Going to a salon for professional highlights and hair coloring is expensive and time consuming. You can dye and highlight your hair with a $1 bottle of hydrogen peroxide (3%) at home. Just make sure to go slowly and read all the tips below to be safe. While a salon is THE safest way to dye your hair, it is possible to dye your hair safely at home. Of course, you could also dump a whole bottle on your head and come out with a terrible, blotchy dye job. So read these tips first!
I scoured the web to make this the most comprehensive post on how to dye your hair with hydrogen peroxide.
Is hydrogen peroxide safe?
- Permanent and demi-permanent dyes at the salon and drugstore contain peroxide and often ammonia, so you are putting some of the same chemicals into your hair that you would pay a professional to. The difference is that a beautician is trained in how much to use, how long to leave it on, etc.
- Peroxide in large quantities should not have prolonged contact with skin. Small amounts, however, are not harmful.
- Dye your hair safely by using an old towel, donning an old tee shirt, and wearing gloves (more prep tips below).
- Make sure you are using 3% hydrogen peroxide. Check the “active ingredients” label for a 3% solution.
What color will peroxide make my hair?
The way peroxide reacts to your hair is one of the biggest factors. If you go slowly and test strands to get the color you want, in most cases, the dye will make your hair one or two shades lighter.
Brown hair runs the risk of turning orange. Test a hidden sample first.
Dark brown hair –> likely going to turn chestnut brown. Too much may lead to an orangey brown so stop before it’s too late.
Medium brown hair –> likely going to turn to golden brown hair.
Light brown hair –> likely going to turn dirty blond.
Red hair –> likely going to turn an orange before moving onto strawberry blond.
Dirty blond hair –> likely going to turn light blonde.
Light blonde –> likely going to turn whitish blond (if your hair is already light blonde, why are you dyeing it????)
Should I go to a professional?
The answer is yes, if:
- You have damaged, permed, or color-treated hair
- You want to drastically change the color of your hair
- You hate the results of your DIY job
What you need to dye your hair with hydrogen peroxide
- An old tee shirt to wear
- Old towel to wrap around your neck
- Gloves to protect your hands
- Claw or butterfly clips to isolate sections of hair
- Toothbrush, cotton balls, sponge, or small brush to apply (for highlights)
- Clean spray bottle (for whole head)
- Aluminum foil (for highlights)
- Plastic shower cap (for whole head of hair)
- Bowl to pour small amount of peroxide into (for highlights)
- Hair dryer (optional – gentle heat speeds up the process)
- Cold water for a thorough rinsing after
- Deep conditioner
Prep your hair
- Stop any hair treatments a few weeks before you plan to dye your hair.
- Avoid using extra chemicals in your hair, like hairspray, gel, mouse, and especially stronger treatments like color jobs, straightener, perms, etc.
- No heat. Avoid heating your hair, including using a hair dryer, heating iron, curlers, etc.
- Shampoo and condition your hair, then let it air dry. Start when your hair is damp as you’ll get better results.
- Test a small section of your hair underneath several layers and leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and see if you like the color. Experiment with another discreet strand for more time in 15 minute increments until you get the color you like. Rinse each strand after you’re done.
- Get a buddy. If at all possible, get help from a friend. This will speed everything up (you don’t want one section of your hair to have peroxide in any longer than the rest). Plus, it’ll make applying the dye in the back of your head easier, and if you need a second opinion, voila!
How to highlight your hair with hydrogen peroxide
- Start SLOWLY. I repeat, start very, very slowly. Everyone’s hair will react differently so it’s best to take it slowly at first. If you dive right in and don’t like the color, you’ll either be really pissed at your hair for several weeks or be forced to go to the salon for an expensive fix.
- Tools. You’ll need a new toothbrush, a small bowl for pouring the peroxide into, and a comb with a parting tool on one end to separate minute strands of hair. You’ll also want 5-10 butterfly clips to section off your hair. This is the best way to get an even, professional-looking dye job without paying big bucks! You can unclip each section, then reclip as your work through your head.
- Avoid skin. Large amounts of hydrogen peroxide that have prolonged contact with skin can irritate or burn the skin. A few drips here and there, however, should not have a harmful effect. (Hydrogen peroxide is used to disinfect wounds, after all.)
- First application. Grab a new toothbrush and dip it into a small bowl of hydrogen peroxide. With a comb that has a pointer parting tool at one end, grab a few strands of hair. Err on the side of fewer strands of hair. Think of taking only a very thing wedge amongst your head of hair.You don’t want your dye job to look clumpy. And you don’t want drastic color changes, which will make your highlights look very unnatural. On second thought, maybe that is the look you’re going for. (See below for dyeing your entire head of hair.)
