What will I need to bleach my hair platinum blonde?
You will need:
o Latex (or equivalent, if you’re allergic) gloves
o A mixing bowl and dye brush (or just a regular non-metallic bowl you’re prepared to sacrifice)
o Clothes you don’t mind ruining
o A color-stripper (such as Indola Wipe Out or ColorFix) if your hair is already colored a darker color than blonde.
o 20 or 30vol. Bleach kit or a box of blue bleach powder and a bottle of 20 or 30 vol. developer (Blue is better than white as it removes more yellow tones, although white will work just as well).
o A blue toner to give your hair that ‘white’ look, instead of a yellow-orange tint. (This isn’t usually needed if you plan to dye your hair a ‘funky color’)
How do I bleach my hair platinum blonde?
Color Stripping
Bleaching your hair can take a while depending on the current color and condition of your hair. If you hair is already dyed another color (particularly those of you with black, brown, or burgundy hair) you will need to use a color stripper. A color stripper does not bleach your hair, but removes any dye color that is bonded with your hair. It should bring your hair quite close to your natural color, albeit a little more red-toned. Development time for color strippers range from around 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the color of your hair and the dye you used. If you cannot order online or do not have access to a beauty supply store you can skip this process, however, there is a good chance that the color will not bleach out of your hair entirely, and you may damage your hair significantly in the process of trying to remove the permanent dye. The color stripping kits outlined here do not require any additional ingredients such as developer, etc. Everything you need comes right in the package.
Note: If you hair is black and you want to dye it with a semi-permanent funky dye in either purple or red, you can get away with only bleaching it once (without a color stripper) and the color will still show up with a good amount of vibrancy. Other colors should only really be but on hair which has been significantly bleached.
Preparing to Bleach Hair
Once your hair has been color stripped you can begin the bleaching process. If your hair is particularly dark or resistant to dye you would be wise to buy a salon-size tub of blue bleach powder and a bottle of 30vol. or 20vol. developer cream. If you don’t have access to a beauty supply store, buy several boxes of bleach kits, since you will probably use more than one box if you hair is particularly thick or dark, or past your shoulders in length. Bleaching hair may take a few times to get to the correct color and lightness. It is better to bleach several times with a weaker volume than to bleach all at once with a stronger volume.
Mixing Your Bleach
If your bleach doesn’t come in a kit, and you’ve opted to buy a bottle of developer and powder on their own, here’s how to mix it (unless the products you’ve bought state otherwise
In a non-metallic bowl, mix 30g (the bleach powder comes with a measuring scoop) of powder to 90ml of developer crème. If you buy one (they’re a good investment and only cost about $1.99 at the most) a professional mixing bowl already has the measurements written on it. Mix the powder and cream together- it should be the consistency of thick yogurt and a pale baby blue. If there are still chunks of powder, break them up and add a little more developer crème into the mix. If you bought a kit and there are still little chunks in the mixture (and you don’t have any more developer crème) don’t worry, it won’t adversely affect the bleaching.
Test Strips
It is best to do a test strip to see how long the bleach will take to develop on your hair. You can do this by snipping out a piece of hair (and fixing it into a little ponytail with a rubber band) or just bleaching a small strand of hair which isn’t visible through the rest of your hair. Time the amount of time it takes for your hair to be lightened significantly (it may not be the correct color when you bleach) and then use that time to bleach your hair.
Bleaching Your Hair
Read the mixing instructions on your bleach kit. Make sure you have gloves which fit well- you should never bleach without gloves, not only will it irritate your skin badly it will also bleach your skin temporarily, which doesn’t look very nice. Always start at the ends of your hair and work towards the scalp, as the heat from your head will develop the dye on your scalp far quicker than the ends. It is wise to leave the bleach on the ends of your hair for a little while before you apply it to the scalp. Note: Never, ever apply 40vol. bleach to your scalp. It is far too strong to be put on skin and will probably give you chemical burns- which aren’t fun.
Once you’ve covered all of your hair put on a shower cap (or a plastic bag secured with a clip) to let the heat from your head develop the bleach. Although this might feel a little uncomfortable or itchy, bleaching should never hurt. Once you’re finished (depending on the development time calculated from your test strip), rinse out the bleach with warm water. Let your hair dry naturally- no blow-drying! Check the color and lightness of the hair. Yes, it will seem quite orange/yellow, but don’t worry about that- that’s what toners are for. Ideally, your hair should be a very light yellow.
It may take you several bleaches to get to that color, so space the bleaches a day or two apart to give your head a rest. It would also be wise to use a hot oil treatment or heavy conditioner in-between to ensure your hair is moisturized, as bleach can dry out hair significantly. Your hair will not be white- don’t try to bleach your hair until it is white because your hair will fall out before it will. Once your hair is at its lightest yellow color, it’s time to tone it to make it white.
Toning
To get your hair that beautiful white color you’ll need more than bleach, you’ll need a blue toner (or sometimes called a silver toner). It’s the same thing that old ladies use for their blue rinses. There are many toners on the market and they can usually be found in your local alternative store (such as directions, manic panic, or special fx), beauty supply store, or drugstore. Follow the directions on your blue/silver toner (it’s like a hair dye, and development time is usually at or under 20 minutes). Leaving the toner in for longer may result in lilac hair, so watch your hair’s development closely.
Finishing Touches
Your hair may feel a little dryer than usual, so you’ll need to pamper it with hot oil treatments and condition it daily. People who live in particularly polluted cities may want to invest in a blue rinse shampoo which they can use once a week to rid their hair of yellowness which is absorbed from air pollution- yuck! A good product to use is Nexxus ‘Simply Silver’ shampoo, which runs around $12 or £8 for a very big bottle, and is available from Nexxus salons. You’re now ready to be platinum, or move on to the wide world of bright funky colors.
Welcome to tFS guys!
The shop assistants said that I'd have to bleach my hair three times before applying the ginger dye 
What to do?
Anyone's had similar experiences?
