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You must perform a strand test to check the condition of your hair and how it will look and feel after bleaching. Click here for our strand and skin sensitivity test guide.

Read all the instructions included in your Bleach Kit. Check the timings for your hair shape and texture.

Get prepped! Lay out your products and familiarise yourself with them. See our toolkit below. 

Don’t wash your hair for 48 hours prior to bleaching as the natural hair oils help to protect the scalp.

Set aside 30 mins - 1.5 hours for the process.

Use a comb to create a zigzag parting from the front of your head to just below the crown. Then zigzag part to just behind the top of each ear, splitting your hair into three sections: two at the front of the head, and one large section at the back. Clip or braid the back section away – you won't be bleaching this hair.

Begin with your front sections. Start at the centre parting, two inches from your hairline, and use the comb to zigzag down towards the neck on either side. At the fronT, you'll be left with two pieces of hair by your forehead – this is your face frame. Secure the rest of the sections away.

Slice a zigzag layer of hair from the bottom of the front-right face frame. Start 1 inch from your scalp and backcomb the top of the slice, creating a mass of scrunched hair.

Split this slice by weaving the tail of the comb through the hair. Take the bottom strands of this weaved section and put them behind your shoulder, out of the way. Keep a tight hold on the top chunky weaved section – this is the hair you will bleach.

Work through both face frames, then the front sections, backcombing the slices you want to stay unbleached and separating the bits you’ll apply bleach to.

Top tip: As you work through slicing and backcombing, think about the balayage look you want to achieve. The amount and position of the hair will determine your final look.

Cut open the bleach packet and pour its contents into a non-metallic bowl. Add the developing lotion and use a non-metallic spoon to mix them together into a smooth, creamy texture.

TOP TIP: Only mix when you’re ready to start. Mixed bleach can expand in the bowl, so do it just before you begin.

Start at the bottom of your first quarter section of hair. Place the balayage board underneath a chunky weaved section, underneath the backcombed hair, and apply a generous amount of bleach to the top of the board with your tint brush.

Smoosh the bleach into your hair with the tint brush and drag the board down, spreading the bleach. Once evenly distributed down the length of your hair, stroke the brush up to where the weave meets the backcombing to create a soft blend-line. Repeat through the rest of the quarter.

Top tip: Wipe the balayage board clean before moving onto the next slice.

Once you’ve covered all the hair you want to bleach in the first section, pull all untreated hair back over your shoulder but keep bleached sections forward. Set a timer when you’re done with the first quarter. Continue this process through the four sections, until you’ve bleached all the hair you want to lighten.

A scrape test checks that the bleach has lightened your hair to a pale yellow colour – like the inside of a banana skin.

Once you’re done applying bleach to the final section, return to the first quarter you started with. If it’s been 45 minutes since you applied the bleach, use the end of the comb to gently scrape the mixture away from your hair and check it’s turned a pale yellow colour. If the hair hasn't turned pale yellow, leave the bleach on for 10 more minutes. You should only leave your bleach on for a maximum of 60 minutes in one session.

Top tip: If the hair feels gummy, overly stretchy or snaps then you should rinse immediately.

When the section of hair you first applied bleach to has lifted to pale yellow, rinse this section with cool water until it runs clear. Repeat! Scrape test and rinse the hair in each section. Then shampoo all over and towel dry.

Loosely section your hair into four quarters. Use the toner bottle to apply the mixture to your mids and ends at the front, then the back of your head. Use the nozzle to slice through the quarters and apply more toner to the mids and ends through your whole head. Gently smoosh the toner in all over, adding more product as you go to make sure every strand is well covered.

Break the colourant tube’s seal using its lid and unscrew the top of the developing lotion bottle. Screw the lid back on and shake well until the two products are completely mixed together.

TOP TIP:

Only mix when you’re ready to start. You should use your toner immediately, so mix just before you begin.

Once all your hair is covered with toner and smooshed in, let it develop for 20 minutes.

Rinse your hair with cool water until it runs clear, then condition rinse again to finish the toning process. Dry and style as normal.