- Apply heat (optional). Heating your hair with peroxide in it will speed the process. This is optional and if you are not sure how the peroxide is going to affect your hair, I’d hold off on using heat.
- Rinse with cold. Cold water will do the best job of getting the peroxide out and won’t further dry out your hair. Air dry as heat will further dry out your hair.
- Repeat. Each day, follow the above steps to highlight your hair with peroxide. If you are doing your entire head (tips below) wait a week between dye jobs. Slow progress is better for your hair than an intense dye job, which can have disastrous effects on your hair color and quality.
- Enjoy the slow transformation of your hair color. You won’t get sandy blond hair overnight, which is a good thing. Depending on the starting color of your hair, past hair treatments including dye jobs or straightening jobs, and your hair texture, the 3% hydrogen peroxide solution will affect your hair uniquely. So a slow transformation empowers you to stop at any time if you’re unhappy with the results. See below for what color peroxide will turn your hair.
How to dye ALL of your hair with peroxide
- Prep. Read the steps in the section above “Before you dye your hair with hydrogen peroxide”
- Full head, slowly. Once you’ve experimented with very slow application to your hair and are happy with the way your hair reacts, dye your entire head of hair slowly with hydrogen peroxide Grab a small spray bottle and fill half with peroxide and half with water. Spritz your hair a few times every morning. You don’t want your hair to be wet or even damp. Just a few spritzes and that’s it. This is a quick and easy way to get an overall lightening effect but if you put too much in your hair, the peroxide will damage it. Since the peroxide spritz will cover your entire head, don’t expect highlights, but a lighter color everywhere. If you opt to put more than a few spritzes in your hair, see “Full head, fast.”
- Full head, fast. Grab an empty, clean bottle, mix a half cup of peroxide with a half cup of conditioner, then apply to your hair, taking care not to get any onto your face, hands, or skin. Use gloves. Watch this video (one of the better ones I’ve seen while researching this post) during which a girl mixes peroxide with baking soda, shampoo and conditioner, then rubs the gunk all over her hair to dye her entire head of hair a few shades lighter. The results are noticeable, and beautiful.
After you dye your hair with peroxide
- Condition. Massage rich conditioner into your hair. Don’t skimp! The dye will dry out your hair, and depending on how long you left it in, will really need special treatment. Leave on a bit longer than usual, then rinse.
- Skip washes. Shampooing your hair strips it of its natural oils, further drying your hair. Shampoo as infrequently as possible, and use dry powder shampoo when you need to clean it.
- Limit heat. Use a hair dryer, hot curlers, or a straightening iron no more than once a week. Your hair needs to stay as hydrated as possible during and after the dye process, so embrace air drying for now.
- Restore shine. Give your hair an olive oil treatment or a mayo treatment to get your shiny hair back.
- Olive oil treatment. Massage warm olive oil into your hair and scalp until your entire head of hair is moist with olive oil. Wrap your hair in a towel and let it sit for a couple of hours. Wash out with shampoo and conditioner, then enjoy your shiny hair!
- Mayo treatment. Like the olive oil treatment, you can make your hair shiny with a mayonnaise treatment. Massage 1/2 cups of mayonnaise into your hair (more if you have a LOT of hair). Wrap your mayo-y head in a plastic shower cap, then grab your hair dryer and apply heat until your head is warm (a few minutes). You can also pull on a wool cap to heat up your hair. Once warm, turn off your hair dryer and let it sit for at least one hour. The very warm mayonnaise makes your hair very shiny.
Other natural hair dyes to lighten your hair color
- Lemon. If you’re unhappy with the way peroxide reacts to your hair, or you want a more natural method of highlighting your hair, try squeezing lemon juice into your hair and sitting in the sun. This is a slow, gradual process to lighten and maintain a lighter hair color. Squeeze in enough juice to make your hair very damp, then sit in the sun for one hour. Condition or use one of the restorative treatments below as the juice will really dry out your hair. Repeat regularly.
- Cinnamon and honey and olive oil really do work!
- Henna (no surprise there!)
- Chamomile or black tea
- Baking soda
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lots of sunshine!
Other uses for hydrogen peroxide
Lightening your hair is just one of 25 uses for hydrogen peroxide that we found. It’s also great for cleaning kitchen counters, soften callouses, and freshen musty towels. We were so interested in how to use hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth that we wrote an entire post on it.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
102 cups of mayo??? Don’t you mean 1/2 cup?
@Bobbi Hahaha! Yes, I meant 1/2 cups of mayo. Just fixed.
I used this peroxide in my hair and I’m waiting for my natural hair color to come back how long does it take its been over 4 month
it won’t come back, doing this to your hair is like bleaching it. So you would have to wait for it to grow out.
Lmao
She said 1 half a cup!!!!
