Were you one of those naive teenagers or college students who expected your hair would turn out like a blonde bombshell after bleaching it with hydrogen peroxide?

You probably figured out the hard way, if your hair ended up dry and damaged, that even though using hydrogen peroxide to lighten hair is relatively easy, it doesn’t always deliver the luxurious blonde tresses you were hoping for.

Using Hydrogen Peroxide on Your Hair

Bleaching hair with peroxide may seem like a simple, no-brainer DIY project, but remember, it does involve chemicals. A few simple precautions can improve your odds of getting it right and prevent your hair from ending up looking like a haystack.

If possible, get a friend to help you apply the peroxide evenly to your hair, especially in hard-to-reach areas in the back. If you’ve already got color-treated hair, we recommend going to a beauty salon, because the professionals there can fix and correct mishaps if things go kablooey along the way.

Items You Need to Lighten Hair with Hydrogen Peroxide

If you’re still determined to apply hydrogen peroxide hair bleach on your own, the first step is to have healthy, untreated hair. You might want to rethink your plan and hold off for a few months until new, healthy hair grows in, especially if you’re already battling with split ends and breakage, or if you have brittle, color-treated hair.

If you decide to move forward, then be sure to have all your tools and materials ready. They include:

• Hydrogen Peroxide 3%
• An old towel to cover your shoulders
• Spray bottle (for applying peroxide to large sections of hair)
• Plastic gloves
• Comb
• Clock or watch (to keep track of the time)
• Small rubber bands (to keep your strand test hairs together)
• Hair clips (to separate large sections of hair)
• Hair dryer (optional)
• Cold water (to stop the chemical reaction once you’ve achieved your ideal color)
• Clarifying shampoo and deep conditioner (to ensure a clean head of hair when you start)

For Highlights Only (in addition to the above items)