Want Pastel Or Silver Hair? Bleach First

Unless you're already blond, unfortunately, you're going to have to deal with some bleaching. A gentle way to do this is with a "bleach bath", which is where you mix bleach up with two parts clarifying shampoo, then apply it to the hair starting at the tips of the hair, working your way up to the roots, then rubbing gently as though you are massaging shampoo into your scalp. Rub off every five minutes or so to check the color and leave on for an hour — maximum. 

 

Wash out, then condition with a purple toning conditioner. If you're not blond enough, that's unfortunate, but you're going to have to leave it for AT LEAST A MONTH before you dye it again. Do not, under any circumstances, bleach it again within the same day. Your hair will hate you for it and it may just fall out, like my sister's did. 

 

 

Don't bleach it within the same week, even. Give it a month. Keep doing that, until you get the palest of pale blonds. Like, the palest. It needs to be practically white for you to get a silvery gray hue or a pastel color to stick over the top. 

 

Note: Only bleach the areas of hair that you want to be pastel/silver. No need to bleach your roots if you're keeping them dark — it'll just cause more damage!

Depending on the color you want to go, you might need to mix a little bit of conditioner into the pot to get the perfect hue for your. But the great thing about this is that the color in the pot is pretty much the exact color your hair will turn out. If you want to go gray, get a tube of dark stormy steely gray, and if you're going ombre gray, apply it at the roots first. Leave it on here for the longest — about an hour. It won't hurt, and it won't damage your hair — in fact, it'll probably make it feel better. 

 

To get the pale gray, mix the color in a pot with conditioner (a really good nourishing conditioner — although a lot of people say you should use a super cheap conditioner, I think it's worth getting extra nourishment in at this stage) to reach the desired hue. Apply this to the mid lengths. Finally, mix up a lighter color and apply this to the tips, making sure to blend, blend and blend some more so that there aren't any noticeable rings or lines around your head — the color needs to blend naturally. 

 

If you're going for a pastel, mix the color or colors into a conditioner, then apply to the areas that you want to color. If you're blending from the roots down, again, make sure you blend out so that there isn't a noticeable line. Same goes for if you're blending from the tips up to the roots. If you're looking for an all over pastel shade, it can be nice to mix a few different shades of the same color through your locks in a highlight fashion — so maybe try different shades of berry pink and pastel pink for a cool take on the look.

 

Finally, LOOK AFTER YOUR HAIR. Use oil, conditioner and ultra-nourishing shampoo each and every time you dye or bleach your hair, and avoiding washing your hair if you can. To maintain your color, wash just once or twice a week. I know, I know... but that's what dry shampoos are for, right? Plus, your hair will feel strengthened, more nourished and far less dry, because you're not washing the natural oils out of it.