I have dreadlocks and I went into a salon and I asked him not to use peroxide but I don’t know what happened my hair turned out to be a lot of different colors and then the second time around my hair was still wet from the first watched and The Beautician put peroxide in my hair and then she put me under the dryer and not develop sores in my scalp almost instantaneously my scalp was sore for about 2 or 3 weeks I couldn’t touch my scalp I just balled it up and didn’t touch it
She dyed my hair too tight three times in one day once would it dry and twice with it wet cuz after they use the peroxide and it came out hot pink and orange and all that stuff the owner of the salon told her to go buy another box of dye and they dyed my hair twice with it went and then on top of the peroxide my scalp was my hair is falling out what can I do
Don’t listen to that hairdresser apparently.
I would highly suggest not putting hydrogen peroxide in your hair to lighten it. I did this when i was 13, it made my hair a horrible, fake, un-natural blonde color. It is very unhealthy for your hair, and can destroy your hair. Lighten your hair naturally, this way is not natural. It is just putting a chemical in your hair. If your going to go that route, get your hair done professionally.
What colour was your hair originally?
Everything is a chemical, even water. Your hair turned out bad because you didn’t know how to do it. People have used peroxide for decades and been fine. Anything can destroy your hair if you overuse it.
yes this is true but be very careful when doing this i have already natural blond hair and when i was done my hair looked good but the ends were completely fried
If you have natural blonde hair why would you color it? Have the ends trimmed, use overnight hair mask. Just do highlights.
True,I used peroxide in the 1970’s to dye my hair.I would saturate my whole head with peroxide and sit in the sun for about 20 minutes and bam,it’s done.And I’m 59 y/o and never had no cancers or skin rashes from it.
Well sitting in the Sun for a extended time could cause Cancer. That is why we are smart enought now to wear hat’s.
LOL! 🙂
how long does it take to dye dark brown hair?
@Ellie It really depends, but generally the darker your hair the longer it takes. I’d recommend starting with a few strands that are not visible and testing the solution for 5 minutes. What do the results look like? Wait a week in between applications, then if you want a lighter color, leave it in for 10 minutes. Keep in mind, it’s better for your hair to do weekly applications that are about 10 minutes, than to do one long application.
Let me know how it works!
My daughter has red hair and we highlighted it with peroxide, left it on for almost an hour and it didn’t make her hair color any different at all. Also, she has virgin hair.
nice
Since she has untouched hair just spray on full strength lemon juice. Since it will tend to dry hair use conditioner just on the ends the next time you shampoo.
How long would I keep it in if i have black hair?
@cassidy It really depends on your hair type, but generally the darker your hair the longer it takes. I’d recommend starting with a few strands that are not visible and testing the solution for 5 minutes. What do the results look like? Wait a week in between applications, then if you want a lighter color, leave it in for 10 minutes. Keep in mind, it’s better for your hair to do weekly applications that are about 10 minutes, than to do one long application.
Let me know how it works!
Is this permanent for life?!
Until your hair grows out or you dye it
I think so I did it to my dirty blond hair and now it’s sorta blond and I am NOT very happy it doesn’t look bad I just wish I knew it would be perm before I did it
That is why the instruction said to do several test swatches of your hair first.
i have super damaged hair, I just went from dark brown to blonde in may. I want like, a white color but I don’t want to bleach my hair with actual bleach. I dye my hair blonde once every two weeks, maybe once every month. I’m terrified to use strong applications because I don’t want my hair to fall out or anything, so if I use peroxide, what do you think would be the outcome?
@Elizabeth I don’t know as I’m not a cosmetologist. What would happen if you tested a very small strand at the back of your neck? Start with a diluted solution for just a few minutes. See what happens. Test a few strands that are not visible to get the results you want before you expand to more hair. Or go to a salon. With super damaged hair, it may react differently than typical hair.
If your hair is super damaged I do know peroxide will make your hair dry an brittle and if it is already damaged I advise you to wait two weeks and condition your hair using deep conditioning treatments 3 times a week. apply conditioner to damp hair put a shower cap over your head an leave on for 45 min to 1 hour 3x a week for 2 weeks. I am a ex hairdresser it can fry you’re hair if it is already damaged. Plus you should never color your hair every two weeks you are over processing your hair. Do root touch up every 4 weeks if you want to change color do not color more often than every 4-6 weeks… Hope this helps
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I have to wonder why it says keep it off your skin peroxide is an antiseptic and is also used for acne. It’s safe on the skin.
It is safe for skin….
Jane, just put pure 3% solution on your skin and try to leave it on for 30 minutes… You will find it starts to burn and tingle like heck and you’ll be washing it off when you can’t take it anymore.
