Bleach Bath Hair: Before and After (this is what your hair will look like after a bleach bath)

one shade lighter

There will always be a marked “before” and “after” in your hair when you do a bleach bath.
When it comes to color, your hair will lighten ½ – 2 shades after a bleach bath.
And when it comes to your hair health, it will also look different, because after all, a bleach bath is an aggressive procedure for your hair, although less aggressive than a normal bleach job.
You should know, if you start with completely healthy hair, it will damage your hair less. But, if you do a bleach bath on dry and damaged hair, it will make it prone to breakage, and can make it look dull and lifeless.

from medium blonde to light

A bleach bath is a study in the art of what’s possible, because it can help you lighten your hair up to two shades. But, there are no guarantees. Things don’t always work out perfectly. Why?

Well, don’t kid yourself. A bleach bath can be as aggressive as a traditional bleach job.

So, let’s ditch those Instagram filters, highly edited YouTube videos and fake pictures posted by aspiring influencers.

I’m going to tell you the truth today, and nothing but the truth, about what happens to your hair before and after a bleach bath.

It’s a good idea for you to know both the potential of this process, but also its potential consequences, because your hair will not be the same after a bleach bath.

Are you ready?

If so, stick around, because I’ll tell you:

What happens to your hair health before and after a bleach bath
What to expect from a bleach bath in terms of hair color

Between the before and after, there is also a during, which we’re going to talk about in just a moment.

Tabla de Contenidos

What happens to your hair before and after a bleach bath

before and after

In order for us to learn how a bleach bath will affect your hair, it’s important to consider how many bleach baths you’re going to do and what ingredients you’ll use in the mixture.

If you use coconut oil in your mix, you can minimize the damage from peroxide by 45% in your hair. And that is no small number.
If you use a hydrating shampoo with keratin, you’ll reduce the damage by over 70%. That’s another number that you can’t ignore.

The more hydration you give your hair during the process, the less damage your hair is going to suffer.

Now, what is your hair like before you start the bleach bath process? Because that will also affect your end result.

Is your hair dry?
If your hair is dry before the bleach bath, it will be prone to breaking after it.
Is it rough to the touch and dull in color? After the processing, it will be totally dry.
If you have a lot of frizz before, you’re going to have double the frizz after.
If you have a lot of natural oils in your hair before, your hair is going to feel rougher afterward, will no grease.
If your hair feels hard or crunchy now, you’re going to have a lot more frizz after.

What can you do then?

If your hair is dry, rough or frizzy, use coconut oil on your hair 24 hours before you do the bleach bath and leave it in your hair for the full 24 hours.
If your hair is greasy, don’t wash it for 48 hours before the bath, and three hours before you’re going to do the treatment, wet your hair without using either shampoo or conditioner, then comb through it to distribute your hair’s natural oils to protect your hair fiber.

Once you’ve finished with the process, it’s also important to do a certain aftercare routine

Use coconut oil on your hair, without applying it to your roots, and leave it in for 4 hours
Use micellar water on your hair every two hours to moisturize it
Use a reparative mask once a week
Use an anti-frizz serum to hydrate your hair

You need to protect your hair fiber before, during and after the bleach bath, especially if your hair is dry or damaged.

Now that we’ve consider your hair health before and after the bleach bath, let’s get to the heart of the matter: the color. Because, after all, if you want to do a bleach bath, it’s because you’re looking to lighten your hair.

What to expect after a bleach bath in terms of color

A bleach bath lightens your hair ½ to 2 shades, depending on what volume peroxide you use.

If you use a 10 volume peroxide, your hair will lighten ½ to 1 shade
If you use a 20 volume peroxide, your hair will lighten 1-2 shades

Let’s have a look at how your color will change in each color group.

Dark hair

If your hair is a black 1 now, after the color bath, it will turn into a very dark brown 2 or a dark brown 3.
If it’s a dark brown 3, it will turn into a brown 4 or a light brown 5.
If it’s a brown 4, it will turn into a light brown 5 or a dark blonde 6.

Medium hair

If your hair is a light brown 5 right now, it will turn into a dark blonde 6 or a blonde 7.
If it’s a dark blonde 6, it will turn into a blonde 7 or a light blonde 8.
If it’s a blonde 7, it will turn into a light blonde 8 or a lighter blonde 9.

Light hair

If your hair is a light blonde 8 now, it will turn into a lighter blonde 9 or the lightest blonde 10.
If your hair is a lighter blonde 9, it will turn into the lightest blonde 10.

As you can see, it’s a process that follows a certain logic in terms of how many shades your hair will lighten, unlike a traditional bleach job, which can lighten your hair up to four shades in one go.

Use this guide to know how many times you’ll need to do a bleach bath to get to the color you’re looking for and avoid stressing your hair more than necessary.

Conclusions

A bleach bath will always have a very clear before and after, both in terms of your hair health and your hair color.

If we’re talking about hair health, you should always start with healthy hair, because if not, you can end up with dry, weak hair prone to breaking.
And when it comes to color, you should decide how many shades you want to lighten your hair, because that will determine which volume of peroxide you want to use.

But remember: Although a bleach bath is less aggressive than a traditional bleach job, it will have consequences both on your hair and in your life. So, take the necessary precautions to keep your lively, beautiful hair that way.