Lighten Your Hair Using Hydrogen Peroxide
April 25, 2008 by Athlyn Green
Published in Hair
Do you want to lighten your hair color? Many people want to give their locks a lift but worry about the chemicals in dye. Coloring roots every couple of weeks can be expensive and visiting a salon or coloring your hair at home can take up valuable time.
There’s a safer way to lighten your hair using 3% hydrogen peroxide.
Peroxide is simply hydrogen and oxygen or H202 (a water molecule with an extra oygen atom). When used in a weaker solution, peroxide is safe to use on hair.
- If you are a blond and want to lighten your hair color, you can use hydrogen peroxide to do so
- If you are a brunette and want some lighter highlights, you can achieve these using peroxide
- If you are a redhead and want a strawberry blond look, peroxide may provide just the right amount of lightening
How to Lighten Your Hair Using Hydrogen Peroxide
- Purchase a bottle of peroxide from your local pharmacy. These are usually available in a 3% solution. You will be pleased at the cost. A bottle is inexpensive.
- Buy a spray bottle and fill it with peroxide
Applying Peroxide to Lighten Hair
- Spray peroxide on hair and brush through with a comb. Allow hair to dry. Some people choose to wash their hair after applying peroxide; others just spray it and go.
- If you want greater lightening, harness the power of the sun by sitting or walking outdoors after applying peroxide to hair
Continue using peroxide until you achieve desired hair lightening.
Maintaining Light Hair Using Hydrogen Peroxide
Once your hair color is where you want it to be, maintaining it is an easy matter. Simply treat dark areas with a quick spray and you are good-to-go. The benefit of this is that your don’t have to redo your whole head, just the areas of hair that need lightening.
Precautions When Using Hydrogen Peroxide
Avoid spraying peroxide in eyes, as it can sting. Also keep a towel or facecloth close by to catch any drips before they run down and into eyes.
Lightening your hair with peroxide is one of the easiest and most inexpensive methods I know of. If used properly, hydrogen peroxide can be a quick and safe method to lighten hair color without using dye.
Natural Beauty Tips
Liked it
July 7th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
if you just wanted to do the ends of your hair, like the tips.. how would you do that?
and also.. my hair is fairly dark brown, what color will it come out to be? are there things you can add to the peroxide to make different colors?
July 14th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Hello Amanda,
If you just want to lighten the tips of your hair, you can, 1: spray them (pour peroxide into a spray bottle) and brush through with a comb. The comb will create nice streaks or, 2: pour peroxide into the cap or lid and pour on the ends of your hair.
(I find that if I go out in the sun, after applying peroxide to my hair, my hair really lightens–but I’m very blond naturally.)
If you have brown hair, it will lighten depending on the undertones. If you have reddish undertones, it may go on the reddish side.
It can be fun to experiment and if you want the color lighter, just keep applying peroxide and allowing it to dry on your hair.
I’m not aware of other things you can add to peroxide; however, there may be.
Let me know how your hair turns out.
July 25th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
i was just wondering would this have a any side effects like hair loss :s :s
July 25th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
i heard you can add 50/50 water is dat better or it is ok to use by itself
July 25th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
i can only find 6% solution is that ok to use still ????????????
July 29th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Hi Alijah,
I checked with a hairdresser and she said it was perfectly safe. I’ve been using this in the winter months when my blond hair darkens (for many years) and have a very thick head of hair.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Hi again Alijah,
If you are using a 3% solution, you shouldn’t need to weaken it with water; however, if you were trying to conserve your peroxide you could try it. Then I would just allow it to dry on your hair.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Hi Stacey,
It should still be safe but if you have any concerns check with a hairdresser. I seem to remember using 6% years ago; however, I can’t state this with certainty.
It also might depend on any skin sensitivities. You could try a test on a hair cutting or on a small area of skin but please check before trying this–just to be completely on the safe side.
August 7th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I’ve heard about the SUN accelerating the desired lightening, but what about a hair-dryer? Is it the HEAT that expedites the high-lighting? Brunette in CA – Emily
August 7th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Hi Emily,
I can’t answer about heat activating peroxide. You could try it and see if it makes a difference.
August 9th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Heyy so im kind of confused on how you would go about this.
What if you have brown hair and you want to out blonde streaks underneath it like peek a boo highlights.
would you be able to use the peroxide?
or what?
August 9th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Yes, Cherry,
Just apply the peroxide to the hair strands you want to lighten–either combing through or spraying on; then allowing to dry.
You could even try one of those caps they use for streaking hair. That way you could pull out the hair you want to treat.
August 17th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
This sounds like a great idea! Can it be used to lighten arm hairs?
August 19th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Hi Marie,
You probably could do so, if that were your inclination. Remember, that with darker hair, the lightening will be different from that achieved on blond hair.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
i have just used a 40% volume peroxide on my hair all over to get rid of unwanted black hair dye and the results are incredible, you can pick up a little bottle from boots for 99p just ask someone to show you where the creme peroxide is = ]
August 19th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I find it gives my hair a nice shine,too!
August 24th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Is there an issue with perming your hair afterwards like dye?? Like is the two week time period still and issue?
August 26th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Thank you for the great tips. my question is can i use peroxide on hair that has previously being colored with hair color?
thank you!!!
August 28th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Hi Trisha & Luisa,
I would answer yes to both questions. If you are concerned, just wait a bit between hair treatments.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Right now I’m trying out the peroxide. I have bleached parts of my hair before with an actual hair bleaching thing, but it seems to me that my already bleached parts are changing faster then my regular hair. (By the way, I’m a brunette.)
So, do you think that since I have less pigmentation in my already bleached hair that it it bleaches faster?
August 30th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
The lightening will be different for different shades of hair but from what you are describing, that seems likely.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:11 am
Lol..my hair is dark brown ..i mean “was”..i bleached it with hydrogen peroxide and it turned out a blondish brown with some red highlights..i really like it ^_^
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:46 am
Hi Bubbles,
That’s great news! What I like about using it is that your hair doesn’t look dyed or brassy, as can happen with some of the hair products available. It’s also nice to use something that doesn’t contain lead or other harmful substances.
You might be interested in my latest beauty article: http://www.beyondjane.com/Beauty/Olive-Oil-Beauty-Tips-10-Neat-Uses-for-Olive-Oil.239273, which discusses how you can use simple olive oil as a healthful beauty booster. A friend of mine, after consulting with a hair dresser, used the warm towel trick and her hair became shiny and beautiful.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
I invite others to comment, too, as to their experiences using peroxide.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I checked with a pharmacy today and the fellow there told me that you can use up to a 6% solution for hair lightening; although he cautioned that the fizz would be bothersome if it got in the eyes.
So, for those with darker hair, the stronger solution may render increased lightening while for blonds the 3% solution may be enough to further lighten already pale hair.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I had natural black hair but it was getting gray so I’ve been dyeing it with Natural Instincts (Midnight Black) for years but I would like to lighten it up a little but I tried using a dark brown and my roots show a different color. How can I lighten it to look more natural dark brown without the lighter roots?
September 10th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
It sounds as though the bottom part of your hair has some residual dye left and that may be why you are getting a lighter color up by the roots. You may have to wait for some time to pass before the dye takes evenly.
September 11th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
When I was much younger, we used peroxide to make our hair blond. However, we ended up with orange hair……..what makes it different today? I was a dirty blond in my younger days but have darker hair today.
September 13th, 2008 at 7:40 am
i’m only 13 and i want my dark brown, almost black, hair light brown, can i do this with just hydrogen peroxide, or should i go to a salon, i have had my hair highlighted and they tured out to blonde, they said my hair changes fast, what should i do?
September 14th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Hi Rae,
When I was younger, I, too, used products that claimed to lighten hair with peroxide as one of the ingredients. I found my hair went brassy so stopped using those products.
Using straight peroxide, however, gives me natural highlights that look as they should.
I would think the difference is in the ingredients.
September 14th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I would try a 3% solution and see what results. If you don’t achieve enough lightening, simply go up to 6%. Each time you use peroxide it will lighten your hair further, so if you are happy with the color, just leave it and treat new growth; if you desire greater lightening, treat the already lightened hair.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I have really dark hair almost jet black i used the peroxide but it hardly got any lighter does it work on all hair or just some.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Hi Toya,
It depends on the amount of pigment in your hair. You may have to use a stronger solution, if you can find it. Or, just keep applying it and it will keep lightening over time. A good method is to spray mist it.
I had a friend who had brown hair and she would mist her hair and leave it to dry. When I saw her some months later, her hair had gone quite blond.
You would probably end up with brown hair, if your hair is really dark.
Peroxide will lighten hair but it won’t act the same as a dye; however, if you keep applying it, you should see a difference.
October 16th, 2008 at 11:56 am
My hairdresser used 10% for the tiny blonde highlights in my hair. I would think that even 6% will burn the scalp as if mkes my hands flake if I accidentally get any on. The hairdresser did not let it (the liquid) go quite to my head when doing it. A friend used to have a haordresser put hydrogen peroxide in with her setting lotion but I do not know which % this would have been.
Any ideas what % is best for grey hair to look a natural blondish?
October 18th, 2008 at 1:19 am
If your skin is sensitive, I would try the 3% solution. If that doesn’t cause any flaking, you can always continue with it until you reach the desired lightness. I don’t know if grey will turn blondish or whiter. It will depend on your hair.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I tried using the old-fashioned lemon method. but it only lightened my hair a little bit, and I have natural highlights so it just blended in. Will the peroxide actually stand out if I used it only once, or will i have to use it a couple times?
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:37 am
The peroxide does a wonderful job, so it doesn’t look dyed, which, when you think about it, it isn’t.
What I like is that you can apply it once or as many times you want until you reach the desired lightening.
I’m already blond and bleach out in summer. I usually just spray peroxide on my hair in the winter months, when it tends to darken.
October 28th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Hi i dye my hair quite often from time to time my original colour is black hair and after dyeing it a few times its dark brown but recently i went to the hairdressers and my scalp started burning btu this was for the very first time ever however,now i want to lighten my hair and then dye it to a dark rich auburn since it doesnt work if i just apply the plain dye on to my hair.What percent hydrogen peroxide should i use and after how long can i apply dye to it.Because i heard that you can lighten your hair and then after few hours dye it on the same day.
Please help and thanks alot xx
November 25th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Hi, I’m trying to get my hair a really really light blonde color and I’m currently a strawberry blonde, blonde, and red, my hair is all different shades of color. I was wondering., I Have 10% Peroxide will that work on me hair?
December 20th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
All Boots had was 12% creme peroxide. I have been using sun-in, but missing some bits of hair. I thought with the creme I could get it all a bit better. My aim is to stop being salt and pepper hair to cinnamon and sugar coloured. How long should I leave it on to achieve this and should the creme touch the roots? Thanks
January 8th, 2009 at 7:00 am
i have blackbrown hair and i already bought hydrogen peroxide 20 volume.. but i am not so sure as to the safety of it contacting my scalp. AM i in danger of losing my hair if the product comes in contact with my scalp?
January 8th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Hey i just wanted to say that i have been using peroxide for two weeks and my hair looks wonderful , my hair hasn’t dried a bit and and i could’nt be happier (given that i do have more blonde in my hair than anyother color) it has been perfect in these winter days , but i was wondering if you have found out anything about the heat activation trick and if that would be like the sun per-say .
thanks ,
alexis
January 9th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Hi Everyone,
Here’s an answer to all the questions. Use 6% peroxide solution. I checked with a pharmacist and this is the strength he recommended.