It won’t kill you if you get the peroxide on your skin or clothes, it won’t bleach skin or clothes. I’ve used peroxide on the arm pits of some shirts to help take any odor out, works like a charm. As far as skin, it’s used to cleanse cuts/superficial wounds.
I appreciate the fun spirit of this article, and it is a popular concept. As a stylist, however, I can tell you that these treatments make long hair feel vaguely weak, fuzzy, and too light weight. The damage runs from root to tip, leaving the hair to feel await it does after a perm. So long haired girls are risking tears of growth, while short hair,which is cut more, ,can more successfully use this.
You are one smart cookie!
How long will the color last?
Never
Yes never! Turned my hair black!!!!
For the ladies,who want to go from black to white hair…Horrible idea,even in a hair salon.I’ve done it.I had long hair til my butt,the day I did it it looked amazing.The day after I woke up and started crying when brushing my hair.A few years with a short red bob,since that choice of mine broke my hair terribly.Conditioning your hair 3 times a week is total bullshit and waste of time.Read what those fabulous conditioners have as ingredients.What actually helps your hair is what you eat,drink and how you get rid if toxins.I will tell you that regular eating of nuts helps a lot,hydration in form of teas as macha tea helps a lot….I am a nutritionist and research it,its quite visible what you lack on your skin and hair.
It depends if you follow instructions. And your hair condition. Do a test swatch. Don’t try to do it all at once. Remember to also condition your hair in-between times.
Hello, I started the peroxide highlights at home after spending a fortune every six weeks and not getting the look I desired. I wanted several shades of blonde in my dirty Blonde hair. They kept making my hair all one color like a platinum blonde with no undertones. Did not look natural at all. I decided to try it at home. I use a tooth brush and part my hair. Dip the tooth brush in a bowl of 3% solution and within 15 min, my roots are light. I now have several blonde shades that the salon couldn’t achieve at $200 a pop. I get great compliments and love my hair color, not to mention the money I have left to spend elsewhere. I must caution that one should deep condition their hair right after for a silk shiny look. I personally use Fiji Raw organic coconut oil fragrance free and it works better then the olive oil. Have fun….
Exactly I do same thing and Yes organic virgin coconut oil is the bomb!
Can i permanently color my hair after coloring my hair with the peroxide, and how long do I have to wait. Also can I get my hair bleached professionally after I have used peroxide in my hair
What is better to use peroxide or bleach?
@tywaun I’m not sure bc I’ve never used bleach, but I have used hydrogen peroxide. Whatever you do, start very slowly with a small patch of hair that is not visible. I would do more research online until you are confident.
Bleach will burn yours hands, I know for sure. I can’t imagine what it would do to your scalp and around your face.
DO NOT PUT CLEANSING BLEACH IN YOUR HAIR. i tried and somehow turned my skin a chalky white in places on my finger tips. I have very nice dark reddish-brown hair and the peroxide made these pretty red-gold highlights
Can we mix the hydrogen peroxide and the hair color?
@velvetea I’m not sure. I would be very careful, and if you’re planning on lightening your hair with hydrogen peroxide first, and then dyeing it another color, I would do each step separately. Let us know how it turns out!
I have light brown hair and recently decided to go very light blonde. I bought blonde hair dye (not bleach) and pulled my hair through the cap. It turned out real pretty but a little brassy, a few spots (mostly at my roots) and not as light as I wanted it. The next day I tried the hydrogen peroxide and fell asleep waiting(oops). When I got up to look at it I loved it! it toned my hair and although I put it all over my head I still had beautiful highlight from the previous dye experience. My over all hair was lighter. I recommend this over bleach! My hair stayed soft and I was able to stay away from the ends of my hair and still have phenomenal results. I will continue this for a few more shades.
Just do this gradually and you should be ok Plus it is important to condition your hair well so the peroxide will not make your hair dry/brittle. Organic coconut oil is great for your hair..
I highly recommend wearing a towel of bathrobe while you do this to protect your skin, because I have done this before, and yes, achieved great results, but I have not always been careful with keeping it off of my skin and have looked down to see lighter streaks on my stomach and back from where the peroxide dripped from my hair, washing away my tan, and I worried that it might be bleaching my skin. So yeah, definitely use a towel to protect your skin while doing this.
I have light brown-dirty blonde hair (natural); I sprayed the peroxide all over and left it in for about 20 mins – no results at all! Haha, it’s the same exact color after rinsing. ?
@Carolyn That’s so weird! Maybe mine worked because I spent time in the sun after spraying it. This may not seem like an upside now, but because hydrogen peroxide is such a gentle way to lighten your hair, you have a lot of control over how light you want it to go! I would recommend waiting at least one week, then trying again. Be cautious. Good luck!
