How to Achieve White Hair Color

If you're looking to express your personality and charm through your hair, white hair might be the color you're after. Bleaching your hair can lead to dryness, but by using the right techniques, you can prevent long-term damage. Below is a guide on how to use bleach and toner products to achieve a stunning snow-white hair color.

Consider the quality of your hair before bleaching. If you want to bleach your hair, it's crucial to ensure your hair is as healthy as possible. In the weeks leading up to bleaching, avoid any factors that could damage your hair, especially chemicals and heat.

• If your hair is dry and damaged, take time to restore it before bleaching. Hair recovery can be achieved through deep moisturizing products and allowing it to air dry, avoiding the use of styling products or tools.

Do not use chemicals on your hair. The best results from bleaching are achieved when the hair is healthy and has not been previously dyed, permed, straightened, or treated with chemicals.

• Professional stylists usually recommend waiting at least 2 weeks between chemical treatments on hair; this timeframe may vary depending on the health of your hair.
• If your hair looks and feels healthy after coloring, you can wait for 2 weeks before bleaching it.

Apply coconut oil at least 3 hours before bleaching. Warm a small amount of pure coconut oil between your palms and massage it into your hair and scalp. There's no need to wash it out before bleaching.

• If possible, leave the coconut oil on your hair overnight before bleaching.
• Some people even claim that coconut oil can aid the bleaching process, although there is no concrete evidence to support this claim.
• Coconut oil consists of small enough molecules to penetrate the hair shaft, making it an effective choice for moisturizing. Beyond hydration, coconut oil provides numerous other benefits, such as adding softness and shine, treating dandruff, and stimulating hair growth.

Use a gentle moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Look for products that hydrate your hair without weighing it down or stripping it of its natural oils. Shampoo and conditioner formulas for "normal" hair are the best choices because they clean without removing the natural oils. For a more affordable option, you can find salon-quality brands in beauty supply stores and discount shops.

• Seek products with a low pH, containing oils like Argan, avocado, and olive, as well as ingredients like glycerin, glyceryl stearate, propylene glycol, sodium lactate, sodium PCA, and alcohols starting with "c" or "s".
• Avoid: products with strong fragrances, alcohols containing "prop" in their names, sulfates, and any products marketed as volumizing.

Choose styling products carefully. Pay attention to the type of styling products you use. For example, volumizing or body-boosting products can cause dryness.

• Similar to shampoo and conditioner, only use products that help moisturize your hair.

Avoid using heat on your hair. Do not use hair dryers, straighteners, or curlers. High temperatures can damage and weaken hair follicles. After washing, avoid rubbing your hair with a towel. Instead, gently squeeze out excess water using a towel.

• If you need to towel-dry your hair, consider using a microfiber towel. This type of towel is designed to prevent hair damage from improper drying while also helping reduce frizz.
• If you must style your hair, consider alternative heat-free methods for straightening and curling. Search "heat-free hair styling" to explore more options.

Visit a beauty supply store. Drugstore hair dye brands are often of lower quality compared to those used in salons. Beauty supply stores carry a wide range of professional-grade products and tools.

• Guardian is one of the most well-known international beauty store chains. You can check if there is a store (or a similar one) near your location.

Buy hair bleaching powder. Hair bleaching powder is available in both packets and tubes. If you plan to bleach your hair multiple times, purchasing the tube form is more cost-effective in the long run.

Buy hair dye activator cream. The activator cream reacts with the powder to bleach the hair. These products come in different strengths, ranging from 10 to 40; the higher the strength, the faster it will lighten the hair to a yellowish shade, but it will also cause more damage.

• Many professional stylists recommend using a strength of 10 to 20. The mixture will take longer to lighten the hair, but it is much gentler and causes less damage compared to stronger products.
• If you have fine, fragile hair, you should use a 10-strength activator. For thick, black hair, you may need to use a 30 or 40 strength product.
• A 20-strength activator is the safest option, offering a balance between effectiveness and gentleness. If you're unsure, this strength is a safe choice.

Buy toner. Toner is a product that turns yellow hair to white. Toners come in various shades, including blue, silver, and purple.

• When purchasing toner, consider your skin tone and current hair color. If your hair is too yellow, you should opt for a toner that contrasts with yellow on the color wheel, such as blue or purple.
• Some toners need to be mixed with the activator cream before application, while others do not. Both types are equally effective.

Buy red-orange color correction cream (optional). Red-orange color correction cream is typically sold in small packets that can be added to the bleaching mixture to reduce brassiness. This product is not a must when lightening hair, but many people report that it works quite effectively.

• Depending on your hair color, you may choose whether to use this product. Those with dark hair or undertones of red, orange, or pink will find the red-orange color correction cream especially helpful for achieving a whiter shade.
• Unless your hair is ash blonde, it's safest to buy the red-orange color correction cream, as it's relatively inexpensive, costing about 25,000 VND per packet.

