You’ve happened upon this article via one of two possibilities – either you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole of internet searches, and are here due to overall boredom and curiosity, or you’ve got bright pink hair, you’re not quite sure if you want it anymore, and you’re looking for a solution.
If you’re among the latter, you’ve come to the right place. First off, we need to offer you our kudos for taking the plunge and going pink to begin with! But whether you’re ready for a change, or realized you didn’t love it like you thought, we promise there’s a solution on the horizon!
So, can you bleach over pink hair? Yes, you can bleach pink hair. But keep in mind that the process will be different based on the state of your hair now, and that arriving at your desired results may not happen overnight.
Your hair is fragile, especially when it’s undergone any sort of chemical treatment. You’re gonna want to be extra careful when dealing with it while it’s in this state. Bleaching pink hair is possible, but we recommend reading through our guidelines thoroughly to ensure you’re doing it as safely as you can.
When Is It Best To Bleach Pink Hair?
If you’re reading this in a panic, hair freshly fuschia with a bottle of bleach in your hand, take a deep breath!
Now, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re gonna need to rock your hair for a minimum of two weeks before you begin the bleaching process. Freshly dyed locks are incredibly delicate, and this is extra applicable if you had to use bleach to get your hair pink in the first place.
But if you choose to bleach your hair the same day you dyed it, or even try bleaching it twice in one day, you’re asking for the same result: a mess of a mop.
The type of pink dye you used is also very important. Did you opt for a permanent, or semi-permanent dye? If you went for the former, bleaching your hair is probably the best route to take to get rid of all the color.
If you chose a semi-permanent dye, you may not need to whip out the bleach at all. Semi-permanent dyes will fade out with every wash. But if you need the pink out in a pinch, a good quality hair color remover will strip your hair back to its original state.
What Will My Color Look Like After Bleaching?
The answer to this question lies in what your hair looks like now. Is your hair bright pink, and is the color still deeply saturated in your locks? If so, one cycle of bleach probably isn’t going to remove all of your color. After one round, you’ll most likely be left with a peachy hued head.
But don’t be discouraged! The best hair results don’t happen overnight, and we trust that you’ll be happy with the results if you trust in the process. Slow and steady wins the race.
Has your hair already faded into a light pink? If it has, bleaching it once might be all you need to get the rest of your color out!
But regardless of the strength of your color now, you need to keep in mind that bleaching is just about the most aggressive procedure you can do to your hair, so you’re going to want to do a thorough check of the state of your locks to see if they’re even strong enough to undergo bleaching in the first place.
How To Do A Hair Check
Answer the following questions:
- You know your hair better than anyone else. Have you noticed more breakage and hair fall when you brush?
- Does your hair feel coarse to the touch? Do leave-in conditioners not do the trick anymore?
- Do you have a lot of split ends?
- Does your hair take forever to dry?
If you’ve answered yes to one or more of the questions above, your hair may not be healthy enough to take on a bleaching treatment. Applying bleach to damaged hair will leave you with broken, or worse, burned locks that even the most skilled hair stylist would deem irreparable.
But if you’re still not sure if your hair can handle treatment or not, go ahead and do a strand test (you should always do this before experimenting with hair products).
How To Do A Strand Test
Different from a patch test, a strand test requires applying product directly to your hair rather than on your skin.
Follow these steps to safely do one at home:
- Put on a pair of gloves
- Pick a small strand of hair that is easily accessible, but can also be concealed should you not be a fan of the results. We recommend a lock of hair behind the ear!
- Apply some bleach to the lock, pinning back the surrounding area to keep the rest of your hair safe.
- Wait the allotted processing time per your brand of bleach.
- Rinse the hair and dry.
Check out the results. Does your hair still have some integrity, or is pulling like gum? Your hair should be strong enough to bounce back if you give it a gentle tug. If it’s looking on the stretchy side, do not bleach the rest of your hair!
A great way to protect healthy hair before applying bleach is by applying some coconut oil to your ends. This will lock in moisture and keep them nice and strong throughout the rest of the process.
If your hair has passed its physical, and your strand test is looking good- congratulations! You can move on to bleaching your whole head. There are some steps to doing this safely, so make sure you have lots of time and patience!
How To Bleach Over Your Pink Hair
It’s the moment of truth! Before we get started, let’s make sure you have all the equipment necessary to make this journey as smooth as possible.
- Gloves meant for hair treatments
- Shower cap
- Plastic dye equipment (bowl, dye brush)
- NEVER mix dye, bleach, etc. with metal utensils. It will erode, rust, and potentially ruin the bowl and your hair.
- Clips to section off hair
- Bleach powder
- Developer
- The volume depends on how light you want your end result and what kind of pink dye you used. We recommend 30 volume, but if your hair is extra healthy, you may be able to get away with 40.
- Toner
- Hair oil (or olive/coconut)
- Color-safe shampoo and conditioner
- Ammonia-free hair mask
Now that you have all of your supplies, follow our step-by-step guide to take all the guesswork out of the bleaching process:
1. Section Off Your Locks
Go ahead and clip your hair up into more manageable sections. We’re going to be working fast, so try and make the least amount of divisions possible. Clipping up 4 sections is ideal, and 6 should be the maximum for our thicker haired friends.
2. Mix Your Bleach Powder
The ratio of bleach to developer should be 1:2. Mix it up in your plastic bowl, and for an extra treat, add in some drops of your favorite hair oil. This will keep the treatment from being too abrasive on your hair, and will give it some much needed moisture. 15 drops should be enough for medium length locks.