Thanks, Bargain Babe, I’ll try that! I live in Seattle, though, so not much sun haha, hence trying this! ??❤
hydrogen peroxide will NOT harm your skin. it was made to put on scrapes and cuts. if you want to lighten your hair, drench your hair with hydrogen peroxide then massage head n shoulders shampooing into your hair. the shampoo will help hold your hair out of your face.
i will let everyone know how mine turns out.
Yes, please report back!
just soak it . Peroxide took about 4 days to lighten my gray hair that was dirty blonde. Try a little place first with straight peroxide. Thats hydrogen peroxide. It also doesn’t burn ski. Its use on wounds to clean them. Its a myth that it disinfects though. Only chlorine bleach disinfects . A doctor told me that and even alcohol didn’t kill germs
@ Jamie I was just wondering how your hair turned out?
Yes it will harm your skin especially if you have sensitive skin. I put it in my hair and it got on my hand causing itchy swollen blistering….it was very irritating
Okay so my hair dye hasnt been staying in and i thought MAYBE it was because i didnt bleach it enough. So my hair is a pinkish purpleish blonde color. Is it safe to use peroxide?
Yes, definitely safe! Skin exposure is okay as long as you rinse it off. Hydrogen peroxide is used to disinfect wounds so it’s not as if it’s going to do immediate, permanent damage. You just don’t want a puddle of it sitting on your skin for a long time, which could essentially burn you.
That said, I can’t say how your hair will react. Just follow the most important of instruction of all: go SLOW.
My stylist is amazing and went through several steps to get my hair to the platinum silver gray .. I already had a good bit of gray and it turned out beautiful. I have short hair that I love to play around with color and styles and she does all kinds of cool things to accommodate me.. !
Well she told me if I wanted to put a LIGHT purple or blue that I could use a couple drops of my temporary color ( that I got from Sally’s beauty supply..) and mix it in my conditioner or shampoo for a couple minutes then rinse with cool water ..then condition and rinse .. I did this a couple days ago and it’s still really pretty.. It’s not completely covered in the light blue and the platinum silver shows here and there.. I love it but here’s my question…
It seems that a little bit of the platinum against the blue looks alittle (very little..) blonde and not the silver platinum I had in beginning . Is it the contrast between the two colors that makes me see it as more of a light blonde than platinum and would the peroxide method on those “light blonde” places work for me.? Sorry to ramble.. Wish I could put pic … My stylist is amazing as I said before .. Just wondering yalls opinion and if this is an easy inexpensive fix I could do here at home myself . And one more question.. Is it ok to leave conditioner in your hair for 30 minutes or more just to help keep it soft and healthy…I love Moroccan oil and use that too. Just wondering mostly about the peroxide on the pieces that seem light blonde and not siver platinum . Just comments from a different more experienced group on this would help..!!!!
Thanks…!!!
@Tina I think the peroxide should help but do this gradually. Yes it is actually great for your hair to leave conditioner on your hair for 30-60 min. If your hair is fairly healthy do this twice a month. Also every time you use hair dye or peroxide leave conditioner in for 30 min afterwards to keep your hair from becoming dry/brittle. Moroccan oil is good but Organic coconut oil is actually better. You can also apply a small amount size of a dime if your hair is short in between shampooing days to keep hair soft,silky, freeze free and shiny.. it is also great for your skin..
I know it’s an old comment but to the person asking about bleach.
When it comes to hair, bleach is a verb , not a noun. You’re not bleaching as in adding Clorox but bleaching as in washing out the color (which by the way is why bleach is called bleach).
NEVER USE CHLORINE BLEACH ON YOUR HAIR!
Thank god there’s at least one person who gets it!!!! Lol ?
@ Maggie Rv exactly I am glad you get that…
Actually, there is a product called hair bleach (it contains peroxide mixed with sulfur). That’s what she was talking about. Not chlorine.
regularly soaking my head with hydrogen peroxide just made it whiter but it looked better than gray. I was dirty blonde until 60. So I diodnt dilute or anything just soaked it and let it dry on the pillow. I hguess everybody is different.
ok so i have already used peroxide, lemon juice and even dye to bleach my hair. i liked the results of the the peroxide but i’m scared with all the things i’ve put in my hair that it will fall out plz tell me what i should do
I just bleached my hair using a box kit but because my hair is thick it is super uneven. I was wondering how long do I have to wait before trying this method? I wanted to dye it red before halloween! 😀
i got the hydrogen perioxide and drenched my whole head in it and not a single difference in color i followed all the directions. My scalp itches pretty bad. Did i do something wrong or what?
Overall the idea is good for people with brown , black hair not already blondes looking for white blonde.
I think you’re probably right – the most dramatic effects will be seen on people with darker hair. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you! I hope your scalp feels better soon.