Do not get it in your eyes because it may sting.
Use it repeatedly until you achieve the desires color.
I put mine in a darkened spray bottle and spray it on my hair, then allow it to dry.
The lightening will depend on your hair color.
I’ve found that if I spray my hair, then go out on a sunny day, this increases the lightening.
Remember, at this strength, the peroxide won’t hurt your hair.
This is far less expensive than dyes and you are not exposed to harsh, potentially dangerous chemicals.
January 10th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Hi Balckbrown,
I’m surprised you were able to purchase it in that strength. I would try the 3-6% solution. Now, while peroxide is safe, higher concentrations may be corrosive.
As with any substance, if the strength is magnified, it usually becomes stronger.
As with hair dye, if you want to check results first, do a hair swatch sample. Check after sample is dry for color.
January 10th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Hi Athlyn Green,
I was wondering how I should wait while using 50% water and 50% of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide to lighten hair.PS: My hair is a dark brown of just black( betwen those two colours).Thanks for the tip.
Your truly,Yunah.
January 11th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Hi Y.E.L.,
If you have 3% solution, you should just be able to use it without diluting it with water. Simply spray on and let it air dry. You don’t have to wash it out. Keep applying it until you achieve the desired color. After that, simply spray roots, as necessary.
January 12th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Hey, thanks for this useful info! This is the most helpful website about lightening my hair! I am glad to know!
January 13th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Ladies,
please, save your hair. Hydrogen peroxide is very damaging on it’s own. Do take the time and apply coconut oil to the hair, it cuts down on the harmful radicals created by the hydrogen peroxide reaction.
January 14th, 2009 at 3:14 am
hey
i have bleached my hair 4 times already from dying it black of 8 yeahs lol. and i have bleaches it and now its this brassy nasty orange color on the ends but my roots are like a white blond whitch i want well the hydrogen peroxide work and what will the out come be
January 15th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
is using 3% better then 10%?
January 16th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Hi Athena,
I checked with a hairdresser and a pharmacist and was told that in the right percentage solution, peroxide is harmless, simply water with an extra molecule. If people use 3% or 6% it should be completely safe. I’ve used it for years with no damage to my hair.
Hi Kaisie,
Because your hair has had numerous treatments, I would let it grow and recover before doing more to it. You may want to consult a hairdresser before applying anything else.
Hi Boris,
If you just want a little lightening, 3% should do nicely; if you want greater lightening, use 6%.
It is always best to test a small hair sample because each person’s hair is different and will lighten differently: an ash blond will go lighter, a brunette may develop reddish highlights.
January 18th, 2009 at 2:59 am
Hi Athlyn,
I’ve been busy changing my hair colour for a long time now. My natural colour is light brown, i had dyed it in a black colour for a year and a half. Then i wanted it to get dark brown (a Megan Fox colour) so i did all this stuff to my hair, i bleached it, and dyed it over again but there were all these different colours. On the front it was still black, the roots were white blond and the rest was orange with black strings inbetween. So i dyed it darkbrown after that. It washed out and became orange so a week ago i dyed it in “bittersweet chocolate”. It’s still black on the front, but in the back it’s te colour i want. Do you think i can use the peroxide on the parts that were black before i dyed it in bittersweet chocolate? Do you think if i do that it will turn the same colour as the rest of my hair or that it will turn red/orange because it has been black?
xoxo
January 18th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
OMG,
i am soooooo anxious to see what my hair will turn out to be i have been waiting but it hasent dried yet……. i cant wait but i dont waant it to become a nasty color my boyfriend would KILL me i am waiting still and hopefully it will dry soon and BTW im useing 3% hydrogin peroxide it will work ok right? no redish highlites? and im a brunette just letting you know!
January 19th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Oh wow. I’ve been reading through the comments and I really want to try this out.
I dyed my hair VERY DARK BROWN almost black and i tried dying it to a lighter color but my roots ended up being the only things showing.
My hair was getting healthy because I wasn’t processing it as much but then the whole dying it to get it lighter process didn’t work but sure did damage it.
I am going to try this … and put less of it on my roots … hopefully it works and hopefully it doesn’t damage my hair as much.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
I have black hair. I like the whole peroxide thing but i was just wondering if using peroxide on my hair would turn it grey or a shade of it. I would just like to double check before i did anything.
January 27th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Hi Sally,
The best way to determine this is to try a sample piece and do a swatch test. Each person’s hair is different and this may determine outcome.
If you keep applying peroxide, your hair will continue to lighten.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:00 am
should i mix the peroxide with water?
January 30th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
It should be fine as is. Simply pour it into a spray bottle and spritz on hair.
February 10th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
I did it to my hair it went red completely
February 11th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Did you do the swatch test, as recommended?
If a person has red undertones, these may come out when using peroxide.
February 12th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
You say that we should use hydrogen peroxide instead of dye if we are worried about the chemicals in the dye. But hydrogen peroxide is the main chemical in most dyes and it is very damaging to your hair. it dries it out to the point that your hair will break off completely.
February 14th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Hydrogen peroxide is perfectly safe if used in the strengths I recommended in this article. If someone were to use a stronger percentage/concentration they would have to contend with unwanted results.
As I’ve mentioned, it is always a good idea to do a swatch test first because each person’s hair is different.
Hydrogen peroxide is simply water with an extra molecule, so in the recommended percentage of 3% is perfectly safe.
Hair dyes contain other chemicals such as lead acetate, ammonia, PPD, and 4-ABP (carcinogenic).
My point was that hair dyes are potentially toxic and using peroxide is a safer and cheaper alternative.
February 15th, 2009 at 4:46 am
i had a some acne and i put hydrogen peroxide all over my face including my eyebrows and it made my eyebrows lighter can someone please tell me how long does it take for it to go back to your natural hair color
February 15th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Hi Jake,
Your eyebrows would have to grow back; however, because these hairs are short, it shouldn’t take long.
If you really don’t like the way they look but don’t want to purchase dye, pick up an eyebrow pencil and lightly brush it over the hairs to darken them.
February 16th, 2009 at 11:52 am
So, if I’m a brunette and want highlights, I just spray it all over my hair?
Or should I do it another way, with tin foil or something?
I do really want all my hair lightened.
Thanks.
February 16th, 2009 at 11:59 am
I’m sorry, I meant I DON’T want all my hair lightened, in my last comment. =)
February 17th, 2009 at 12:21 am
If you want just portions of your hair lightened, simply isolate the strands and brush peroxide through them. You could use a cap and saturated the strands you want lightened.
For those who want overall lightening, simply spray hair and them comb through.
To treat darker roots simply spray on the darker areas.
Always do a test to see how you hair will react.
Some brunettes go blond, others go reddish. It depends on the make-up of the hair.
If you want further lightening,, just keep applying peroxide until you reach the desired shade.
This is gentler than dye so may take more than one spraying but it results in a nicer color than when peroxide is mixed with ammonia and other chemicals (the brassy look).
Just make sure you don’t get it in your eyes as it will fizz and burn.
Only use 3-6%, nothing stronger.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Is the effect of hydrogen peroxide permanent or will the color fade away back to my natural color.
I have used the hp on my brown hair and it’s turned strawberry blonde. Will it lighten more if I continue to use it? because strawberry isn’t a nice color on me.
If I stop using the hp will my brown hair “come back”?
Thanx
February 17th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Hi Jinny,
I’ve found the effects permanent. Your hair should continue to lighten if you continue to use peroxide.
You would have to wait for your hair to grow back in in its natural color.
February 19th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
I am light blonde but want to get a few highlights to a white stage..How do I do this? Do I use 20% 30% or 40% developer with a light toner or use straight peroxide?
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I have a soft black color hair and i wanted to put peroxide on part of my hair to lighten it and then dye that part purple…Is that ok?
Which percent of peroxide should i use for best results?
Thank you for your time!
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:05 am
Hi Barb,
If you are already blond, you should have no problem. I would suggest either 3% or 6%, depending on how light you want to go. The 3% used over time will continue to lighten your hair. The 6% would give you faster results.
Simply wet the strand you want to lighten. For a streaked effect, you could use a cap and pull out the hair through the holes then spray it all over with peroxide and allow it to completely dry.
Another method is to wet a small sponge with peroxide and apply it to the hair to be lightened. You can even simply wet a Q-tip and run it along the hair tufts you are trying to lighten. Other people use plastic gloves and dip their fingers into the peroxide them run them through hair.
For overall lightening, just combing peroxide through hair will give a somewhat streaky effect. The teeth of the comb separate the hair stands.
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:06 am
Hi Megan,
since you want to dye your hair purple, I would suggest calling a salon and asking a hairdresser for instructions before attempting to lighten first with peroxide.
February 24th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Um…sorry to be a pest, but I heard a lot of rumors about hair loss, and it turning an orange colour. How can I avoid this?
February 24th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Hi Sierra,
I’ve used peroxide for years and have never experienced problems.
I have used other products that combined peroxide with other chemicals and I didn’t like the brassy look that resulted; however, I believe that the brassiness was due to the chemical cocktail.
If used correctly, peroxide shouldn’t cause problems. If you are concerned, use the 3% solution and test it on a hair swatch first.
My hair is soft and shiny and has lightened in a natural fashion.
I only use peroxide in the winter months because my hair bleaches out in summer.
March 1st, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I recently got clip in real human hair extentions. and I already knwo you can treat them and dye them just as you would your real hair.They are an dark brown. I told my mother the other day i wanted to bleach them to a blond color so i can dye them a bright blue color. we talked about the Peroxide way and she agreed to it. and she bout insted of normal peroxide, she bougth this bottle os Hair peroxide with the brand name “Licked” on it. It ahs no instractions on it. Do you knwo if it will work the exact same way as normal Peroxide?
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
So my friend told me that I could try using the peroxide with shampoo. Does this work? If so, what’s the ratio for the mixture?
I’d like to try it on already blonde hair to just lighten it a bit, not make it white-blonde.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Hi Michelle,
I’m not familiar with “Licked” but I haven’t seen good results with mixtures that contain peroxide mixed with other chemicals.
Hi Kaye,
I’ve never tried peroxide with shampoo. I would think it would be washed off the hair too quickly to really make much of a difference. If you just want gentle lightening, simply spray peroxide on your hair, wherever you want it lightened. Use the weaker 3% solution.
March 5th, 2009 at 1:37 am
Athlyn,
I want highlight and was wondering if instead of spraying my hair, if I mixed it in with my hair gel, would it work?
March 6th, 2009 at 12:36 am
I died my hair a very dark brown. It went almost black. I have spent lots of money on blonde hair dye to try and lighten it with no results…I have heard that putting peroxide in hair can lighten it. All I want to do is lighten it enough so that I can have it back to its light brown almost dirty blonde color. Will peroxide work for me? If it will, what should I do? Do I just wash and condition then spray it in and leave it? I use a two in one shampoo and then conditioner…Should I change any of that? I don’t know what to do and I really need your advice. Thank you.
March 8th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Hi Boredom,
You could try mixing it with your hair gel and trying it on a hair sample. My concern would be in mixing these substances. It might prove helpful to check with a hairdresser. It is very easy to fill a spray bottle and simply spritz hair.
