To bleach or not to bleach - that is the question.
We know Shakespeare never actually said that but, considering whether or not to bleach your hair is a pretty popular question. The truth, though, is that bleach is one of the most brilliantly-powerful products that can turn coloring your hair into a total transformation. Some of our favorite celebrities regularly rock a variety of vivid hair colors, and none of that would be possible without the power of a simple bleach powder. It’s one of the most versatile hair products out there - whether you’re going for a cool bleach-blonde contrast against your natural hair OR if you’re preparing to dye your hair a bright new color.
We believe bleach should start getting the kudos it deserves, and with that, we want to shake up the ideas of how it can be applied. We love an all-over-color look and that’s one of our top picks, but we want to introduce you to some other popular ways to bleach your hair. You can get creative with your color by trying one of the trends below, but you can also rock that beautiful bleach blonde all on its own!
#1: All Over Color
Go big, or go home. If you’re ready for a real transformation, and you want a new look from root to tip, then bleaching your whole head is the way to go. Bleached hair looks good on anyone - think Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Pete Davidson, Christina Aguilera, Jonah Hill, Kim K...the list goes on and on. On its own, bleached hair is a striking new look. But once you’ve bleached your whole head, you’re also free to play with color on a ‘blank canvas’ that will reveal the new color’s true shade. If you want to try out the ombre trend, try using one of Splat’s Ombre kits, and check out our tutorial video here for tips on how to achieve a seamless blend between colors so that you can get that salon-inspired look at home.
#2: The Half-and-Half, Two-Toned Trend a la TikTok
If you’ve ever played around with the hair color filter on TikTok, you’ve seen the two-toned trend that more and more people are adopting (like model-actress Ruby Rose). We think it’s going to be THE trend for 2021, and it involves splitting your hair into two distinctly-colored sections across your part. You can rock two new shades or just one (so that your new color is split with your natural color), but you can also leave one side bleached a la Cruella De Ville. Either way, you’re sure to turn heads lickety-split with the half-and-half color look. (Keep in mind, if you’re doing two colors, you can apply both colors at the same time, but make sure to apply them as precisely as possible to make a distinct difference between the two. And rinse them separately so the colors don’t run together).
#3: Just the Tip
Colorful tips were a popular trend in the early 2000s and they’ve been reinvented as the dip-dyed trend today. We love the look on short- to medium-length hair as a way to mix up a more conservative haircut. Iggy Azalea’s pink tips are a beautiful example for blondes, but if your natural color is any shade of brown, try spicing it up with Splat’s Original Color Kits like Orange Fireballs or Aqua Rush Blue.
#4: The Bang-in’ Trend
Ricky Martin sang it best: she bangs. Bleaching your bangs is one of our favorite ways to incorporate a small pop of color into your natural look. To get this look, find your part, section off your bangs, and bleach and dye accordingly. (Check out our Lightening Bleach Bangs Tutorial video here for help!). It’s a quick, easy way to add a little edge to your fringe.
#5: A Little Peek-A-Boo for You
Bleaching the bottom half of your head (or the underneath layer) is another option! The peek-a-boo trend is a super-easy way to achieve a new surprise look. It’s business on the top, but a party underneath! Once you’ve bleached the lower half of your head, you can either leave it as-is for a pop of blonde color, OR you can color it any which way you want. Try alternating colors for a unicorn-inspired blend, or color individual sections for a highlighted effect. The top section of your natural hair will fall beautifully against the color underneath. If you can dream it, you can do it.
#6: Get Down To Your Roots
All hail Billie Eilish, the queen of chameleon hair color! We don’t know what we love more: her hair or her music. Her roots-only color look is one of our faves, and if you want to try this at home, just make sure to apply the bleach and color as precisely as possible to the top of your head, since this is the part most people will see. If the under section isn’t perfect, that’s okay! The roots-only look is great because you can go as ‘long’ as you want: one inch, two inches, three, or four….the choice is up to you, and keeping up your color is easy. (Just bleach and dye your virgin hair as it grows in, and drag some dye into your already-colored hair for the last 10 minutes to brighten it up).
As you can see, there’s no one way to use bleach. It’s one of the most powerful, useful, and creative color tools out there, and since vivid color shows up best on ultra-lightened hair, bleach is one of our very best friends. Let’s start giving bleach the credit it deserves!
Here Are a Few Additional Hair Bleaching Tips:
- When going from dark brown to a vibrant new color you may need to bleach your hair more than once to get to the recommended lightened level to achieve the best results. Be sure to do a strand test first so you can keep an eye on how long your hair can and should process for, and check on it every 5 minutes. Also, wait 14 days in between bleaching and really deep conditioner your hair to maintain hair integrity.
- If your dark hair turns orange after the first time bleaching, let your hair rest before re-bleaching so that it can further lighten and neutralize the orange color.
- If your hair is very yellow after bleaching, you can use purple shampoo or toning products to neutralize the yellow. This will help achieve the truest color of the new bold & bright shade of hair color. Read more about hair dye color theory here!
- To avoid over-processing your hair with bleach, we recommend waiting a week or two between bleaching. Once you’re ready for the second round, do a strand test first (please!) and check your hair every 5 minutes.
- Fine or thin hair is more susceptible to damage from over-bleaching, so your hair will most likely process faster than the time stated in the instructions. Do a strand test first and closely monitor it as it processes.
- Do not leave the bleach on your hair longer than stated in the instructions! You run the risk of over-processing and damaging your hair.
Splat includes bleach in many of its semi-permanent color kits, but if you want to avoid using it, try one of Splat’s Midnight kits for bold color that’s specially-formulated to add deep, dark color to medium and light brown hair...without the use of bleach!
As you can see, bleach is an incredibly useful, versatile, and trend-inspiring product. Without it, you couldn’t get nearly the same results when dyeing your hair a bright or vivid color, since those colors show up truest on bleached hair. But bleached hair is also beautiful to wear all on its own - no color needed.
Forget Shakespeare and stop asking yourself “To bleach, or not bleach?” The better question is really just “Where?”