I have dark brown hair and eyebrows and put a lot of hydrogen peroxide on for 1 hr and not a bit of color change. It’s the normal 3% solution. Why didn’t it work?
Wow, I have no idea! I have never heard of that happening. Maybe try a different bottle?
I left mine in for an hour also and no changes , going to try adding baking soda next to see if that changes the results
Old hydrogen peroxide breaks down into H20 over time, so you may have been putting water on your hair. Never heard of water changing someone’s hair color! 🙂
@ Elise get some organic coconut oil and apply to your scalp because the peroxide can dry out your skin as well as your hair. Do this a couple times a week and that should help stop the itching. How long did you leave the peroxide on your hair?
I did this, but I mixed baking soda with peroxide. Great Results! It lightened it to almost what I wanted. I plan to do it once more, but my mom and sister say not to. They said I was more “stunning” with my medium brown hair and blue eyes. My mom made me by my own peroxide and I would like to do it again. I agree with their “stunning” argument, but I want a change.
But basically what I’m asking is, how long does it normally take to restore original color? Any comments are appreciated. Thanks!
Your normal color does not come back. It’s not a dye; it permanently breaks up the pigment in your hair. You either have to grow it out or put another color over it.
Since gray or silver hair is very porous, it absorbs color from any yellow-toned oils that you put on it. Stay with white, or completely clear oils, or you risk adding the brassiness that you are trying to get rid of.
Mine’s an unusual problem, but here goes. I have solar urticaria (allergic to sunlight) and I can’t go out in the sun, and can’t really use any chemicals because of my crazy sensitive skin. That means I can’t bleach my hair, and I’m leaning towards peroxide for some highlights. I’ve got really dark brown hair, and it’s so drab :(. Any ideas on how not to ruin my hair (it’s finally waist length and I don’t wanna cut it)?
That’s tough! I think I would do some test strands on the underside of your hair to see how it reacts to the hydrogen peroxide. Maybe look for some Youtube videos on using hydrogen peroxide for highlights? I would think that actually seeing someone do it would be very helpful.
Can I reduce the percentage that is 6% peroxide to 3% by using half water + half peroxide?
Can i mix hydrogen peroxide with box dye?
I don’t particularly want to follow the peroxide thread, but I like the way you write and respond. I would like to follow your blog or website. Thank you for the practical information.
Thank you!
Jewell
I want a platinum blonde color, what can I add to the peroxide? Like the other girl I didn’t see any difference in my hair.
When I did this, it made my hair quite copper/red. After I half lightened my originally brunette hair, I purchased Wella Toner. I bought Wella Toner T11. But I believe that Wella Toner T18 will give you platinum blonde. BTW the toners are about $5- $6. Walmart (online) usually has a good deal. The toner removed the copper/red color and left me with a lighter blonde. I would look into Wella’s Toners. The only down side to it is that it smells pretty bad so you’ll want to be in a well ventilated room. Also, I used baking soda and peroxide. Just mix enough peroxide to the baking soda to form a thick paste. Apply it and don’t let is sit any longer than 45minutes. Though doing this makes your hair a lot lighter, it turns kind of red. So that is why you should buy the toner to get rid of the red. Hope this helps!
Hello- my hair did the same thing. I wanted to lighten my roots that are light brown since I can’t go to the salon. I used purple shampoo with minimal reduction in the copper tone. It’s pretty, but I’d rather it be blonde since the rest of my hair is blonde. Is this Wella toner effective after using peroxide? As in days or a week after? What will the T11 do be T18? Thank you!!
i have light bright blonde hair and i just bought some real human hair extentions from a friend that are kind of like a caramel blonde and i’m wanting to lighten them to my color for prom right around the corner the cheapest way possible, would hydrogen peroxide do the job to lightening my extentions in a fast amount of time without damaging them too much?
Hydrogen Peroxide is not really “harsh enough” to ruin the hair. For me anyway, it was taking too long of time to get a color difference, using peroxide. Instead, I mixed peroxide and baking sode to make a paste; great results. The only downside is that it was slightly red/copper.
For you, I would Google “how to bleach hair”. Considering the circumstances, that this is actually not permently attached to your head, I would find some good reviewed “how too’s” stating how to bleach your hair.
Personally, I would attempt bleaching the extensions. Then condition them with conditioner afterwards. Some people even will use eggs, mayo, and honey to condition.
Hope some of this info is of use to you!
Jolene Holmes
Hi, I am Asian and have pure black hair. I am wondering if this will still work. I have 2% hydrogen peroxide, and I think it works according to other website. But I’ve been doing it for a while now, and my hair hasn’t changed color. Should I buy a 3% bottle? Also, How much hydrogen peroxide should I put on my hair? Until it’s drenched? Or just a little?
