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Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound that serves many household uses, from cleaning cuts to disinfecting countertops to removing stains. It can also be used to bleach your hair. Hydrogen peroxide is readily available at grocery or drug stores, costing just a couple of dollars for a 32 ounce (910g) bottle. Make sure the peroxide strength is no greater than 3% by double-checking the bottle's label of active ingredients. A stronger solution than this can severely damage your hair. No matter what bleaching method you use, it's going to cause your hair to become drier and more fragile than normal. Starting with healthy hair prevents excessive damage from the bleaching process. Don't dye or otherwise process your hair for about a month before you plan to bleach it. Use gentle products, like shampoo and conditioner made from all natural ingredients, to make sure your hair is as healthy as possible before bleaching. Use a deep conditioner a day or two before bleaching your hair to help build up moisture in your hair. There are many types of deep conditioners, from less expensive ($5-$8) to more expensive ($30+) store-bought ones to more natural, DIY ones. There are recipes to make your own deep conditioner, which typically use foods as their base. Search online for "deep conditioner recipes" for suggestions using bananas, avocados, mayonnaise, yogurt, eggs, coconut oil, or other foods. This step will help minimize ending up with extremely dry and brittle hair after you bleach it by increasing your hair's moisture and elasticity. This step seems time-consuming, especially when you want to get started on bleaching your hair. But it is an important step that will save you a serious skin rash (or worse) if you happen to be allergic to the bleach or any of the other ingredients. To do a patch allergy test, apply a dab of bleach on a patch of skin behind your ear. Leave the bleach on for 24-48 hours and check for any allergic reaction, such as a rash, itching or burning on that spot. If you do have an allergic reaction, however mild, you should ty a different method for bleaching your hair. Use a clean spray bottle or a recycled one that has been thoroughly washed and dried. This will help you aim your spray more evenly and accurately when applying it to your hair. Gather some cotton balls to aid in a more precise application. Do a few test squirts to make sure the spray bottle is functioning properly. Peroxide can stain clothing and can be irritating to skin, so take care to cover yourself properly. Wear gloves and cover your clothes with an old towel. Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly along your hairline and neckline to protect your skin. Wet your hair with lukewarm water and pat it dry with a towel. Let it air dry for a few minutes until it's still damp, but not dripping wet. Use hair clips to section your hair. Divide your hair into a few sections and twist the sections up. Clip these sections into easily removable hair clips; it's best to use hair clips you can put in and take out with only one hand, especially after you start the bleaching process. Don't clip the first section you plan to bleach. You can also apply melted coconut oil to your hair before bleaching to help protect your hair. To melt the coconut oil, place the sealed jar into hot water. This will liquefy the oil. Pour the oil all over your head and rub it into your hair. Wrap your hair in a plastic cap and let the oil soak into your hair for a few hours (overnight is best). Do not rinse your hair before applying the bleach. Gather up a small hunk of hair from the nape of your neck. Spray the peroxide onto this strand, starting at the roots and working it towards the ends. Leave it in for about 20-30 minutes. Rinse out the peroxide and check the color against a white towel. This will enable you to check if you like the color before dousing your entire head in peroxide. It will also help you gauge how much time to leave in the peroxide. Be aware of the different hues that a bleach job will give you, depending on your hair color. Dark brown hair will lighten to chestnut brown, but too much peroxide may result in an orange-brown color. Medium brown will turn to light brown; light brown will turn dark blond; red hair will turn orange, and with enough bleaching, will become strawberry blond; dark blond will turn light blond. Dampen the first section of your hair by spraying it with peroxide from the spray bottle. Make sure to spray it from all sides. The more peroxide solution you use on your hair, the lighter your hair will get. Be careful to only spray directly onto your hair, not your scalp; the peroxide may irritate your skin. Go slowly, paying careful attention to how your hair is reacting to the peroxide as you progress. When the first section is damp, unclip a second section and spray it with peroxide. Repeat until all of your hair has been treated. If you want to highlight a few strands of hair rather than spraying your entire head, dip a cotton ball in the peroxide and rub it on the strands you wish to die. To bleach streaks in your hair, separate out the chunks that you want to bleach. Place foil squares under these chunks to protect the rest of your hair from receiving any of the peroxide spray. Spray these chunks and wrap them in the foil sheets to keep them from touching the rest of your hair while you let the peroxide sit in your hair. Streaking your hair is probably easiest to do with a friend helping you. The longer you leave the peroxide in, the brighter your hair will become. Be careful not to let the peroxide sit in your hair for more than 45 minutes. If the peroxide begins irritating your scalp, wash it out right away. Using a hair dryer on your hair or another heater during this process may speed up the time it takes to reach your desired color. Even though the hair dryer will speed the process, be aware that the heat can damage your hair and could cause hair damage. This is not necessary, however, and if you are not sure how your hair reacts to peroxide, you should skip this heating step. Use cool water to remove all traces of peroxide from your hair, then use a deep conditioner to restore its moisture. Allow your hair to dry, then style as usual. If this first round has not left you with the color that you're aiming for, you can bleach your hair with peroxide again. It's advisable to wait a week between treatments, however, to give your hair time to recover. The bleaching process is highly damaging to your hair and if you bleach your hair two or more times in one day (or even in one week), you risk causing serious damage to your hair (meaning, your hair might even fall out). Your hair will be brittle and dry after this treatment and will need deep conditioning to restore some moisture and elasticity. Use a deep conditioner (store-bought or natural) at least once a week, leaving it in your hair for 20-30 minutes and then rinsing it out. Results can be improved by heating up your hair with a hair dryer while the deep conditioner is in place. If you have made your own deep conditioner with food, check to make sure it hasn't gone bad. If it's been mixed up for longer than a few days (or a week if kept in the refrigerator), throw it away and mix up a new batch.
Buy hydrogen peroxide. Start with unprocessed hair. Pre-condition your hair with a deep conditioner. Test for allergic reactions. Pour peroxide into a spray bottle. Cover your skin and clothing. Dampen your hair and clip it into sections. Do a strand test. Spray your hair with peroxide. Let the peroxide sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse out the peroxide. Revisit the bleaching process in a week. Take care of your hair.