Hi Kristina,
The best rule of thumb is to always try a test piece. Each person’s hair is different so there are no hard and fast guarantees.
If your hair is coated with a conditioner, you should wash it first and then spray on peroxide.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I have bought peroxide as i want to lighten my hair then put other colours over the lighter to have flashes of colour in my hair how would i use the peroxide to get the lighter streaks?
March 12th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Hi Rachel,
Just follow the instructions in this article. For streaks, spray or saturate those strands.
March 21st, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I want to dye my arm hair blonde
but i wnat to know how long do you have to leave it on…
or do you just leave it there.
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:27 am
Remember, peroxide will lighten hair but to go blond will depend on your hair color. It doesn’t act like a blond hair dye. It lightens whatever color you already have.
Just spray or wet your hair with peroxide and let it dry. always do a test piece to see what color will result. For increased lightening, reapply until you reach the desired shade.
When you want to give your hair an overall boost, you can simply spray peroxide on and brush through and this will give locks a lift.
Make sure that you don’t get peroxide in your eyes.
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:45 pm
i have dark brown hair and i want it to turn blonde. will a botle of peroxide help or am i damaging my hair
March 23rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
If you use it according to the instructions in this article it should be fine. If your hair is dark brown, I would spray your hair until it is saturated and then allow it to dry. Keep repeating this until you achieve the desired color.
I had a friend who had dark brown hair and she would spritz on peroxide and then go about her day. When I saw her a couple of months later, her hair was blond. She said it was the easiest method she’d ever used to change her hair color–and inexpensive, too!
Just try it on a piece of hair first to see what color results. Or spray a section of hair on the underside and see how it turns out.
March 23rd, 2009 at 12:34 am
Hi Athlyn,
I picked up some 6% hydrogen peroxide to lighten my medium brown hair but when I got the bottle home I noticed that there was a poison symbol on the bottle. The 3% bottle that I had tried on a previous occasion did not have this warning. Are the concerns just if it is taken internally or are there concerns for external use as well?
Also, the last time I used a store bought hair colour (Clairol Hydrience) was about a year and a half ago, so half of my hair is a goldy colour and I want to lighten my roots to even things out (without using really harsh hair colour). Do you think a 6% peroxide will do the trick?
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:20 pm
6% is the strength most often used for hair lightening. Try some on a hair sample first to see how your hair reacts. It should be fine–just use it for your hair and avoid contact with your eyes.
If you have any questions, call a pharmacy and talk to a pharmacist.
The peroxide should do the trick and you can keep reapplying it to achieve the desired lightening.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:07 am
I just dyed my hair and it only dyed my roots…do you think it would be safe to use peroxide to lighten up the rest of my hair and then dye it to the color I desire?
March 25th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Hi Mae,
What color is your hair and what color do you want to dye it to?
March 28th, 2009 at 7:35 am
what happens if aticmaditly my hair turns green. does preoxide do anything.
March 28th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Yes That just happened to me. I was trying to dye my roots blonde using a box and then my hair turned an ash blue color. What would the results be if I used the HP?
April 6th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I’ve been using 3% hydrogen peroxide to lighten my hair. It’s very natural looking and my hair has not turned orange (I have dark dirty blonde hair with natural golden undertones). I think the key is go EASY with the peroxide. Use just a little bit at a time and apply it with a spray bottle. Never pour it directly on your head and be careful not to do it too often. If your hair starts to feel dry, STOP and give your hair a break before continuing. Use a good conditioner.
April 7th, 2009 at 11:07 am
I’ve found that, too. The lightening looks very natural. Some people will need to use more hydrogen peroxide to achieve hair lightening; others will find they use far less. It depends on hair color and hair type.
I’m happy to hear you’ve experienced good results.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Hey i just got 6% Hydrogen peroide… I dyed my roots earlier but they turned out a gingery colour (the rest of my hairs bright blonde) Is it ok 2 use this on my roots??=)
April 10th, 2009 at 10:12 am
The 6% peroxide is stronger so I would try a little bit on your roots to see how it will turn out. Dip a Q-tip into the hydrogen peroxide and dab it on an area that isn’t very noticeable. Wait until it dries to see if it goes blond.
April 11th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I have dark brown hair and I’ve been sprizting hydrogen peroxide 3% on two large strips of hair on either side of my head all day to no avail. I havent noticed any lightening at all. And I cant get anything besides 3%. How long does it usually take for there to be lightening? Like, how many days of applying and reapplying should it take?
April 13th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
How long does it take??… Wen shoudl u 1st see it lightening my hair is already blondey..
April 15th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I have color treated blackbrown hair and I hate it! I read that you can mix peroxide with your conditioner and let it sit, would that work and can I use peroxide on color treated hair?
April 15th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Hi Kya,
Your hair may be particularly resistant or dense. Have you allowed it to dry? It will dry lighter–or should. Usually the lightening is apparent once the hair has dried and subsequent lightening is seen in later applications of hydrogen peroxide.
If you see no lightening at all, I would try to find a stronger hydrogen peroxide solution.
Hi Leigh,
I’ve never heard of mixing peroxide with conditioner so if you decide to try it, try a little on a hair swatch first.
If you are worried about color-treated hair, simply try peroxide on a hair swatch first and allow to dry to gauge color.
Hi Hoi,
If you have blondish hair, you should notice lightening fairly quickly. Usually one application (spraying) results in lighter hair and any further spraying, lightens hair further.
You can see my hair from my profile picture and I lighten it only with peroxide. I never use dye.
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:54 am
Hi i am trying to lighten my hair naturally. After reading the comments I decided to try this method. I cut a swatch of hair and am getting ready to go buy some peroxide. My question is this: If I combine other natural lightening ingredients such as lemon juice and chamomile with the peroxide will I achieve a stronger result or would they cancel each other out? Also supposing I could do this can peroxide be heated like water so that I could brew the chamomile without water? Thank You
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Hi Jessica,
I have never tried this so I can’t offer any advice. Maybe try checking with a hairdresser.
April 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Hi I have recently used this on my dark blonde hair and it turned my hair much lighter with only 2 usages, but it has a little orangy tint to it that you can hardly even see. All my friends thought it looked great but when my mom found out she got really worried that my hair would fall out or break easily. I have naturally thin hair but could this happen? She made me promise that I would never do this again and then said it would look terrible when my blonde roots grew in. I think that because I only lightened little pieces that u won’t be able to tell that easily. What do u think?
-worried
April 30th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Hi Jessica,
I’ve used peroxide every winter when my hair goes darker and I have never experienced problems. If you use the 3% solution, you shouldn’t encounter any problems. Hydrogen peroxide should not be used in any strength stronger than 6%, which a pharmacist said that people use for hair lightening.
If you are worried because you have thin hair,simply try small amounts at a time or you could mix hydrogen peroxide with water to weaken the solution.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:50 am
I used this method over the weekend and brighten up my hair quite noticeably. I was wondering if the effects of the hydrogen peroxide would fade overtime or the color would dull as I wash my hair?
May 1st, 2009 at 8:51 am
Hi Katie,
No, the effects of using hydrogen peroxide are permanent. And, if you want further lightening, you just keep spraying your hair. Some people just spray their roots to once their ends have reached the desired lightening.
May 5th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Hi. I’ve used the spray this winter and i have brown hair which has turned out orangish! I guess its my undertones. I am worried that summer is arriving and that my constant exposure to the sun will make it even lighter! What can I do to soften the colour besides dying it brown :S?
Thanks
May 5th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Hi,
I dyed my hair from Loreal box “dark blonde” and my hair is naturally med or dark brown and a bit red (it may be my understone). It turned out copper! I dyed it again with Garner box “natural light brown” and it covered pretty much but copper and red is somewhat there. More brown the rest except root.
I would like to try peroxide and wonder if it will cover the copper? or maybe it would be reddish or orange. I want GOLDEN OR DIRTY BLONDE.
D o you think perxoide will help and make my hair brown to gold? I will try on my front bang for a test first. Just spray it and leave it till it dry. No sun directs needed?
Oh I have 1/4 kids tangle treatment in spray bottle left. Is it ok to mix with peroxide in it? If not, I will throw and rinse then pour peroxide in it. Please let me know.
Thanks!
May 5th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Hi Barbara,
If you have red undertones, your hair may lighten to strawberry blond. Each person’s hair is different so you may have to wait to see how it lightens with increased sun exposure.
Hi Monika,
I would try a swatch test–especially since your hair has been previously dyed.
I wouldn’t mix peroxide with other chemicals.
May 10th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Was using peroxide on my neck/behind ears but had NO idea it would fade my hair. Now my hair line is a different color. How can I get my dark brown hair color back. My hair is kinky and I perm it every other month. Will the perm cause my hair to fall out. I’m terrified. Please help.
May 10th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
You may have to dye your hair or wait for it to grow out. If you have concerns about the effects of perming your hair, consult with a hairdresser or cut down on perming it.
May 11th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Hi again,
Will it actually grow out over time if I do nothing? I’ve been perming my own hair for over 25yrs and don’t have a hairdresser to consult. Since the affected areas are isolated around the ears I could perm around it for the rest of the year if you think that’s a good idea. I can certainly call a girlfriend’s hairdresser but it won’t be anyone I’m directly familiar with.
Thanks so much.
May 12th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Yes, your hair will grow out to its natural color. It’s unlikely that the perm will make your hair fall out. What can happen is that damaged hair may break. Each person’s hair is different so there are no hard and fast rules.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
is it safe to lighten with peroxide then dye your hair a blue color?
May 18th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
You might be better off simply dying your hair. You should try this on a test sample first.
June 7th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Heyy, I had black and hair with dark blue bangs… and i wanted to bleach my hair to blond ( With black lowlights ) So i bleached it and my roots ( dark blonde ) Are white blonde and the blue is green and the black is brownish black so im going to try it again but not but it on my roots with peroxide. Which percentage should i use to make my blackish brown to blonde.
June 8th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
heyy im a red head and i want very very bleach blonde hair and how long and how much proxide do i need to do that?
June 8th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Does putting 3% in your hair work after one time or do you have to do it every day?
June 9th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Hi Quinn,
For very light hair, keep spraying with peroxide until you reach the desired lightening. Because your hair is red, you will probably end with a light strawberry blond.
Hi Alicia,
You don’t have to do it every day. It depends on the amount of lightening you desire. Simply spray peroxide on your hair and allow it to dry; then if you want further lightening repeat applications until you are happy with the result.
June 11th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Hi i have very dark brown hair almost black and i was wondering if i peroxide my hair but not leave it in too long will it make it like a lighter tone? what do u think because i dont want to make it blonde just maybe a little lighter
June 12th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Hi! Thanks for this info! I HAD very dark brown hair, almost black. I couldn’t find 6% peroxide in my area, but after internet research I discovered that 6% peroxide and volume 20 developer are the same thing! So, I went to my local Sally’s beauty supply store and picked some up for just $2.49 for the 32oz bottle.
After just 4 uses (I spray the peroxide on my freshly washed and conditioned hair and let it dry) my hair is now a honey brown! What a change!! My family that I hadn’t seen in two weeks didn’t recognize me!
I sprayed my hair twice a week for 2 weeks. I even lightened my eyebrows by lightly dampening a cotton ball with the peroxide (the cotton ball shouldn’t drip) and gently rubbing it on my eyebrows until they felt wet, then let them dry (of course, I completely covered my eyes with a washcloth to protect them!)
