Does Hydrogen Peroxide Bleach Hair? How to Do It?

Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound that has provided many benefits to the beauty industry because of its oxidizing effect. It is used in many salons for bleaching purposes. Even many skin-lightening treatments use hydrogen peroxide as the main ingredient.

Does hydrogen peroxide bleach hair? Similar to how it works for skin, it works on hair as well. Want to explore more about it? This article covers everything from how it works to how to use it at home. Let’s get started!

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: Does Hydrogen Peroxide Bleach Hair?
• Part 2: Can You Bleach Hair with Hydrogen Peroxide?
• Part 3: How to Bleach Hair with Hydrogen Peroxide?
• Part 4: FAQS

Part 1: Does Hydrogen Peroxide Bleach Hair?

Yes, hydrogen peroxide can bleach your hair. It has disinfecting and bleaching properties therefore it is often used alone or in hair dyes in combination with other products. Not only the hair bleaching products but it is also present in other commercial bleaching products like detergents, paper or pulp bleaches, and teeth whitening products.

As for hair, it works by targeting the hair cortex which lies in the innermost part of the hair. This is the area where melanin pigment, the pigment responsible for giving us hair, skin, and iris color, is present. It reaches the cortex, causes oxidative damage, and lifts the melanin pigment from the hair thus lightening the hair.

How long do these results last? Does hydrogen peroxide bleach the hair permanently? Since hydrogen peroxide causes permanent loss of melanin from the existing hair, the bleaching effect lasts until the growth of new hair. 

Part 2: Can You Bleach Hair with Hydrogen Peroxide?

Yes, you can bleach your hair with hydrogen peroxide. However, before making the final decision, you must know the advantages and drawbacks of using hydrogen peroxide on your hair.

Advantages 

•  Permanent: Hydrogen peroxide can serve as a permanent dye for your hair. The bleaching effect only reduces when the new hair starts emerging from the roots
• Cost-effective: As long as you are using it the right way, the solution can serve as a cost-effective and easy way to lighten your hair at home
• Natural Highlights: It can help bring out your natural highlights
• Achieve Desired Color: You can lighten your hair to the desired blonde intensity by using it repeatedly in smaller doses
• Easily Accessible: Lastly, it is easily available in supermarkets and drugstores so it is easily accessible to everyone 

Disadvantages 

Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent therefore one must be careful while using it on their hair or skin. Here are the possible side effects of using hydrogen peroxide especially if it is not used cautiously:

• Scalp Irritation: Hydrogen peroxide can irritate your skin and scalp when used in higher quantity 

• Damage to Cuticle: Cuticle is the outermost layer of hair. Since hydrogen peroxide needs to go deeper into the hair, it damages the hair cuticle. This leads to split ends, hair breaks, fuzzy hair, and reduced hair growth

• Hair Loss: Hydrogen peroxide initiates an oxidative reaction on reaching the hair depth. Hence it can also cause oxidative stress leading to hair damage and hair loss

• Scalp Dehydration: Continuous use of hydrogen peroxide along with other chemicals such as ethyl alcohol or ammonium persulfate can strip away moisture from your hair 

Part 3: How to Bleach Hair with Hydrogen Peroxide?

To be safe, it is better to get your hair bleached at salons. But if you know the right way, you can also lighten your hair successfully at home. Hydrogen peroxide can be used on hair in two ways: Either alone or in combination with baking soda.

Using Hydrogen Peroxide Alone

• Gather Everything: First, you need to gather all the products. These include hydrogen peroxide, an empty spray bottle, a cotton ball, petroleum jelly, a hair clip, gloves, a shower cap, a towel, and an aluminum foil (optional)

• Wash Your Hair: First, you must wash your hair with a light shampoo and condition it with a natural, chemical-free conditioner to reduce hair damage. Washing the hair thoroughly helps remove excess oil or dirt from the scalp especially when they often get greasy. Let them dry but not completely. Your hair needs to be a little wet for safer application

• Cover the Skin: To save your skin from damage, you must cover it properly before applying hydrogen peroxide to your hair. For this, you can use petroleum jelly and cotton balls to protect the hairline 

• Do a Strand Test: To save your hair from the risk of permanent damage, do a strand test first and see how the chemical reacts with your hair

• Applying Hydrogen Peroxide: Once you are sure about using it, clip your hair into sections and start applying the solution. If you want to bleach all the hair, put the solution in a spray bottle and spray it into the hair. This will help you cover the whole head quickly and efficiently. 

• For highlights, you can dip a cotton ball in the solution and apply it to the hair sections vertically. Then cover the hair with aluminum foil to avoid contact with other hair
• For the ombre effect, you can start applying the solution starting from the hair ends and then gradually move towards the middle of the hair strands. It will give the hair a lighter shade at the ends and make them darker as you move toward the scalp

• Cover Your Hair: Once you are done applying it, cover your hair with a shower cap to prevent hydrogen peroxide from dripping and staining your clothes 

• Wash Thoroughly: Let it sit for 30 minutes and wash your hair thoroughly with shampoo and cold water. Then use a conditioner to restore moisture. If you have darker hair, you can wait for 45 minutes to achieve better results 

Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda 

Using hydrogen peroxide in combination with baking soda can prove more effective in lightening your hair.  For this,

• Make a mask first by combining one cup of baking soda with 3 tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide and mixing it until it forms a paste
• Then wash your hair with a shampoo and apply a conditioner to get rid of all the impurities from your hair
• Once they are nearly dry (not completely), section them into smaller parts
• Starting from the bottom sections, use a brush applicator to apply the paste evenly onto your hair
• After waiting for 30-60 minutes, rinse the paste with cold water and end this with a conditioner  

Part 4: FAQS

How Long Does It Take to Bleach Your Hair with Hydrogen Peroxide?

Bleaching hair with hydrogen peroxide will take 2-3 hours including the preparation, application, waiting, and shower time. It will make your hair lighter after just one application. But, if you want more lighter shades then it will take a few weeks as you need to treat the hair repeatedly to achieve the desired results.

How Long Do You Leave Hydrogen Peroxide in Your Hair?

It depends upon your hair color and the desired hair-lightening effect you want. If you already have lighter hair and you want your hair just to be a little lighter, waiting for 20-30 minutes i enough. However, if you have dark hair then you must wait for 45-60 minutes to see satisfying results. 

How Often Can You Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Lighten Hair?

Hydrogen peroxide initiates chemical reactions therefore it must not be used frequently. You must wait for at least one week before the next application. During this time, you must keep your hair protected. To be safer, it is recommended to use it once a month or once every six weeks. 

Conclusion

Hydrogen peroxide is a useful chemical compound that helps bleach your hair. It is cost-effective and easily available at home. But due to its harsh nature, you must be careful before using it. 

It is also easy to use as all you need is the solution in the right concentration. Then just apply it, wait, and wash your hair. Seems easy, right? But using it at home is only recommended if you are sure about being cautious while it is applied. 

Even if you are confident, perform a patch test first. But, if you are afraid of using it and still want to try, go for a professional advice,