Ensure you have enough bleaching powder. If your hair is long, you'll need at least 2 packets of bleach, along with activator, red-orange color correction cream, and possibly more.

• If you're unsure about how much you'll need, it's best to buy extra. Unused packets can be saved for touching up the roots later.

Purchase color-balancing shampoo and conditioner. Look for products specifically formulated for newly lightened blonde hair. These shampoos and conditioners will typically be deep purple or dark blue-violet.

• Purple shampoo is recommended to eliminate unwanted brassiness and yellow tones from the hair.
• Even if you're trying to save money, you should at least buy the purple shampoo, as it works more effectively than conditioner for eliminating brassiness.

Buy hair dyeing tools. In addition to the ingredients for the bleaching mixture, you will need a hair dye brush, a plastic mixing bowl, plastic spoons, gloves, plastic hair clips, a towel, and plastic wrap or a clear shower cap.

• Do not use metal tools, as metal can react with the bleach.
• For the towel, you can use an old one that you're okay with getting stained.

Perform a patch test first. Before bleaching your hair, you need to do an allergy test and a strand test. The allergy test ensures you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients in the bleach mixture, while the strand test helps you determine the optimal processing time for the bleach on your hair.

• For the allergy test, take a small amount of the bleach mixture and apply a small amount behind your ear. Leave it for 30 minutes, then wipe off any residue and try not to touch or wet the area for 48 hours. If the skin remains unaffected after 48 hours, you can proceed with bleaching your hair.
• For the strand test, apply a small amount of the mixture to a strand of hair. Check every 5-10 minutes until you reach the desired color. Take note of the time it takes to reach that color, so you know how long the entire bleaching process will take.
• Another consideration when doing the strand test is how your hair will react after washing and conditioning. If your hair is damaged, you may want to use a lower-strength developer or a slower bleaching process (for example, spread the bleaching over several weeks instead of doing it all at once).
• If you only do one test, the allergy test is the most important because a serious allergic reaction could be life-threatening.

Prepare your setup. Wear old clothes that you don't mind getting stained. Wrap a towel around your shoulders and have extra towels ready in case the bleach mixture causes any mess. Don't forget to wear gloves to protect your hands.

• Gloves are crucial when bleaching hair to prevent chemical burns.

Pour the bleaching powder into a mixing bowl. Use a plastic spoon to scoop the appropriate amount of bleaching powder into the mixing bowl. The package should include instructions for you to follow.

• If no instructions are provided, use an amount of bleach powder equivalent to the amount of dye developer. You can scoop one spoonful of bleach and one spoonful of developer and mix them together.

Add the developer to the bleach powder. Add the appropriate amount of developer to the bowl and mix with a plastic spoon. The mixture should have a creamy consistency.

• Unless otherwise instructed on the packaging, the ratio of developer to bleach powder should be 1:1, meaning one spoonful of bleach to one spoonful of developer.

Add the red-orange color correction cream to the mixture. After mixing the bleaching powder with the developer, you can add a small amount of red-orange color correction cream to the mixture, following the instructions on the packaging.

Apply the mixture to dry, unwashed hair. Use a hairbrush to distribute the mixture starting from the ends of your hair, working your way up, leaving about 2.5 cm near the roots. The roots will lighten faster due to the warmth near the scalp, so it's best to leave them until you've treated the rest of the hair.

• Unless your hair is quite short, section your hair into parts using clips for easier application.
• Apply the mixture from the back of your head to the front.
• Wait at least 24 hours before washing your hair. The more oil your hair naturally has, the better, as the natural oils help reduce damage to the hair and scalp caused by the bleach.

Check to make sure the mixture has been evenly applied. After applying the bleach mixture to your entire hair, including the roots, you need to ensure the hair is fully covered.

• You can check by massaging the hair around your head and feeling for any dry spots. If you find any dry areas, apply a little more bleach mixture and massage it in.
• Use a mirror to check the back of your head.

Wrap your hair in plastic wrap. You can also use a clear plastic shower cap.

• As the bleach takes effect, you may start to feel itching or tingling on your scalp. This is a normal reaction.
• If the tingling sensation becomes unbearable, remove the plastic wrap and rinse off the bleach mixture. If your hair is still too dark, you may try another round of bleaching with a lower-strength developer after 2 weeks if your hair is healthy enough.
• Avoid applying heat to your hair at this stage, as high temperatures can cause severe hair loss.

Check your hair occasionally. After 15 minutes, examine a strand of hair to see how the bleach is working. Use a spray bottle to wet a small section of hair, then wipe off some of the bleach mixture with a towel to observe the hair color.