My goal is to reach light brown and stop there. But now I’m wondering, how should I handle the roots when they come in?
Any tips or suggestions?
Thanks so much!! I didn’t want to dye my hair and thanks to you, I don’t have to!
June 12th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Hi Veronica,
If you don’t want blond, then experiment with the weaker solution or dilute with water.
Hi Jacqueline,
Simply spray your roots as they come in, as necessary, so that your hair is fairly even. This is what I do when I get dark roots in the winter months (I’m blond but darken when out of the sun).
June 13th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
hey.
i was hoping if you could help me.
im a natural black but i have colured my hair to different shades of brown.
and currently it is reddish brown.
i bought 9% peroxide and a pearl blonde colour dye at the chemist.
how much peroxide do i use if i want to dye my hair after it with the dye i bought?
June 14th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Hi Athlyn,
I have read all the entries here and they are very informative, thanks. My question is rather different. I have been coloring my hair for almost 30 years and always lighter, until a year ago. I went dark and havent been able to get it lighter. I tried twice but it only effected the roots. I’m Black, so my texture is different but I have had the same results as others. So my question is, will the “HP” have the same effect on my hair. My hair is fine, not thick or course. I’m not sure of the undertones, because different brands of the same “so called color” have different outcomes. The natural black did not agree with my skin tone. The dark brown dye has made a slight difference. I last used it in January 09. Please advise!
June 15th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Hello V,
Probably the best approach is to try some peroxide on a test piece to see if it will lighten it. you may have to respray it.
If it lightens, you should be able to lighten your hair; if not, you may have to wait until the dark dye grows out.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
hi i have demi-permanent purple highlights with bleach underneath, put in and i want them lighter. should i use 1ounce of 30% hydrogen peroxide and 1ounce of harm water with shampoo
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Hi,
What is the best way to get rid of darkened hair. I have colored dark almost black hair and would like to have it brown. It has been a gradual process to black and I dont like the results. How can I apply 3% peroxide and how long will it take to see results?
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Hello,
Please follow the guidelines in the article regarding hydrogen peroxide percentages and how to use peroxide safely.
Always spray peroxide on a test piece of hair to determine color and remember that with each spraying, hair will continue to lighten.
July 5th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Hi,
I would like to put coontails into my hair, and was wondering whether hydrogen peroxide would do the trick. The section of hair I would like to put the stripes in is light brown; if I put hydrogen peroxide on it in stripes, would there be a noticable difference in just one application?
Thanks.
July 6th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Hi Samm,
What color did you want the coontails? Blond? Yes, this should work. You would need to brush it on. 3% will give gentler lightening; 6% more lightening. You can experiment to see if one application is enough.
The great thing about using hydrogen peroxide is that you can keep applying it until you achieve the desired lightening.
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
uhmmm, the peroxide IS working lightening it but i was wondering like in a few months can dye my blonde spots turquoise,, or if the peroxide and dye be to much for my hair to handle?
July 25th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Hi Lacey, check with a hairdresser if you have concerns about possible damage to your hair.
July 25th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
hi athlyn….iam a egyptian brunette with a little bit dark skin tone…i never dyed or bleached my dark brown hair…i have been reading all about peroxide…some sites says to add cup of 6% peroxide on 2 tbs honey , 2 egg yolks and juice of 1 fresh lemon..is this a good way to add peroxide….what things to add to peroxide to prevent my hair turning to orange or brassy?…what if we add to last reciepe chamomile, turmeric, sage…?
July 27th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Hello, i have naturally blonde hair.. and i been dying my hair black for years. I went to the salon to get it lightened, however when they di dmy roots got REALLY light, and the rest just a light brown.. and i still have black in it.. if i use this peroxicide method, shoul di just spray it on the other parts of my hair versus my roots? i’m confused.. i don’t want super light roots and the rest orange…
July 27th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Because your hair has been dyed, try it on a test piece of hair to see how your hair will react.
Much depends on your hair so I can’t give hard and fast answers.
For example, if you have reddish undertones, it may go reddish; if you don’t it may not.
It’s always best to try hydrogen peroxide on a test piece of hair first to see what color will result. Lightening will continue, with each application.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
hi..
I went to many salons asking for advice.and they all gave me different advices..i have black hair.I want it to be brown.but the exact brown that i bought.so they told me i should colour it blond with 9% peroxide and after that i can colour my hair brown with 6% peroxide..
What should i do??
July 28th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Hi Tanielle,
I would have to caution you against using the stronger 9% hydrogen peroxide. It may be corrosive at higher concentrations.
Each person’s hair will react differently to peroxide. Trying to get an exact match for the color on the box may prove difficult.
Why not try a test piece using 6% and see what color results?
July 30th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Peroxide works on black hair or even dark brown hair for lightening. If you use a blow dryer it lightens until you see the color you want. It did not damage my hair. I have black to dark brown hair it turn my hair to almost a orange color but it was still pretty.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Hi,
I’ve been trying to lighten my hair with Sun In for a couple days now without any real effects. I previously dyed my hair with a semi permanent redbrown dye and have a black underlayer. I do not mind if the black takes longer to lighten, and I think for the most part the red has come out as best as its going to. I naturally have dirty blonde/light brown hair, which I know has blonde undertones as I was very blonde as a kid. I was wondering if I used 6% peroxide on my hair if it would work when the Sun In did not, seeing as Sun In is made up of water and hydrogen peroxide. And also- when you say “keep applying til the desired effect” do you mean that same day, or during the course of a week to cause less damage to hair?
Thank you! <3
August 14th, 2009 at 1:45 am
I have been doing this to my light brown hair to make it blonde for years now. I have had salon highlights as well. The salon bleaching fried my hair so bad, but the peroxide doesn’t seem to damage it much. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU HAVE DARK HAIR. It will turn your hair orange. This method is only good for light brunettes and blondes.
August 14th, 2009 at 4:02 am
When you dye your hair a darker color than your original, and then decide you don’t like it- you cannot use dye in a lighter color to completely correct it. Tint will not lift tint-although it will change the color of your roots since the new growth is not tinted. You always have the option of going darker, and this will work, but lighter is much harder. They do sell a hair color remover at walmart for 8 dollars-this strips all the dye out of hair and leaves it a funny orange color…but right after- you can dye your hair the color that you desire. Peroxide just seems scary when I was younger my boyfriend would use it on his naturally dark brown hair and he ended up the color of a BQ frito…… I was one who dyed the top of my dirty blond hair a pale blond (level 9) and then dyed the underneath a chocolate brown (level 3) this brown took very dark, but it was pretty now I have applied a level 5 to all of it trying to get it to one color before I get highlights….no luck yet but getting very close….let me know how the peroxide works Lisa because I may just pull my hair through a cap and apply the HP to it.
August 14th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Thanks everyone for sharing your insights. Always, always test your hair first before proceeding.
I agree with one reader’s comments that hydrogen peroxide seems to be gentle on hair.
August 15th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
My hair is naturally brown with a tint of red, i just want it to be a little lighter, can i use hydrogen peroxide, if not what can i use?
August 20th, 2009 at 11:29 am
My hair is turning gray and I want to use peroxide to cover up. will this work?
August 20th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Peroxide lightens hair. I doubt that it would cover gray. Now, if you are a blond, it would lighten surrounding hair and the end result might be less noticeable grey hairs.
If your hair is a darker color, I doubt that peroxide would cover the gray. If you still want to experiment, try it on a test swatch of hair to see what results.
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 am
Hello all- just updating on how HP worked for my hair..
I couldn’t find anything other than 3% peroxide around, and honestly it did nothing. I applied it thorughout. Waited 20 minutes. Blowdried. I repeated that process about 15 times. The only part of my hair that even lightened a tiny bit was my roots. The rest of my hair didn’t react at all. I’ve decided simply to bleach it (which i was happy I could still do since this didn’t fry my hair at all).
However- I managed to lighten my eyebrows a pinch by applying it 8 times and lightly blowdrying it after about 5 minutes everytime. (a bit brasy, but not enough to notice or bother me)
I suppose it just isn’t strong enough for color dyed hair..
Oh well!
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:52 pm
For some people, the 6% hydrogen peroxide is more effective, if they have darker hair. It’s best to spray it on hair and allow it to completely dry, then wash your hair later, as you would normally do.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Lisa it takes several sessions of peroxide lightening for anything to show. It takes me about 20 times of spraying a diluted solution of it in my hair for me to get an end result. Do not blow dry your hair after using peroxide on it. Peroxide does weaken your hair a bit and you are only going to damage your hair if you use heat on it right after. But as I said before it took 20 times for me to get from light brown to blond.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Oh and one thing I forgot Lisa you have to let it sit in your hair. When you blow dry it immediately the peroxide does not have a chance to lighten your hair. And no the heat does not help the peroxide work at all. I let it sit in my hair until totally dry. That way I know the peroxide worked completely.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Ahh and one more thing. I am forgetful today. Peroxide does not well work on hair that is darker than light brown. It also does not work on hair that has been colored darker.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Wow… I’ve read through most of your questions/comments and I’d just like to say, you seem like a very caring and helpful person. Thank you for this very informative site.
When I was a kid I had very blond hair which gradually turned to a darker blond as I got older (As most seem to).
For at least the last 10 years I’ve been using “Herbatint” (a permanent herbal haircolour) so my hair colour is currently a golden/reddish blond.
I noticed that the main ingredients in the developer are hydrogen peroxide and water (along with a couple of other ingredients I can’t pronounce (and that’s just in the developer bottle… not to mention the tint!)
My hair is very wavy but the hair colour seems to be drying it out and making it a bit frizzy.
I thought hydrogen peroxide alone might give my hair a nice break from all those unpronounceable ingredients (and I don’t mind going lighter), but do you think it would dry out my hair even more on top of the already coloured hair? (It’s been about 2 weeks since I last applied the colour)
Also, should the HP be applied to clean hair only? Does it matter if you haven’t washed it for a few days and/or have hairspray in it?
Thank you again for such a great site
August 26th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I have a friend who had dark brown hair and she simply kept spraying her hair with hydrogen peroxide. When I saw her a couple of months later, she was quite blond. I’m not sure what strength she was using.
Another friend had medium brown hair. He used the peroxide and soaked his hair but it didn’t change color. He was using a 3% solution.
It appears that it react differently depending on the person’s hair.
I asked a pharmacist and he recommended the 6% solution for hair lightening.
I’ve never found it had a drying affect on my hair and I’ve used it for years, simply by spraying on my hair any time I wanted to lighten it.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Hey Guys-
What a great & informative page! Thank you very much for the helpful tips!
I have tried the 3% solution and it works wonderfully well on my hair, which is a lighter browm/dark blond color naturally. I have a beautiful beige blonde now, in just a few days! I have also tried applying pexodide 3% on my eyebrows with a wet coton ball and after a few days and several applications per day, I can see a light and very natural lightening.
I have one big question though, where can I find some hydrogen peroxide 6%?
I have looked up online and can’t find a place, and I have tried 5 of my local pharmacies and they’re all telling me that they don’t sell higher than 3%, and that I just won’t find a 6% solution.
Any help, like even a website, would be very much appreciated.
I would like to try the 6% because it would mean less applications and a faster lightening for me. And if it ends up being too strong for my scalp or something, I can always mix it with 50% water in a spray bottle.
