to Bleach Dark Hair Blond and Dye it Punky, Funky Colors

If you have black or dark-brown hair and want platinum-blond hair, it's not as easy as it sounds. You can't just buy an over-the-counter blond hair dye package from Wal-Mart and pour it on your black hair: The results will be a gross, orange color that is anything but the shimmering, blond hair that you want.

The same goes for black- or brown-haired people who want bright, punky, funky colors like red, blue or green. If you try to just dye your hair blue, at the very most you'll have subtle color highlights, but they won't be that bold look you're going for.

In this article, I'll show you two things: First, how to bleach your hair blonde if you have black or dark brown hair. Second, I'll explain how to get those bright, vibrant, outrageous hair colors even if you have dark, black or brown hair.

First of all, let's make it clear: You do NOT want to buy blonde hair dye and put it on your dark hair. That will not, I repeat NOT, get you the blond hair you want. What will happen is the blonde dye will start to strip the dark undertones of your hair but it will not remove all of them, leaving behind an ugly, brassy orange hair color that tells everyone that you have no idea what you're doing.

How to Bleach/Dye Dark Black or Brown Hair Blonde

It is a lot easier than it sounds. First, you'll need to buy two things: Liquid hair peroxide and hair bleach powder. A pack of hair bleach and a bottle of peroxide should cost you about $3 to $4 total. It is very inexpensive.

There are different strengths of peroxide that you can purchase, ranging from Peroxide 10 to Peroxide 40. The higher the number, the stronger its color-stripping effects. For best results, get Peroxide 40.

I use Jerome Russell's powder bleach and peroxide. It is inexpensive, and their line of bleach helps protect your hair.

What you'll have to do is mix equal amounts of peroxide and bleach powder in a plastic or paper container. All of the material you use should be plastic. Do not use metal, as this will react negatively with the chemicals. It is also highly advised that you use gloves while lightening your hair to blonde.

Once you mix the bleach and peroxide, it will create a thick paste. Simply apply this paste evenly to the parts of your hair that you want to turn into blond. I like to do chunks, such as a large chunk of blonde hair in the front of my head (my bangs). This is a rather sharp look.

Apply the hair bleach to the ends of your hair first, and then work toward the scalp. The reason you want to do this is because the warmth of your scalp will cause the bleach to work faster. By applying from the tips to the roots, you can help ensure that your hair bleaching is even.

Once your hair is coated in bleach, you will need to wait from 10 minutes to half an hour, depending on how dark your hair is and how light you want to go. When your hair starts to turn orange, do not freak out like most people and was the bleach out. Leave it in and it will continue to bleach your dark hair until it is platinum-blond.

If you have very dark hair, like dark, jet-black Asian hair, you may need to bleach your hair twice to achieve the blond effect that you want. If so, it is best to wait approximately 36 hours between bleachings. I have done three bleachings in a row merely minutes apart and my results turned out fine, although my hair was a bit dry afterwards. However, I have very thick, healthy hair; it is advisable to wait, because once you damage your hair it is very hard to restore it.

How to Dye Your Dark Hair Punky, Funky Colors

If you have dark hair, like black hair or dark brown hair, you cannot get bright, bold colors like green, blue, red or purple unless you bleach it first. Follow the directions above. After your hair is bleached as white as possible, apply the hair dye. Some people like to use Manic Panic's line of hair color. I prefer Jerome Russell's Punky hair color. It is thicker and not as messy.

A word of caution when applying funky hair color: Most of these hair dyes stain very easily. For best results, I coat my forehead and sideburns with Vaseline. If you are only dying a portion of your hair, it would be good to coat the parts of your hair that you don't want to get dyed as well.

Apply the hair dye. To protect my skin, I then wrap the dyed portion of hair with plastic wrap (the sort that you use for food) then wait approximately half an hour.

Once your time is up, simply wash out and you not have that bright color that you want.

With these instructions, you now know how to bleach your dark black or brown hair blonde, as well as how to get the bright-colored highlights that you want.