Does peroxide blonde hair show more skin imperfections than darker hair…im like a strawberry blonde/red mix at the moment..i really don’t want to make the mistake of going peroxide if it’s going to make me self conscious
i have medium to brown hair and so far i have done this twice and my hair is now and reddish orange color, how many more times do i have to do this to get a dirty blonde?
I tried but this today! It took my light red hair and turned into black patches!!!!!!! Never never again ????
I remember reading about this a couple months ago when I did it and I remember there being another name for what the 3% active ingredient was and now I can’t find it, it said this a.i. Was in hair bleach and in hydrogen peroxide, now everything just says solution or hydrogen p but I swear it was something if you know can you help me out, please?! 🙂 and thank you
Hi, i love your post they are amazing.I think you should try henna for your hair and body.It will suit so you much.
It turned my light blonde hair navy… highly upset and confuzzled
How do you do root thouch ups? I’ve had my hair dyed with hydrogen peroxide for about 5 months but it started growing out thicker and longer so how do you do them? Just spray the roots with peroxide?
i have medium/dark brown hair, and i followed the dye all your hair at once (not the slower method) and it brought out these warm chestnut tones in my hair which is super flattering. its also more shiny and soft now, but that could just be the conditioner i added to the mixture ;p
Sounds pretty! Glad it worked for you.
My hair is naturally light brown but I want to slightly highlight it to make it more dirty blonde. But I don’t want to damage my hair. Is hydrogen peroxide bad for your hair and if it is how to I ensure it doesn’t damage my hair? Also, about how long should I leave the hydrogen peroxide in my hair?
Make sure you was your hair and then wait 1-3 days to build up oil before applying peroxide. Make sure to apply some good conditioner after and some oil I recommend coconut or Argan oil
Hi! I have virgin light brown hair, but I want to highlight it and make it more dirty blonde. But, I don’t want to damage my hair. How do I make sure I don’t damage my hair, and also how long should I leave on the hydrogen peroxide?
can i put hydrogen peroxide my gray hair? i have a sensitive skin and my doctor told me never to dye my hair because i have allergy. my hair is almost white and i want to dye my hair
They spray every morning method do u not wash that out after just spray and leave it
Just stumbled on this while looking for a completely unrelated topic. I just felt compelled to stop and exhort you to delete this extremely dangerous advice. I’ve a few points to make.
First bleach and dye are two diametrically opposed concepts. Dying anything, using henna, Rit, vegetable dyes etc is defined as ADDING color to something to make it DARKER.
Bleaching is the removal of color. Lightening or stain removal of clothing etc. as an RN I frequently used hydrogen peroxide to remove blood stains from my white uniforms. Peroxide is a pretty nasty substance and needs to be rinsed off skin promptly.
Now that we have dying and bleaching defined I’d like to point out that purchasing drug store brands can be an economical way to either lighten hair or darken it. The products come in a thickened form so they won’t drip. They are buffered. They are inexpensive, often with buy one get one deals, or cents-off coupons. Home made products won’t save anyone anything if the hair is destroyed beyond repair.
I have three suggestions. First, go to a professional for advice. She can often give you pointers about what level of lift that you need. Black hair needs all the pigment stripped. It cannot be done at home. But if you’d like the look of sunny highlights in light ash blond hair that is easy once you’ve bought the correct box.
Second, if the pro says it can’t be done, don’t do it. She paid in excess of $10,000 for her education if she actually trained, so ask for her CV. Mama showed me does not cut it when using potentially blinding chemicals that can cause severe allergic reactions.
Third, if you can’t afford a pro and a a hopeless mess following directions, just learn to live with the beautiful head of hair you were blessed with. Assuming you are not bald, have a hair loss issue, etc. and that leads to my final point.
Always do a skin test patch first. If you have severe dandruff or alopecia or excema, see a physician first.
Wow. I totally know this comment is old but in a way I think it’s extremely politely rude as hell lol. Because I mean first off you shouldn’t have the right to tell someone to delete their comment blog etc. Just because you don’t agree with what’s being said. Second using hydrogen peroxide is not dangerous at all. Sure it might dry your scalp out or dry your skin out. And yes it can potentially burn your skin BUT it is common sense to one. Wear gloves. Two. Wash any hydrogen peroxide off of your skin that you may get on it. Three. Even though hydrogen peroxide COULD burn your skin any kind of bleach meant for your hair CAN and WILL fry your hair burn your scalp and dry the hell outta your skin. So wtbs where is the difference? And mostly ANYONE has common sense. (Well alot of folks now days seems like they have no idea what common sense is) lol. And if you can buy a 1$ bottle of hydrogen peroxide and get Damn near basically the same thing you could get done in a salon paying two to three hundred dollars then who are you to say different and come in here being all rude and stating these VERY unnecessary facts? Lol. Anyway… I was just strolling through these posts and yours completely rubbed me the wrong way. If Anything is at all unnecessary it’s your post. Have a wonderful day?✌????