Thanks in advance for your help!
August 28th, 2009 at 12:32 am
Hi Carolyn,
It depends where you live. In some places 6% hydrogen peroxide is sold for hair lightening–and I’ve even heard people say they’ve found 10%, although that solution might be too strong.
You could try asking at a hairdresser’s. They might know where you could find 6% peroxide.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Thanks Athlyn for your quick answer!
I have looked up online and the only equivalent I have found to hydrogen peroxide 6% is actually called \”liquid developper\”, and a volume 20 liquid developper would be the equivalent of a 6% hydrogen peroxide solution.
I am sure this is what a hairdresser would recommend me to use.
When I look at a bottle of 20% developper though (the traditional cream form) I see a lot of ingredients in it, not just hydrogen peroxide, and a lot of extra chemicals I\’m guessing. So maybe the \”liquid developper\” is like hydrogen peroxide but with a few extra components?
- Is a developper in a liquid or cream form going to be more damaging than \”pure\” hydrogen peroxide on my hair?
When I do a quick search on google for hydrogen peroxide, I find this product, a 7% solution that is used for water treatment.
- Is it safe to use on one\’s hair, do you think (other than the fact that 7% might be a tad too strong)?
http://www.shopflagcitywater.com/chemicals.html?gclid=CMLRv9e7xpwCFdVL5QodzxvwJQ
- Also, I see some \”food grade\” hydrogen peroxide out there, other than the fact that it\’s a lot stronger (35%) and would need to be heavily diluted, is it any different than the pure and simple hydrogen peroxide and is it safe to use on your hair at a proper dilution?
I\’m trying to figure out is there are different \”qualities\” of hydrogen peroxide, and percentage appart, if there is one quality of hydrogen peroxide safe for use on one\’s hair and another quality that is \”unsafe\” or not preferable to use on one\’s hair.
Sorry, I guess it\’s a lot of questions, but you\’re so helpful and knowledgeable!…
Thanks again for your help,
Caroline
August 28th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Hi Carolyn,
You best bet is to talk with a pharmacist. When I was researching this article, I found the pharmacist a wealth of information. If you use a stronger peroxide, always do a test sample.
I personally like just peroxide, that way you aren’t getting ingredients or chemicals that may be harsh on your hair or permeate your scalp and, by extension, your body.
Even with a weaker 3% solution, if you keep spraying it on and allowing it to dry and stay on your hair, you should see lightening over time. While this may take longer than a hair dye, it’s far safer and I’ve found very gentle on hair.
My hair is shiny, soft and strong and I spray peroxide on it in the winter months when it goes darker.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Allright, well thanks for taking the time to answer me. I might give a try to these stronger formulations, or not. The 3% works very well on me and I have had beautiful results in just 3 or 4 days.
I am trying to stay away from chemicals in general, just because there are so many in our environment already, so I guess I\’ll stick to \”pure\” hydrogen peroxide. I was just looking for something that would work faster.
My hair gets lighter during the summer too but sometimes I end up working a lot and get less sun, so I like to get that quick lightening at the roots area.
Thanks again for helping,
Caroline
August 28th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Hi Carolyn,
You could try an online pharmacy for the 6% peroxide but if you go that route make sure the pharmacy is accredited so that you receive what you asked for. Good luck.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
i put peroxide in my hair 3 percent and some water and combed my hair through but it still won’t lighten…..
August 29th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
do you know why
August 29th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Hi Heather,
Try using straiht 3% solution, undiluted, and let it dry on hair. Then repeat a couple of times, especially if you have dark hair.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Hey there,
I just put 6% through my hair and have left it for about 45 minutes and i see no change. my hair is a medium/dark brown but i cant even see the slightest change. any ideas why??
September 12th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Hi Casey,
You may have to continue spraying it and should see lightening over time. It could be your particular hair. I had a friend who had dark brown hair and she would just spray it and forget it. Over three months, her hair lightened to a nice blond color–but it took longer for her because her hair was darker to begin with.
Don’t dilute your hydrogen peroxide and leave it on your hair. That may help. 6% solution is what is recommended for hair lightening.
September 19th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Hi,
Thanks for the information here, best site I have found.
My hair is naturally brown but I have it dyed red. It faded but instead of dying it again, because it soaks up color and always ends up super dark even if the dye isn’t a dark color (weird!) I wanted to try to lighten a little with the peroxide. My undertones are red and orange which is what I’m aiming for, I’m very pale with green eyes I know it will look ok.
The question I have is can I use hair dye over the peroxide if it comes out a bad color for some reason? Should I wait a certain amount of time before I use hair color?
And how long does it take before you see the full results of the lightening?
Thanks!
September 21st, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Is it safe to use on a toddler? My kid is two, has brown hair, and she wants to have blondish lighter hair like mine.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 am
Hi Sheila,
I would wait a couple of weeks before applying dye. I’ve known of people who have died their hair after using peroxide and they haven’t experienced any problems–but they waited awhile before trying it.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:26 am
Hi JT,
I would check with her doctor first. Also, if you do decide to use peroxide, just brush it through her hair and place a towel around her neck. Make sure it doesn’t get in her eyes because it would sting. Make sure you use a weaker solution: 3%.
September 23rd, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Thank you for your reply Athlyn. I brushed the 3%HP solution on my kid hair yesterday and it already lightened up 2 shades. Quite amazing! She loves it and has no problem with it.
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Hi JT,
This is great to hear. I’ve always found peroxide to be gentle on hair.
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Thanks again Athlyn.
I forgot to mention, but I also used the 3%HP on my hair and it gave my hair a gorgeous golden sheen from just one use. Is this lightening effect permanent? Because I hope so.. From your experience, how long does the highlighted hair stayed highlighted before you have to reapply 3% HP?
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Hi JT,
Yes, it is. You will only have to spray your roots when they come in.
You can also apply peroxide to get even more lightening, if desired.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Hi,
Ive been dying my hair red for about 3 years, it’s a darker red and each time I try to lighten it with dye it is only a few shades lighter.i want more of a natural orange-red color. How would I go about this?
Thanks
October 7th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Hello,
If your hair is naturally red or reddish, hydrogen peroxide will lighten it to a strawberry blond color. Much depends on what color your hair was originally and your hair’s undertones.
In your situation, because your hair is already dyed, the peroxide may work to lighten the red color but what will happen when your roots show through?
It may be better to revert to your original hair color and go from there.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Hi, I have bleach blonde hair, I am trying to achieve white hair.
Do you think doing this will work to get white/silver hair?
October 19th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Hi Kelssy,
Try a test piece to see how your hair responds. You can keep applying peroxide for further lightening.
October 29th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Do you “have” to spray it, can’t you just apply it with gloves? or something like that… =]
October 29th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Oh… and can you “apply” it after you’ve already dyed your hair?
October 30th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I dye my hair black, roots have lots of gray I want to achieve salt and pepper look. Any suggestions on what I can do without having to grow out my dye?
November 7th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Hey, I just wanted to mention a few things about this method of lightening hair that I don’t think have been mentioned yet.
I find it is better to spray it onto a brush and then comb it through the hair; that way you have no chance of it accidentally getting into your eyes. Also if you are doing this for the first time it is best to mix it with water, that way you can just try it out and see if you like it, then use it again undiluted if you want a more striking result. I’ve also found that my hair benefits from a coconut oil treatment afterwards, but I have particularly dry hair so I don’t know if this would count for lots of people.
Otherwise this is a fantastic article, and a great way to lighten hair at home cheaply and efficiently
November 7th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Great info thanks I am gonna try the 6% HP and will let you know how it went.
November 8th, 2009 at 3:47 am
Hi Tokyo,
This is a good method also. I often do this when I want to distribute over all my hair.
Hi Mike,
Let us know how it turned out.
November 8th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Hello my name is Brooklyn and my hair is a lightish blonde from the sun but since there is no more sun my hair is turning darker I want to keep up the light gloden blond hair colour soo I bought 6% hydrogen peroxide with 20 volum and a light blonde hair dye permanent can I bleach my hair and the dye it inn the the same week or should I wait a few weeks too? And I her it is better to dye your hair when it is dirty is that true ?
November 8th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Hi Brooklyn,
If you have blondish hair to start with, the hydrogen peroxide should do the trick and lighten your hair nicely. You will probably find that you achieve enough lightening with it alone. Each spraying will lighten your hair further.
I’m a natural blond too and bleach out in the summer months. I use hydrogen peroxide in the winter months to keep my hair from darkening to a dull shade. It works wonderfully well and is a safe, low-cost alternative to hair dyes.
Take care to not get peroxide in your eyes and always use either 3% or 6%. You can spray it on and allow it to dry, then keep applying it until you reach the desired shade.
Many people simply store it in a dark bottle then spritz as needed.
November 14th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I’m currently using this tech!
(I left the strand test in the peroxide for 24 hours). I spray it in and leave it in till its dry, I also use a sandwich bag (ahaha) to cover my head so the heat of my scalp opens up the cuticles more and the peroxide can get into the cortex(the bit in your hair structure containing your colour pigment) quicker. So it will take me a while, Currently using 6% – 20 volume. I wouldnt recommend anything stronger (I’m a hairdresser)
I’ve dyed my hair soooo many times, i recently dyed it from black – red. All i got was a hint of red.
Done my strand test, it will go a nice reddish colour
Another tip is to wash your hair with half shampoo half peroxide, massage for about 7 – 9 mins. or just leave it in for that amount of time. Then obviously get a decent deep conditioner that closes the cuticles.
I’ve only used it once, and its lightening already! Only slightly, but its working!
Current got my second lot on right now! 
I’ll keep you updated in about a month or so!
x
November 16th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I dyed my hair with highlights to make my whole head blonde, had med brown hair. My hair is orange with blonde highlights, so I am trying the peroxide method to lighten up my orange to blonde will keep you all updated on what happens.. it really can’t get any worse LOL
November 16th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
It’s been a half an hour now and my hair is mostly dry and most of the deep orange is gone just maybe one or two more days of this and I won’t have any of the orange tint anymore from this bad dye job. It already looks a lot better. I used the 3% peroxide and sprayed my hair pretty wet/damp and let it dry.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for sharing your experiences with peroxide. What I like is that you can simply spray and go. For busy people, this is a definite boon!
November 17th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
I have natural jet-black thick hair and i have dyed my hair alot. everytime it has been lightened it never comes out as light as i would like. i have wanted to go as light of a blonde as possible will this work? how blonde could i get?
November 17th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
You may not be able to achieve the lightening you desire, but, if you keep spraying your hair with peroxide, it may lighten it to a brown. Each person’s hair will react differently. Peroxide acts as a lightener.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:36 am
I dyed my hair midnight black with natural instincts about a month ago. My natura color is dark brown with red. auburn i guess. i just put peroxide on it. still wet. im hoping itll get it to a dark brown. its very black and ive been washing it 2 times a day for a couple of weeks to no avail so i figure it wont lighten it too much and i should maybe get my desired color. it’s 3% peroxide.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
I dyed my hair midnight black with natural instincts about a month ago. My natura color is dark brown with red. auburn i guess. i just put peroxide on it. still wet. im hoping itll get it to a dark brown. its very black and ive been washing it 2 times a day for a couple of weeks to no avail so i figure it wont lighten it too much and i should maybe get my desired color. it’s 3% peroxide
November 21st, 2009 at 2:27 pm
hi im mixing the peroxide with condition and wrapping my hair and leaving it on for two hours then im a rinse pray for me kay im a let you know how it turns out
November 21st, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Does your hair have to be free of hair styling products before you do this?
