Every dark-haired girl at least once in her life presented herself as a blonde. But not everyone can decide on such a risky experiment - to lighten the hair, especially at home. After all, white curls look spectacular when they are well-groomed and not overdried. Otherwise the blond will look cheap.
Not all women have the time and money to go to a salon or a hairdresser. An alternative in this case would be lightening hair at home. But first you need to arm yourself with the necessary information.
How to lighten hair at home for 1-2 tones
The first thing you should know is that you can lighten not too dark hair, preferably not previously dyed. Otherwise, there is a chance to get an unpredictable and strange shade, completely far from the desired.
The second important rule is that it is better to lighten by 1-2 tones and not to strive to immediately whiten them. After all, after dyeing every girl wants to preserve the beauty and health of her hair.
The whole process of clarification at home will consist of several stages:
- preparation for clarification;
- lightening;
- "rehabilitation" and recovery.
Preparation for the procedure
If the hair is initially dry, brittle, with split ends, then it is not recommended to lighten them. It is necessary to start active hair restoration: find the right shampoo and balsam, undergo a course of moisturizing masks, etc. This process can take quite a long time (up to several months), but the result will be worth the wait.
It is advisable at least a couple of weeks before lightening to stop using a hairdryer, curling iron and ironing. All these styling devices reduce hair moisture, thus making them more vulnerable. For the same reason, you should not wash your hair a few days before dyeing, ideally for a week.
Before dyeing itself, you can apply a moisturizing oil, such as coconut. It will help reduce the harmful effects of the clarifier.
Lightening step by step
First of all, you need to decide on the choice of the clarifier: a special purchaser or natural dyes. In the first case, the clarifiers are of three types:
- Cheap powders and brighteners.
- More expensive mass market paint.
- Professional clarifiers.
To choose a quality tool, you should consult with a hairdresser or examine the reviews on the Internet. Since it is initially recommended at home to lighten hair by 1-2 tones, you can stop at the most gentle paint without ammonia.
Among natural hair clarifiers, honey, chamomile decoction, lemon juice, kefir, etc. are used. However, in this case, you should not expect an instant result.
After the first application, the curls can acquire only a barely noticeable shade. Therefore, the procedure will need to be repeated a couple of times at intervals of several days.
After choosing a dye, you can proceed directly to lightening hair. Regardless of the staining method, this procedure will require the following items:
- an old towel that doesn’t feel like getting dirty;
- fabric that can cover the shoulders;
- a comb with sparse teeth, a brush for dyeing (some use a toothbrush);
- non-metallic capacity;
- gloves.
Any manipulation with the use of the dye is undoubtedly stressful. After clarification, the curls become drier and brittle.
It will take some time for the hair to "come back to life."
Firstly, you should forget about hot styling for a couple of weeks, and secondly, all care products must have regenerating and moisturizing properties.
We use professional tools
Professional products for coloring are sold in free access, their number is huge and varied. It is not worth while choosing such a clarifier to be guided by the promises of marketers on the packaging. It is better to dwell on manufacturers that have gained recognition and prestige among competing firms.
Professional clarifiers can be in the form of powder or finished paint. If you want to lighten the hair just a couple of tones, you can use paint. It will have a less severe effect on the hair structure. Staining with a powder allows for a strong clarification of up to eight tones. But the harm will be done more tangible.
If you decide to use professional paint, then the whole process must be carried out with gloves, otherwise the paint will irritate the skin of the hands. First you need to mix thoroughly in a non-metallic container the paint and a special color corrector - mikston.
Next, an oxidizer is added. All necessary proportions must be indicated in the instructions. The resulting mixture should be stirred for a few minutes until smooth.
Before applying the paint hair should be well combed. Curls should be divided into two parts - right and left. Then a small strand is taken and painted over with a brush from root to tip. You need to start from the temporal zone, moving to the back of the head. After staining one side, for example the right, you can paint the left part in the same way.