3. Apply To Your Ends
Start with a section that you’ve clipped in the back. Take it down and smooth the bleach on with the help of a dye brush, applying from the ends up. Do not put the mixture on your roots just yet.
Repeat this application throughout all of the sections. Be thorough but fast, you want each division to process in the same amount of time. This will make for an even tone throughout your whole head.
4. Apply To Your Roots
Because your roots process the quickest, save them for last.
After you’ve finished applying bleach to each section, you can start working the mixture into your roots. Take extra care to not get this solution on your scalp, or you may give yourself some chemical burns (ouch!).
5. Let It Develop
Now that you’re all bleached up, you’re going to need to add some heat. Thankfully, there’s no need to whip out your hairdryer. The natural heat emitting from your scalp is more than enough.
To ensure that the heat is circulating evenly, cover your hair with a plastic shower cap or nylon head wrap. A plastic grocery bag works too, but try and find one that doesn’t have anything printed onto it, or you risk transferring that design onto your hair.
Allow your hair to process for however long is directed. We recommend checking on your hair every so often to see how the color is coming along, and to see how quickly your hair is processing.
6. Wash Your Hair
Rinse your hair once you’ve reached your time limit. Be extra thoughtful in your rinsing, any product left behind will continue bleaching your hair, so you want to make sure that there’s no trace left behind!
Follow up with your favorite color-safe shampoo and conditioner. Something restorative and free of parabens and sulfates is best.
7. Tone
After a bleaching treatment, your hair may have some unwanted undertones. If your locks are looking more yellow than blonde, go ahead and apply some purple toner. This will eliminate any bright undertones in your hair, and keep your color looking more natural.
If your hair is appearing more on the orange side, reach for a blue toner instead. It’s good to have both on hand if you’re not sure how your hair is going to turn out- this is why it’s good to do a strand test!
8. TLC
Now that you have freshly bleached hair, you’re going to need to show it some love.
Find a hair mask that’s color safe and ammonia free, and make it your new best friend! We recommend sleeping with it on overnight, and rinsing it in the morning to reveal revitalized locks.
We believe this is a step you shouldn’t skip. Once bleached, even the healthiest strands will be begging for a drink. A hair mask is the quickest way to get some serious moisture in, and fast.
What’s Next?
If all the pink has lifted from your hair after the initial round of bleach, then your journey has come to a conclusion! Make sure you tone your locks regularly should you want to keep your hair blonde.
It’ll keep them looking as fresh as possible. If you were in the mood for a new color though, you luckily have the perfect base to dye your hair any shade under the sun.
But if your hair is looking more peachy than platinum, you’re going to need to undergo another cycle or two of bleach to get the pink lifted entirely. Yes, it’s a timely process, but it’s definitely worth the wait.
Now, check out the state of your hair the day after you bleach it. Is it still looking strong, or is it looking more damaged than you thought?
If your hair’s leaning towards damaged, you’re going to want to wait around a month before bleaching or dyeing it again. If you don’t, you risk frying off your locks.
During this time, make sure you dedicate yourself to a moisturizing routine that will replenish your hair’s strength and ensure it’s ready for your next treatment. A great place to start is with this deep conditioner that gets rave reviews for a reason.
If your strands handled the solution well, you only need to wait around 10 days before bleaching again. But whether you’re waiting a couple of weeks, or just a couple of days, our advice stays the same: maintain a healthy hair care routine.
Unfortunately, bleaching your hair isn’t something you can do without method. Choosing to ignore aftercare could seriously damage your (already fragile) mane! We wish it was simpler, but if you want healthy locks, your hair needs some R&R- and that’s not something you can be lazy with.
How To Maintain Healthy Hair Post-Bleach
You did it! You are officially pink free.
If you’re wondering how you can add some life to your new locks, and how to keep them looking healthy, read on! We’ve compiled some of our favorite hair care tips together just for you.
Implement these in your daily routine to keep your tresses happy:
- Wash your hair less. Using shampoo on your hair every single day will strip it off all its natural oils, leaving you with straw-like locks. Go a couple of days between washes to keep your hair moisturized.
- Conditioner is your friend! And not just in the shower. Find a good leave-in conditioner, a conditioning hair mask, and even a hair oil. We want to rebuild your mane’s natural shine!
- Skip the heat. Find some heatless hairstyles to rock, or experiment with overnight curls and waves. And if you must use heat, make sure to use a high-quality heat protectant!
- Use cool to lukewarm water when you shower. Hot showers will dry your hair (and skin) out fast. A great way to seal in moisture is to blast some cold water into your hair before hopping out of the tub. This will seal the cuticles on your scalp and leave you with shiny strands.
- Be careful when swimming in pools! Chlorine and processed hair are not friends. To avoid damage, try smoothing some conditioner onto your locks before you take a dip, and make sure to rinse it out once you’re out of the water.
And if you feel overwhelmed at any point throughout this process, don’t worry! We’re only human. There’s no shame in calling up a stylist and asking for advice, or even booking an appointment to get this all done by a professional.
Your hair is an extension of your inner self, and a great form of self-expression, so it’s no surprise that you would want it looking its best. Going pink is bold, and bleaching over pink is just as bold- and now you can rest assured that the results will be equally beautiful.
Up Next: Can I Dye My Hair Twice In One Week?