• If the hair still appears dark, apply more bleach mixture to the strand, wrap it in plastic wrap, and wait another 10 minutes.
• Continue checking every 10 minutes until the hair reaches a pale yellow color.

Do not leave the bleach on your hair for more than 50 minutes. Leaving it on longer can cause your hair to break and/or fall out entirely. The bleach can dissolve the hair fibers, so you must be extremely careful when using it.

Rinse off the bleach. Remove the plastic wrap and tilt your head under cool water until all the bleach is washed out. Shampoo your hair, apply conditioner, and rinse as usual. Afterward, gently blot the excess water from your hair using a clean towel.

• Your hair should be pale yellow. If it turns bright yellow, proceed to the next step for color balancing.
• If your hair is orange or still dark, you'll need to bleach it again before balancing the color. To keep your hair as healthy as possible, wait at least 2 weeks before doing another round of bleaching. Note: Do not apply the bleach mixture to the roots if they are lighter than the rest of your hair. Just apply it to the sections you want to lighten further.
• You can even spread the bleaching process over several weeks. If your hair is thick and coarse, you might need to repeat the process up to 5 times.

Prepare for color balancing. After bleaching, you're ready to balance your hair color. Just like the bleaching process, wear old clothes and gloves. Have a stack of towels ready and ensure your hair is completely dry before you begin.

• You can balance your hair color immediately after bleaching (just make sure the bleach has been fully rinsed out). You should also balance your hair color every few weeks to maintain a white hue.

Mix the toner. If the toner is pre-mixed, you can skip this step. Otherwise, mix the toner and developer in a clean plastic mixing bowl following the instructions on the package.

• The typical ratio is 1 part toner to 2 parts developer.

Apply the toner to damp hair. Use a hairbrush to apply the toner to your hair, similar to how you applied the bleach (from the ends to the roots, starting from the back to the front).

Ensure the toner is applied evenly. Run your fingers through your hair to make sure the toner is distributed evenly and the hair is fully saturated.

• Use a mirror to check the back of your head and ensure the toner has covered all of your hair.

Wrap your hair in plastic wrap or a shower cap. Let the toner sit on your hair for the recommended time as indicated on the package. Depending on the strength of the toner and your hair color, it may only take 10 minutes to achieve a white hue.

Check your hair every 10 minutes. Depending on the type of toner used and your hair's lightness, the toner may work faster or slower.

• Every 10 minutes, check to make sure your hair isn't turning blue: use a towel to wipe away some of the toner from a small section of hair to see how the color is progressing. If it's not yet the desired shade, reapply toner to that section and cover it again with plastic wrap or the shower cap.

Rinse off the toner. Let your hair sit under cool water until the toner is completely washed out. Shampoo and condition as usual, then gently blot excess water from your hair using a clean towel.

Check your hair. Let your hair air dry, or if you're impatient, use the lowest setting on your blow dryer. After completing the bleaching and color balancing process, your hair should have a bright, shimmering white color.

• If there are any sections that haven't lightened properly, wait a few days and repeat the bleaching and color balancing process on those parts of your hair.

Be gentle with your hair. White hair is fragile and prone to damage, even when it's in the best condition. Therefore, you need to take extra care of it: avoid washing if the hair is dry, and limit excessive brushing, straightening, or curling.

• It's best to let your hair dry naturally. If you must use a blow dryer, set it to the coolest setting.
• Avoid heat or manipulating your natural hair texture as much as possible, as this can cause breakage, leaving your hair short and brittle.
• If you need to straighten your hair, consider using a blow dryer and a round brush to achieve a straight look instead of using a flat iron.
• Use a wide-toothed comb to brush your hair.

Extend the time between washes. Many experts recommend washing your hair only once a week after bleaching. Washing removes your hair's natural oils, which are especially needed for bleached hair.

• If you frequently exercise or sweat, or use numerous hair products, you may increase your washings to twice a week. Alternatively, you can use dry shampoo as a substitute.
• When drying your hair, gently blot it with a towel and wring out excess water. Avoid rubbing the towel vigorously on your hair, as this can cause further damage.

Know which products to use. Use products specifically designed for bleached and damaged hair, at the very least a purple-toned color-correcting shampoo and a deeply moisturizing conditioner. Avoid volumizing products as they can dry out your hair.

• A good nourishing oil can make your hair look softer and less frizzy. Some people recommend pure coconut oil for reducing frizz and moisturizing hair.

Deeply moisturize your hair at least once a week. Either make your own deep-conditioning treatment or purchase a high-quality product from a salon or specialty beauty store. Avoid cheap brands (typically sold in drugstores) as they just coat the hair, causing it to feel greasy and weighed down.

Reapply toner regularly. You should apply toner frequently, even once every 1-2 weeks, to maintain your white hair color. Using a color-correcting shampoo will help reduce the need for frequent toner applications.