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:11 am
Hi Melissa,
It’s better to spray peroxide on clean hair but I know people who just spray it on whenever they want to lighten it.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:54 am
does it work on african american hair as well and i also have dreadlocks will i get any effects at all
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Hi, if you already have highlights will the hydrogen peroxide also make those lighter too?
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Hi Jimmie,
I can’t see why not. The 3% solution is gentle but lightens hair over time; the 6% would lighten hair faster. If you spray your dreadlocks, it should lighten them–especially towards the outside.
Hi Shelly,
You will probably find that your highlights will lighten even more.
Remember, everyone, watch that you don’t get hydrogen peroxide in your eyes. It can sting a bit.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
im going to try it now
i hope i get results :-[
i tried lemon juice & i saw a bit of change =/
December 6th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
if you had black/dark brown hair and if you put 3% peroxide will it sort of be a light brown or a medium brown, if u had put it on for about 3 days?what hsppen?
December 8th, 2009 at 2:48 am
I have thick jet black hair and I was wondering if I would see a difference in my hair color if I use 3% or would I have to use 6%? Cuz I don’t think my parents will allow me to do this and all I can find is the 3%. If I have to use the 6%, could I just spray on the 3% several times?
December 8th, 2009 at 3:25 am
For any lightening use either 3 or 6%. the 6% is stronger so will cause more lightening.
Simply spray peroxide into your hair and allow to dry. Avoid getting it in your eyes. Continue to spray it on until you have reached the desired lightening. your hair will keep lightening as you continue to apply peroxide.
Some people will only need to spray it a couple of times, others will need to do this for longer, depending on the color they are looking to achieve.
For blonds, peroxide can help to keep your hair light-looking over the winter months, when hair tends to darken.
Brunette’s can also use peroxide any time of year, when they want to achieve lightening. Color achieved will depend on each person’s hair.
December 9th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I see alot of comments asking if this is ok to use on dark hair. It is not. It will turn dark brown hair orange. This is only for redheads, light brunettes, and blondes. It works wonders on dirty blonde hair. I don’t know what I would do without it!
December 10th, 2009 at 12:44 am
It depends on your hair and its undertones. I have a friend who has dark brown hair and hers has gone a nice blond color–but, if someone had red in their hair their hair would go reddish. It depends on each person’s hair color and how peroxide affects it.
It is always advisable to do a test of a swatch of hair, as I’ve mentioned, before proceeding; however, most people who are trying to achieve lightening are pleased with the results.
3% is a gentle solution that you can experiment with to see if you like the color. You can also achieve further lightening by continuing to spray it on.
I, to, am blond and it is a great lift in the winter months when hair tends to darken, away from sunlight.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Hi im vicky. I have dyed BLACK hair, n i would love to dye it red. I tried putting on a lightener but to my dismay it didnt work. I realise i need to lighten it so the red will take. Can dyed black hair be lightened? I would really love it red. HELP x
December 12th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Hi Vicki,
Try a test piece to see how your hair reacts. You will know when it dries if it has lightened to a reddish color. You may need the 6% peroxide solution because of your hair color. Let me know how you make out.
December 12th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
hi. i dye my hair all the time (always at home) and earlier in the year i dyed it a platinum blonde. i got sick of the roots so i dyed it back to my original dark brown colour so i wouldn’t have to dye the roots anymore. since dying it brown my hair has grown about2 inches but the regrowth blends. last week i decided to dye it a very vibrant dark red/burgandy colour. it worked but my roots took the dye better than the rest of my hair. in fact it has already faded almost completely from my previously dyed hair. i was wondering if i could use a peroxide (20%vol) to lighten my hair a little so when i re dye it red it woud be the proper red all over or would that not work? thanks
December 16th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I now have grey/silver hair. What would hydrogen peroxide do for me? In what strenth?
December 16th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Hi Ken,
The best course is to try a test piece. A lot depends on your hair. it might make it look whiter or blond or brownish depending on your hair.
December 21st, 2009 at 5:14 pm
If I use hydrogen peroxide on my hair to lighten, how bad will the roots look as my hair grows out? I’ve used lemon juice to lighten my naturally dark blonde hair in the summer, but the change is so subtle that the roots aren’t noticeable at all. Will hydrogen peroxide have a similar effect, or is it a more dramatic change? I don’t want to lighten it too much, just enough to spruce up my dirty blonde hair.
December 21st, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Hi KP,
If you just want gentle lightening, simply use the 3% solution and spray over your hair. If your roots grow in a bit darker, just spray them with peroxide, as needed.
This is the most natural lightening I know of and spraying and brushing through your hair makes it always look very natural.
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Hi.
My hair naturally is a lightish blonde and in the past i have dyed it black and a hypnotic red, my current hair colour is a gingery/red with blond roots. I’m now looking to get the orginal blond colour all over.
Will peroxide turn my hair a funny colour and what percentage should i use?
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Hi Laura,
Try a couple of sprayings of 3% on a swatch of hair. Depending on how your hair reacts, you will know if you want to go with that degree of lightening or you may opt for the stronger 6% solution. It’s always a good idea to do a test piece to get an idea of the resultant color.
December 29th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
hey i have golden blonde hair with a strawberry tint but it get really dark in the winter i wanted to get it back to blond and i use peroxide and it didn’ t do a thing please help i really want my golden blonde hair before i go back to school
December 30th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Hi Jane,
Try it a couple of times and don’t dilute the peroxide. Spray and leave it on your hair. If that doesn’t do the trick, use the 6%. That will work to lighten your hair.
I’m already blond but my hair darkens in winter and using peroxide works very well.
December 30th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I’ve previously coloured my hair, but it was about 6 weeks ago, i’m a dark blonde and i wanted to peroxide it. I’ve recently bought Schwarzkopf Live colour XXL Platinum blonde, which has peroxide in but i’m not sure what percentage. Is it safe to use or would it turn my hair the wrong colour or burn it badly?
December 30th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Hi,
Part of my hair is currently died hot pink, if I use 3% will it go platinum? How many treatments would it take?
(I had my hair platinum before the pink, as well.) My hair is pretty healthy, I use heat to style, but it is still shiny and soft. The last time I died was about 2-3 months ago. Will it make my hair brittle?
Thanks
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:45 pm
How do you know what percentage you have? also i have dirty blonde hair and i want dramatic reasults should i still use 3%?
- chloe
January 9th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Hi,
I am a natural blonde… But I love the whole peroxide blonde affect! Will it damage my hair? And how long does it last?
- Kimberley
January 10th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
If used properly, peroxide will not damage hair. Once hair has been lightened, this is permanent, so do a test piece. Lightening depends on each person’ hair color, number of sprayings, and strength of peroxide solution. The bottle will show the percentage.
One caution, peroxide can sting if it runs down and into your eyes, so keep a washcloth handy when spraying your hair.
You can simply spray it on and let it dry. this makes it one of the easiest product to treat darker roots, because you don’t have to rinse it out and you can spritz it as often as you wish.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
I just recently died my hair, I had black hair and I used blond hair dye to lighten it. It turned out an orangy colour, how can I make this lighter?
January 16th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Hi, I’m Black, with very resistant gray hair that comes in strong at the roots. My hair is very coarse and dry. It can’t take permanent color or it starts to break. I love my hairstylist, but, she is not an expert on coloring gray hair. However she has mentioned “softening” the gray with moisturizer for bettter color processing. Sometimes I do my own hair, beacause I like to deep conditon it. Would spraying the peroixde solution on my grey roots help it take semi-permanent color better? Help, I’m desperate!!!! Thanks, Jay
January 16th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
well i was born with bleach blond hair i colored my hair so much that it is fried and i want it to go back to bleach blond but i dont wana color my hair again and im only 14 years old and when i brush my hair a loose alot of hair and how would i color my hair with bleach or proxide
January 17th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Hi Jay,
If your hair is breaking, you may want to address that issue first and talk to a different stylist to find out how to combat that. Eating foods with omega-3 can help dry skin and hair. Vitamin E oil may also help to soften your hair.
Hi Nichole,
Never, never use bleach on your hair, as it is corrosive and is believed to be carcinogenic. It sounds as though your hair needs to recover before lightening it. When you are ready to lighten it, read my article for instructions on how to do so safely.
January 17th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
ok so i have dark brown hair do you think 3% should work and will i have to die it more than once to get it lighter???
January 18th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Each time you spray your hair, it will go a bit lighter.
February 7th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Is it okay to straighten and style after doing this treatment without washing it out? How often can this be done?
February 8th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Hi Celia,
If by straightening, you mean using a heated tool, this should be fine. If you plan to use a chemical preparation, it wouldn’t hurt to check with a stylist.
You can use hydrogen peroxide, in the 3% or 6% solution as often as you want to achieve/maintain desired hair lightening. You can simply spray it on and let it dry or spray it on and wash later.
Always do a test swatch to see if you like the lightened color of your hair and avoid getting in your eyes as it will sting.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Okay so just yesterday i dyed my hair about a red copper brown and its too dark and i want it lighter red like an auburn color but i have put black dye in my hair before so will that block the lightening prcess to stop ?
and do we have to wash out the peroxide after we put it in
or do we leave it in ? but wont it make your hair smell ?
please help please& thank you
February 11th, 2010 at 9:32 am
I would just try the peroxide after the red dye. Try it on a test piece first to see what color results. You don’t have to wash peroxide out and you achieve greater lightening by allowing it to dry on hair. It isn’t very smelly and once it dries, the smell goes.
February 15th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Hi, silly question really. I have 9% peroxide. In order to make this a 5% solution, would i do have and half with water. Does this bring the percentage down
February 16th, 2010 at 11:15 am
I would check with a hairdresser as to how to dilute it and whether this is advisable. It is probably best to use the 3% solution or the 6%, if you can find it.
While lower concentration peroxide is safe, it can become corrosive at higher concentrations; also, a higher concentration would result in greater hair lightening.
February 18th, 2010 at 12:52 am
I was dying my hair a medium copper brown and left it in too long and it is a very dark brown. I have quite a bit of the 20 creme developer left over. Could I use this to lighten my hair? And how would I do it? Also how much do I use and can I just wash my hair after I wash it out?
February 20th, 2010 at 12:17 am
when do u use foil
February 20th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
You don’t use foil. You simply spray the peroxide on your hair, after trying it on a test piece. Follow the instructions given in the article for best results.
February 21st, 2010 at 7:52 pm
will this damige your hair or make it turn orange? please let me know
February 25th, 2010 at 5:39 am
hi, dyed my hair black about 3 months ago and i havent been able to get the black out of it.. i tryed dying it brown but only the roots took.. i just put on alburn red dye today to try and get the black out but didnt work.. is it ok to use 3% on my hair like an hour after i dyed it would it work? i really need to get this black out.
and if you put it on your hair and let it dry.. and then re spray it again will it lighten each time or?
which hair dye product would u say is the best to get black out if this doesnt work? im trying to go medium brown.. without having to bleach it, i hear it ruins your hair.
thanks.. help is greatly appresiated..
February 25th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Hey i have been using 3% bec thats all i can find… it has started turning a brassy color if i continue using peroxide will it turn blonde or just get more orange?
