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In This Article
Picture a wild animal.
Say, a tiger.
Hair bleach is a lot like that.
ohlamour studio / Stocksy
If you rush intobleaching your hair, it will bite.
So when bleach baths started trending on TikTok, we braced ourselves for a steady stream of disaster videos.
But that wasnt the case.
Keep reading to learn more.
Meet the Experts
What Is a Bleach Bath?
Its essentially bleach, a lot of developer, hot water, and sometimes shampoo.
How Does It Differ From Traditional Bleaching?
A traditional bleaching involves applying the product directly to dry hair for maximum color lift.
But the traditional bleaching method is more damaging because its less diluted.
Thats where a bleach bath comes in.
Once youve washed your hair, says Kell, be sure to leave it wet.
Then clip your hair up and cover your head with a shower cap.
Once your desired color is reached, thoroughly rinse the bleach solution out of your hair.
Potential Side Effects
Any bang out of at-homebleachingis not for the faint of heart.
A lot can go wrong.
Min Kim, a colorist based at Butterfly Studio Salon in New York City echoes these concerns.
Anyone with fragile hair should tread carefully.
Instead, Kim recommends consulting with a professional.
In general, time is your friend and patience is key, she says.
But since bleach can be so tricky to work with, that might be well worth the spend.
If you have another color applied after the bleach bath, the cost will go up.
The DIY at-home method can be done for under $50 using products and tools from Sally Beauty.
A bleach bath is also usually just step one of a larger process.
For many, the comfort of having a professional deal with lifting your color is well worth it.
Yes, before a bleach bath, you are supposed to shampoo your hair and leave it wet.
This will help to lessen the damage from the harsh bleach.
Our experts recommend using clarifying shampoo to remove all buildup and product from hair for the best result.