To reduce the harmful effects of the dye, the hair does not need to cover and wrap. Usually the paint works within half an hour. You can not keep the brightener more than the time specified in the instructions, otherwise you can burn the hair. It is better to wash off the paint with warm water, use a mild shampoo. Usually, special hair balsams or masks after dyeing are also included in the hair color kit. It is necessary to dry hair naturally without a hairdryer.
The method of staining with the help of special powders will differ from the previous one only in the method of preparing the coloring composition. Do everything you need to wear gloves. In the tank, powder and oxidizer are mixed in a 1: 2 ratio (for 1 portion of powder, 2 portions of oxidant) until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Next, you should paint with the above recommendations.
We use popular methods
The advantage of this method of clarification in comparison with the previous one is harmlessness, no risk of spoiling the curls. Many folk methods allow, in addition to changing the shade, to strengthen curls, improve their condition. However, there is a significant drawback - lightening hair will be insignificant, sometimes even barely noticeable.
It should be remembered that initially the hair should be a light shade (maximum light brown color). Only in this case, you can see the result. Among the popular methods of lightening hair the most effective are the following methods.
Honey
Natural liquid honey is applied to clean damp hair. It is necessary to carefully lubricate each strand from root to tip. After that, it is not necessary to warm the head, you just have to cover it with a film so that the honey does not flow. But the main thing in this procedure is a long stay of honey (up to 10 hours). If necessary, the procedure can be repeated in a couple of days. Such clarification will not only make the strands a little lighter, but also give the curls shine and silkiness.
Lemon juice
This method is not recommended for dry hair, because turns out to be a drying effect. The juice of one small lemon mixed with 0.5 liters of water. This solution should be rinsed hair after each wash to achieve a noticeable result.
Chamomile decoction
Chamomile is famous for its ability to give the hair a golden hue, and strong caring properties. To prepare the broth you need two tablespoons of dry chamomile pour a small amount of boiling water (approximately 0.2 liters). After cooling, the liquid should be filtered. Shampoo-washed hair is rinsed with the resulting decoction. You can perform the procedure many times, because it is harmless.
Kefir
Lightly heated kefir is carefully applied to the hair. The head should be covered with a film or a special cap and wrapped with a towel. Keep this mass on the hair takes a long time, you can even all night.
After the first application you can not notice the brightening effect, but the improvement of the hair is guaranteed. Use this method is allowed once a week for 1-2 months.
All the above products can be used in other variations, for example, to combine honey and lemon juice. In addition, brightening properties have cinnamon, rhubarb, baking soda, some oils. Hydrogen peroxide can also be used, but this substance is not as harmless as natural products.
Hair care after lightening
Clarified with chemical dyes hair requires more thorough care than before dyeing. Even the most gentle paint changes the structure of hair, damaging them. Therefore, the care of bleached curls should be guided by several important rules.
Rule 1
Maximum exclusion of a hair dryer, various stylers and hairspray. Frequent hot styling only exacerbate the situation, they will deprive the curls of moisture. If a special case requires a beautiful hair, you must use heat protection.
Rule 2
From now on, all used shampoos, balsams and conditioners should be restoring and moisturizing. Lightened hair in any case lacks moisture, even if outwardly it is imperceptible.
Rule 3
Adding to the arsenal of hair care different masks. If earlier many had no need to use them, then after lightening it is necessary to make masks. Especially good effect give coconut, burdock, olive and other oils.
Rule 4
Use special means to protect the tips. The bleached ends of the hair really need protection against delamination. There is a mass of various means: serums, sprays, oils, ampoules, etc. It is desirable to use them after each washing of hair.
If you treat the clarified locks carefully, you can quickly bring them into proper form. And then the hair will be similar not to dry straw, but to flowing silk.
Lightening hair at home is a budget alternative to a salon procedure. However, it is necessary to take into account all the above nuances so that the hair does not suffer much. After all, beautiful curls are an important part of the image of any girl.