February 26th, 2010 at 10:20 am
It depends on your hair. Generally speaking, if you keep using peroxide, your hair will keep lightening. But if you have dark brown hair, you may not go completely blond.
You may want to try the 6% if you can find it, for greater lightening.
Simply use a test piece of hair and keep applying peroxide to it. Let it dry between sprayings. This way, you’ll see the exact shade your hair will go with repeated sprayings.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Hi Frustrated,
Your best course would be to check with a hairdresser. If you are trying to go a medium brown, you may have to use a brown hair dye.
If your hair was its natural color, and you used peroxide, in most cases, you would achieve lightening–but with so much having been recently done to your hair, it might make matters worse.
The best course, always, before using hydrogen peroxide is to try it on a test piece of your hair. You can spray it repeatedly to see what color your hair would go.
March 13th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
I was just wondering: when I spray my hair, I would like to saturate it completely to avoid any unevenness, instead of just sprizting. Is this harmful? Should I dilute it if I would like to fully wet it? Or just leave it on for less time? I have long, light brown/auburn hair, that has never had anything done to it, aside from brazilian keratin straightenings. I would like to be blonder, but not sure how much yet. I will likely see how it turns out after the first application, and play it by ear.
Also: would you say that this process is generally less harmful to hair and scalp, or about the same as lightening at a salon?
sorry to bombard you with so many questions
March 14th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Hi Liv,
If you were to saturate your hair completely, you would achieve faster lightening but I would caution against this. why? the peroxide would run down your face and get in your eyes, which would burn. the great thing with using peroxide is that one doesn’t seem to get a “root line” this may be because of spraying and brushing it through, which leaves hair looking natural, with different colored strands, as opposed to die, which pretty much makes every stand the same.
If you use the 3% solution, it should not be damaging to hair. I’ve never found this to be a problem. I don’t bother diluting the 3% solution because it is weaker anyway. 6% hydrogen peroxide is often the one that is recommended for hair lightening.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
How Long Does it take the peroxide to show up on the hair ?
March 16th, 2010 at 1:36 am
Hi Candace,
Usually, you will see lightening when your hair dries after spraying it. It will continue to lighten with each spraying.
March 19th, 2010 at 2:18 am
hi
my hair is already bleached ,i wanna do bleach my routes but i wnder if i will ,i have to bleach all my hair or just rout..? if i will all my hair, my hair is gonna be burn? because i think if i bleached my rout only,i willl have 2 diffrenet haircolor on my hair ..my rout is gonna be one color and the rest of hair is another colorr,,,
March 19th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Hi Maral,
How light is your hair? Try spraying just the roots to see what color will result. If you have lighter roots this shouldn’t pose a problem, if your roots are very dark, however, you might be better off sticking to what you are already doing.
Those who spray their hair with hydrogen peroxide, simply spray to new growth to maintain the lightened color.
March 21st, 2010 at 5:04 pm
I used hydrogen peroxide in my hair and it worked great! i used it twice 2 weeks apart and what I did was i dumped the peroxide into my hair so that all of my hair was wet. Then i let it airdry inside. My hair was a medium brown and after the peroxide it is now a beach blonde!! My hair has no red or rusty look to it and it wasn’t damaged! My hair looks light with highlights all over the place!
March 21st, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Hi Mary,
Thanks for sharing. That’s great to hear. I’ve found that peroxide is easy on the hair.
What strength solution did you use?
March 25th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
i been using hydrogen peroxide for a while now i had dyed my hair soft black but it was long back… the results rich brown with blonde highlights extremely awesome.. what i do is shampoo my hair and then conditioned it i also use reconstructer on it and then spray with hydrogen peroxide and blow dry my hair nope it hasnt damage my hair actually it appears more healthy and my ends have a beautiful curl too it .. so it has done wonder on my hair i guess it depend on the condition of the hair… the 20 volume developer i been apply now lately to give it that boost and actually my hair looks like brooke shields hair color nice brown with blonde hair light and i had dyed my hair soft black amazing….
March 25th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
oh i forgot too mention i started it with a 3% hydrogen peroxide from a brown bottle then later when i reach a nice brown then i added the a 20 creme developer which has aloe vera in it…. its less damaging…..
March 28th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
How long does it usually take?
Like is it something that can be done over night?
March 30th, 2010 at 4:33 am
I’m glad to have stumbled across this site.. I’ve been reading the comments posted by everyone, and I have a quick question.
I dyed my hair two days ago, to a medium reddish brown. My original hair color is very dark brown with a reddish tint to it. It is super thick too.
I’m not looking to go blonde, per say, but I do want to lighten all of it considerably. so, my question is do I need to wash it out after it dries, since it sounds like once it dries it has lightened your hair, and can I also use that stuff on my eyebrows and arm hair?
Also, my hair is very healthy. Other then this last dye job, I haven’t dyed it in years. I take extremely good care of my hair, so I don’t want something that will damage it too badly.
March 30th, 2010 at 4:38 am
I did forget one thing. I’m doing a test right now, to see how it looks on my hair, and I took two large pieces of hair from the top and underneath.
I’m using 4 tbs of peroxide ( 3% ) and 4 tbs of water. I’ve read everywhere that dark brown hair needs a weakened solution so you don’t turn red. Is this true?
March 31st, 2010 at 10:01 am
The time it takes for the desired shade of lightening depends on a person’s hair. Some people find they achieve almost instant results, others find they need to do a number of treatments. The strength of the peroxide solution also makes a difference.
Hair that turns red probably has those undertones. Experiment as you are doing to see what color results.
You can use it on eyebrows or other hair but make sure you don’t get it in your eyes, as it does sting.
You can wash it out once it dries, if you wish to do so or leave it in. Either works well.
Thanks, Jasmine, for sharing your tips.
April 4th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
My hair is naturally a dark blonde colour but I’ve been adding hi-lights for years now and wanted to get rid of them so I asked my hair dresser to even my colour out. Instead she dyed it really dark brown and I don’t like the colour. It doesn’t look natural on me. What should I do to lighten my hair? Will spraying it with a 3% peroxide lighten it my hair to a light brown (like I asked for) or will I need something stronger? Any ideas on how many times I will need to apply the peroxide? Also will the 20 peroxide work better? Thanks for any help! I am a little freaked out right now!!
Andie
April 5th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Hi Andie,
Do a test piece. I would stick with a weaker solution if you want a lighter brown. You can keep spraying your hair until you achieve the color you want. I would caution against a stronger solution because you may end up with blond hair again. Let me know how you make out.
April 13th, 2010 at 10:04 am
How do I go about doing this if I have dark brown hair (colored)and it\’s time to do my roots again because of gray? I just colored it about a week ago but am seeing the grays again all over the top of my head, I bought a light brown color yesterday but if I only do my roots I\’m going to end up with an awful mess…right and all over app …then the rest of my hair will grab the color and get darker…I\’m afraid to stip my hair and start from scratch since it\’s so healthy…any ideas? thanks girls.
April 13th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Hi Tam,
This probably won’t work in your case because peroxide lightens, it doesn’t cover. Unless you wanted to go a blond color.
April 13th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Thx Athlyn,
I’m looking to go light brown or dark blond like I was a year ago because it’s time for the pool and it’s too hard to keep up the coloring with the dark hair…any advise? if I wait a while to color and then lighten with another color will it be ok to use the hp? thx again girl!
April 13th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Hi
I started out with light/medium brown hair and I have been using 3% hydrogen peroxide for 2 days now. And now its a strawberry blonde color. Will it get any lighter if I keep using the peroxide?
April 13th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Hello,
I was wondering, can you dye your hair after using hydrogen peroxide? My hair was medium brown before and now it is a light orange color.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Hi Everyone,
Tam: You could try that and it should be okay. Or simply spray the darker part of your hair to gradually lighten it so that the grey hair isn’t so noticeable.
Christie: Yes, if you keep applying peroxide, you hair should continue to lighten.
Linda: You could keep spraying it and it should continue to lighten. You must have had red undertones in your hair. I would wait a week or two and dye it–or if you don’t want to wait that long, try a test piece to see how your hair reacts. You can do this by mixing a small amount of the dye together, over mixing the entire batch.
Cautions:
1. Always try a test piece before proceeding with hydrogen peroxide.
2. Avoid spraying it in your eyes as it will sting.
3. If in doubt, contact your hairdresser for advice.
April 16th, 2010 at 3:55 am
my hair is dyed black but it i slowly changing to a dark brown. is ther any way i can go extra blonde by using peroxide? Do you think it would turn orange?
April 18th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
I’m using peroxcide and I noticed it alot lighter through the first trial. It’s sooo cool:) I’m only going to do it twice.
April 20th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
I snipped off a strand of hair (I have naturally dark brown hair with some gray). The last time I dyed my hair was a month ago with a Loreal 30 volume developer, so it lightened it to a medium brown. I have soaked my strand in 3% peroxide about 7 times now and it lightened it up to a very nice light brown and I am going to leave it soaking in the peroxide all night (Just to see what happens). I will say this though…it made the test strand incredibly shiny. I will post again tomorrow with the results!
April 20th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Hi Sara,
I love using peroxide to lighten hair. It’s one of the easiest methods I know of–so much better than dyes and spraying hair takes just seconds. As well, it is very inexpensive.
Hi Sassi,
I had a friend with dark brown hair who, over time, went quit blond. If you are concerned, do a test piece and apply peroxide a couple of times to it to see how the color comes out.
Hair will continue to lighten with each spraying and, over time, a person can achieve much lighter hair.
April 26th, 2010 at 6:21 am
Hi there. The peroxide i can buy in New Zealand is a cream, I can get 3, 6, 9 and 12% ( i want 6%) should i buy the 12% and do 50 cream and 50 water so i can spray it on rather than lather it on? Thanks Kitten
April 26th, 2010 at 6:23 am
Hi there. The peroxide i can buy in New Zealand is a cream, I can get 3, 6, 9 and 12% ( i want 6%) should i buy the 12% and do 50 cream and 50 water so i can spray it on rather than lather it on? Thanks Kitten
April 26th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Hey i’ve dyeed my hair red and i want to lighten it so it will either go ginger or i can dye it ginger. I’ve tried blonde hair dye before and its never worked, would peroxide work on my hair to lighten it? and how would i go about this? – Gemma
April 26th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Hi! I just found this article and it’s pretty good, but what made me want to write a comment (I don’t do it often) is Athlyn Green’s replies. Athlyn Green, you are incredebly patient, repluing to almost everyone even if the question are almost the same. Thank you for taking the time!
April 27th, 2010 at 4:49 am
Hi again. Don’t worry about my other question as i found 6% liquid today. I have another question though. My hair is dyed dark brown, Do i apply the hydrogen peroxide every day untill i get my desired colour or is once a week better? Thanks
April 28th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Wow! All these comments!
Usually people keep spraying peroxide on their hair until they achieve the desired color. After that, they simply spray the roots, a they come in.
Now peroxide will lighten hair but a lot depends on what hair color you have. Over time, with repeated sprayings, hair will go lighter and lighter.
The best course is to take a test piece and keep spraying it to see if you can achieve the desired color.
If you are using the weaker 3% solution, you should be able to spray your hair once or twice a week. If you are worried just check the appearance of your hair to see how it looks.
Be careful with the stronger solutions.