And who are you, to criticize an RN for pointing out the dangers of this “totally safe” process? Get bent.
She is someone who obviously knows better than the RN. People have used peroxide for decades on their hair and been just fine. They use it in salons, too. Peroxide is used in almost all dye processes for hair. It is just fine if you use it correctly – and people do, all the time.
had a friend in the hospital for a hand injury that truned in to a bad infection and a nurse came in and poured hydrogen peroxide on his injured hand it and burned his skin and was part of the reason he won a settlement when he took it to court. it is advised that to clean/sterilize/treat a cut wash it with soap and water and do not use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol because both chemicals damage tissue.
I use hydrogen peroxide to take the yellow out of my white grey hair..I mix it with conditioner first and just spread it all over my scalp and voila yellows gone..I do it once a month..had no problems whatsoever..it works for me as long as I add the conditioner…
Awesome
Great information. Thanks for the wonderful article, it may be very helpful for everyone who is conscious about.
What does it do to gray hair?
To the person that said to never use cleaning bleach
NAW DIP, SHERLOCK!!! Cleaning bleach is made to CLEAN things and is not at all good for your hair. Cleansing bleach is made to turn the white or a brighter color. Hair bleach is made for hair because it is gentler and is a hundred times more healthier than regular bleach. And why in the world did you use cleaning bleach o dye your hair.
More info on root touch ups? Please and thank you. 🙂
So can I bleach my hair and dye my hair red using the hydrogen peroxide as a developer?
Really loved your methods of dying hairs with hydrogen peroxide. It is not easy process but your ways are so simple that it looks very easy to do. Thanks a ton.
People with dark hair have the most orange tones in their hair, making them more prone to end up with orange hair after a lightning session. So how to fix orange hair after bleaching at home.
Thank you for your post. It’s very useful foe me.
There is a lot of misinformation in replies to this blog piece. 3% H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) is an effective topical antiseptic to help prevent infection in minor cuts, scrapes and burns. Peroxides are also developing (oxidizing) agents in most hair dyes. Peroxide can damage hair and live skin if contact time is excessive but is safe if used as directed on the label. Always look at the expiration date because if that’s exceeded, as someone pointed out, it degrades to plain H2O.
The main ingredient in the old popular ‘Sun In’ is hydrogen peroxide. It’s meant for lightening the hair as if the sun did it…..with heat of the sun, when you are in the sun……I used it as a teenager with a blow dryer and always has good results. The lighter your natural base color is, the blonder and prettier it will be……
I don’t think this would ever be recommended for very dark hair as you will end up with orange hair.
I used hydrogen peroxide in my hair and because I did not do much research before I used it I just sprayed it on the tips of my hair and it did not change my hair color the first time then I kept spraying it when my hair dried. I did not wash my hair after because I thought you left it in, and after the 2nd day of spraying it in my hair my hair is still soft and the tips have turned a rusty orange color and my natural hair color is a dark brown. I really l like it!😄 Do your think that if i put more in it would turn a lighter color?
Just go buy a spray bottle of SUN IN. You get the same if not better results.
hi, I am 14 and I did peroxide on my hair. I have kept it up for a year or so. I have heard from a stylist. I did great! job. but I am getting less and less confident. mt hair is a barely orange color. I had dark brown hair. and this matches my hair a little better. but less shine. what do I do? I have started using a “sun-in” spray and it is getting slightly better. but I am ready to grow out. but I don/t want the embarrassment and long wait. would blonde highlights help? please respond quickly! I need help!. (my hair is super thick and healthy! I have shoulder-length hair. and got a recent cut of lived-in layers and curtain bang’s+fringe bangs) I also did not do this overnight it was about a 3-month process. I would love and input. ps, I only see the slight orange. in certain lighting, i also have reddish undertones. i have heard I have “gorgeous” hair. but i don’t feel confident anymore! HELP PLZ!!
I think blonde highlights would be the way to go. That way the growing out process will be a lot more subtle. I bet it looks great either way, though. Believe it when people tell you that your hair is gorgeous!
thanks!
Thank you for sharing this information with us. What you’ve posted on your blog is fantastic. You’ve made a really informative and interesting blog post available to the general public.
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Very good advice, which many people have tried more than once in their lives. In my life there were a lot of experiments with hair coloring. Recently I have been coming to this hairdresser and I am satisfied with the stability of the result.
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Is It Ok to Use Different Oil Instead Of? Please Reply
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