Avoid letting your roots grow too long. Try to touch up the bleach when your roots are no longer than 2.5 cm. This will help keep your hair looking even in color.

• If you let your roots grow longer, it will be difficult to touch up the bleach without affecting the previously lightened hair.
• Hair grows about 1.3 cm per month, so you should touch up your roots every two months.

Prepare the bleach mixture. This process is similar to the first time you bleach your hair. Mix the lightening powder with the developer in a 1:1 ratio. Then, add the yellow-red color-correcting cream to the mixture following the instructions on the package.

Apply the mixture to dry, unwashed roots. Use a hairbrush to apply the bleach mixture to your roots. You can pull it down slightly to the previously bleached hair, but be careful not to apply too much bleach to the already lightened hair.

• Be careful not to apply too much bleach mixture to your hair.
• If your hair is thick or long, it's recommended to section it with clips. This also works well for short hair to ensure that the mixture is applied evenly to the roots.
• Use the pointed end of the brush to comb through your hair, applying the mixture to your roots. Then, flip the hair up with the other end of the brush and apply the mixture to the underside of your hair before moving on to the next section.

Check your hair regularly. After about 15 minutes, check to ensure your hair isn't getting too light. Then, check every 10 minutes until you achieve the desired color.

Rinse out the bleach mixture from your hair. Thoroughly rinse out the bleach mixture with cool water, then shampoo and condition as usual. Gently squeeze out excess water from your hair using a clean towel.

Apply toner to your hair. Similar to the initial toner application process, prepare the toner and apply it to your roots with a brush.

• If the rest of your hair also needs toner, start by applying it to the yellowish roots, then work your way down to the remaining hair.
• Remember to check every 10 minutes to ensure your hair doesn't turn too green, silver, or purple.

Rinse out the toner from your hair. Rinse your hair with cool water, then shampoo and condition as usual. Gently squeeze out the excess water from your hair, and it’s best to let your hair dry naturally.

Don't panic if you run out of bleach before applying it to your entire hair. Even if you don't have enough bleach to cover your whole hair, there's no need to worry.

• If you run out of the mixture but still have all the necessary ingredients, you can quickly mix them together and continue applying the bleach. The mixing process should take no more than a few minutes.
• If you need to buy more ingredients, complete the bleaching process on the part of your hair that has already been treated (leave the bleach on until the hair turns light yellow or up to 50 minutes). Once you can, go buy the extra ingredients and apply them to the untreated sections of hair.

Remove bleach stains from clothing. It's best to wear old clothes and wrap a towel around your neck to protect your clothes. If bleach accidentally stains items you care about, you can try the following method to remove the stains:

• Place clear alcohol, such as gin or vodka, on a cotton ball.
• Rub the cotton ball over and around the stain; this will transfer some of the original color of the fabric to the bleach stain.
• Continue rubbing until the fabric color covers the bleach stain.
• Wash with cold water.
• If this method doesn't work, you might want to bleach the entire piece of clothing and then dye it with a fabric dye in the color of your choice.

Be patient. If your hair only turns a light yellow after 50 minutes of bleaching, don’t worry. This is normal for dark or hard-to-dye hair. You may need to bleach your hair multiple times to achieve your desired color.

• If you need to bleach your hair several times to reach a light yellow shade, make sure there is at least a two-week gap between each bleaching session.
• After each bleaching, pay close attention to your hair’s health. If your hair begins to show signs of damage, wait longer before attempting another bleaching session. Your hair must be healthy before applying bleach again, or else it could break or fall out.

Remove darker sections of hair. After several touch-ups on your roots, you may notice sections of your hair with varying shades of yellow.

• You can address these darker sections by applying a small amount of bleach and leaving it on for a few minutes until the color blends with the rest of your hair.
• These sections usually become less noticeable once you apply toner to your hair.

• If you don't wear gloves, bleach can irritate exposed skin, causing it to turn a harsh white color and become extremely dry and itchy.
• Swimming in chlorinated water may cause your hair to take on a slight greenish hue. If you plan to swim, apply conditioner to your hair and wear a swim cap before entering the water.
• Don't bleach your hair immediately after washing it. Shampooing strips away the protective oils from your scalp, which means your hair and scalp will be more vulnerable to damage if you bleach right away. It's best to wait at least 24 hours before bleaching.
• If you bleach hair that is already damaged or weak, it can lead to more severe damage or breakage. Avoid using heat styling products or washing your hair too often before bleaching your hair color.
• Be patient with your hair. Trying to bleach your hair too quickly can cause breakage, hair loss, or chemical burns.

• Bleaching powder
• Hair dyeing assistant products
• Red-yellow color correction cream
• Color-balancing shampoo
• Hair coloring brush
• Mixing bowl
• Gloves
• Towel
• Plastic wrap