I can share what I did: when I first started using it, it was winter and my hair had gone dark blond. I sprayed my hair until it was saturated. I did this again a couple of times. Once my hair was the shade I wanted, I simply just sprayed the top when darker roots appeared. In summer, my hair lightens right up so I don’t use anything on it then.
No more smelly dyes, inexpensive, and easy!
April 29th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Hi, Athlyn. I am so greatful for this article as I was about to go to the stylist and get a bleach job done on my hair! I got my hair dyed a few months ago to a deep, dark red when it had been dyed “Megan fox” dark brown about 5 months before that, and now the top of the hair is lighter and brighter than the bottom, which looks odd to me. (Everyone else LOVES it.) I am really aiming to get my hair lightened up because naturally, it is a very light brown and I would like to get back to that color so that I don’t need to keep dying my hair.
I did one application of 3% last night and saw a minor change, and am currently sitting with the second application in. Since I know when I do finally get my hair dyed to my natural color, they will probably have to dye it darker to cover any imperfections, should I just try to get my hair as light as possible before then?
April 29th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Or, would it work to dye my hair to even the color and THEN put the peroxide on it to begin the lightening process to ensure that the color is even?
April 29th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
I thought the same thing Natural beauty. My hair was dark reddy brown and i’ve used 6% twice and it has only lifted it a wee bit in parts and more in other areas (my hair is now dark brown/red/medium brown). It’s going to take alot of HP to strip it to light brown.I went to the hair dresser and she said it will cost $55 to strip it (that’s 11 HP treatments worth). So it might be better for me to get it stripped.
April 30th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Hi,
Because your hair is darker, you may want to consider using the 6% solution and only put peroxide on the darker hair, leaving the top. For most people it will continue to lighten their hair but each person’s hair is different. Also just leave it in until its completely dry. That may do the trick.
May 1st, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Yea, I’ve decided to just go to the hairdresser this upcoming week as well to see what she can do for me. In this situation, I think it best, but I can agree that the HP definitely DOES work to lighten hair without damaging it! For the future, I will definitely keep this in mind
May 1st, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Well yesterday i did a 3rd application of HP and sat in the sun for over a hour and it change a lot this time. It’s now mostly a medium brown with some light brown streaks through (still the red there though). I’m going buy some more HP and do the next one sitting in the sun again (if the colour keeps lifting as much as the 3rd did i won’t need to use 11 applications of HP). once it’s lighter I’m going to try to put an ASH colour through to see if that will shift the red.
May 1st, 2010 at 7:17 pm
This sounds great, Kate,
It may take longer but the beauty of the whole thing is that it is so much easier to spray your hair occasionally, over dying it. And it costs far less.
May 2nd, 2010 at 11:35 pm
I appreciate everyone taking the time to comment here. From the response to this article, it’s clear that many people are looking for an easy and inexpensive method to lighten hair.
May 6th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
I have hair that has been dyed a redish brown colour and I’m actually not sure if it permanant or not. Since it has been fading I think its semi-permanant. Anyways when my hair goes back to my original medium brown colour will it become blonde if I use 6% hydrogen peroxide? My situation is sorta tricky because I used to have blonde hair as a child and on my body my hair is blonde. Also I may have reminse of other hair dyes from the past year or two. Is it safe to use this stuff? and is it permanent? and If i do eventually want my old hair colour back do I have to have a hairdresser strip my hair?
May 8th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
hi athlyn
O.k. so heres my delima… im 13. My mom said that i could dye my hair with peroxide… but i origanly have LIGHT brown hair. About 5 months ago, i dyed my hair black, and then i dyed it red for a change. I want to use peroxide on it at this point, but i dont know what the results will be on the account of my black and red hair…… PLEASE HELP
May 8th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Hello,
When hair has been dyed, it can be hard to know what will happen when using peroxide. For dyed hair, I would definitely use a 3% peroxide solution and I would do a test piece. This way you won’t end up with an unwanted color.
Each person’s hair is different so there are no hard and fast rules. If in doubt, try the test piece. Hair will continue to lighten with each spraying so if the color isnt’ as light as wanted simply continue spraying hair.
It’s always trickier, if hair has been previously dyed. A better solution might be to grow the hair out and then use the peroxide.
Generally speaking, light brown hair will go blond over time. Reddish hair may turn a strawberry blond color.
Peroxide lightens but it does not act the same as dye, which colors hair.
May 16th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
First off, Athlyn, I think you’re doing a great job helping everyone! You’re very thorough and I admire you for doing such a thing!
Keep up the great work!
I’ve read about half of the entires/comments to see if my question is the same as someone else’s. (I’m not too sure at this point, haha!)
My hair is virtually jet black. I have thick, coarse hair. I have used some home treatments in the past. Recently, I went to a salon and told the hairdresser that I wanted my hair to become a light-medium brown; free from any reddish tone. I know that I have a reddish undertone in my hair.
After we were done, I looked at my hair in all kinds of lighting and to tell you the truth, it turned my hair a dark brown, which was only noticeable in fluorescent lighting.
I was upset so I took a home dying set (L’Oreal) and it turned medium-dark brown. I wanted it much lighter (light-medium brown).
I just bought a bottle of 30 Volume Peroxide (or 9% Peroxide).
Could you possibly tell me if using peroxide will work on my hair, just to lighten it to light-medium brown?
Please and thank you!
May 16th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for your comments. 3%-6% is usually what is used for hair lightening.
Now, with black hair it may be tricky. Your best bet is to try with 3%-6% on a test piece to see how your hair reacts. I would be very cautious about the 9%. I’ve discussed this with a pharmacist and he recommended the 3%-6% for hair lightening.
Each person’s hair will react differently, so if you can test a piece first, I would suggest this. Also be very careful to not get any in your eyes as it will sting.
Let me know how you make out. Some people find their hair lightens to a nice shade, other, because they had red undertones, have found their hair went reddish.
May 24th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
ok, i tryed this and it did not work! i have dark brown hair with light highlights but i’m only doing underneath
May 25th, 2010 at 12:28 am
Hi Bailey,
Try spraying your hair and making sure it is saturated, then allow the peroxide to dry completely. This may result in greater lightening. You may have to do this a couple of times but each time you spray it, it should lighten.
Some people’s hair is more resistant. Let me know how you make out.
May 31st, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Hi,
I am doing a test right now and i have applied the 3% and it already dried out once and nothing happened, so i sprayed it again.
I have really dark brown-black hair..and i have been dieing it black for over 5 years but it always washes off at the roots and i can see my lighter-med-brows hair showing, so i am just trying to lighten the black…
why isn’t is lightening at all?
May 31st, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Hi EZ,
You may have to use a stronger solution, say 6% peroxide. It doesn’t always work for those who have very dark hair.
Try a couple of applications and see if your hair lightens at all. Let me know how you make out.
June 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 am
hi there, this is an awesome website…
my daughter is wanting to rid her upper lip hair. she has never touched it before (waxing, bleaching ect.) and i was thinking of bleaching it with the 3% hydrogen peroxide as it seems to be mild bleaching agent and too scared to use 15% facial and body bleach kits you find at the supermarket. her hair fine and not thick at all although it is very dark. i was thinking of just using a bit every 2nd or 3rd day until desired results.
do you think it will work on dark facial hair?
should i dillute it n how long to leave on for?
what colour do you think it may turn with dark hair?
a reply will be greatly apprciated
June 3rd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
hi i have very dark brown almost black hair..if i use peroxide how will it turn out?
June 4th, 2010 at 3:18 am
So you DON’T need to wash the peroxide out?
June 4th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Hi Hannah,
No, you don’t have to wash it out, although some people prefer to. Others just spray their hair and let it dry for greater lightening.
Hi Aly,
your hair may go a lighter brown color. do a test piece first to see how your hair reacts.
Hi Sidney,
Try a small area on your daughter’s face to see how her skin and hair react. Make sure she doesn’t get it in her eyes, as it does sting a bit. Make sure to use the weaker solution.
June 4th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
thanks for the reply,
in regards to your answer, should i use the weaker solution because she has dark hair and will get better results with the weaker solution in stead of 3% or is it because she is less likely to get reaction from the weaker solution?
i used it straight from bottle yesterday, and left it on for over 2 hrs and she didn’t get a reaction.
June 5th, 2010 at 12:37 am
Hi Sidney,
I suggested the weaker solution to ensure that she didn’t have a reaction. Peroxide will lighten skin temporarily. Black hair tends to be more resistant to lightening with peroxide but each person will have a different experience. Let me know how you make out.
June 5th, 2010 at 1:12 am
will do, appreciate the help.
June 7th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
ive read in so many places that peroxide drys you hair out really bad. right now im trying the chamomile tea with lemon to lighten my naturaly dark brown hair..i just started yesterday so i havent seen any results yet except for that my hair is much more softer. i was thinking about purchasing some peroxide and mixing a small amout with my chamomile/lemon solution hoping it would lighten faster. i just dont want my hair to dry out lol :/
June 7th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Hey, so I have my hair soaked in Hydrogen Peroxide using a spray bottle. I tired one section of my very dark, nearly black, hair repeatedly, reaplying and all. I found if you straighten it out, you’re more likely to see results; it turned my hair a couple of shades lighter! I love it.Be carful…as it does lighten skin…
Thanks!
June 19th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
i have a couple quick questions…
1. Are u suppose to wash hair first?
2. Can u use peroxcide & then dye your hair?
3. What do u reccomend for ethnic hair?
June 20th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Hi,
Peroxide can be applied on wet or dry hair, as long as it is free of hair spray or other hair products.
You probably could use it and then later dye your hair but I would urge caution and always do a test piece so that you achieve desired results.
For ethnic hair, I would check with a hoar dresser as they may have more experience in this area.
Always use care when using 3% or 6% peroxide and avoid getting it in eyes.
July 16th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Heyyy, I have a Jerome Russell bottle of 40% creme peroxide. My hair is very light blonde but a little bit at the bac and underneath looks a bit yellow/ginger,
Would the Jerome Russell peroxide lift my unwanted shades to match my light blonde? ;s
xo
July 18th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
I would check with a hair dresser or pharmacist before using that strength of peroxide. Also, try a test piece because much depends on your hair and how it will react.
August 19th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Athlyn,
Just wanted to say “thanks” for a well written and informative article. I read about this on a blogger site, and have had great results at home myself. I went form a medium brownish color to strawberry blond and love it!
(I also want to tell you that you have amazing patience to answer the same few questions over and over
)
August 20th, 2010 at 12:42 am
hi there,
i need some help.
i tried using normal blonde dye over brown hair about a month ago,
and it went a little wierd,
i basicly have dark blonde on top,
and ginger and the roots!
i’ve been trying to get bleach blonde hair for a while,
and lots of my friends have been telling me about using peroxide,
they said it strips the hair to just one colour- really light blonde.
i don’t know if i should try it out?
if it’s over ginger will it be fine or will it just go a little lighter?
help please?!
August 20th, 2010 at 12:44 am
okay, i meant tips not roots.
sorry!
August 20th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Hi Kristy,
This may be tricky. I would treat the darker areas of your hair first and try to get a close match to the top, then from there, you should be able to just spray your whole head with peroxide.
Each person’s hair will react differently to application of peroxide, but over time, you should achieve an even shade.
Let me now how you make out. Just make sure you use 3%-6% peroxide. The six percent will give you greater lightening. Also take care to not let the peroxide run down and into your eyes. It can sting. I usually keep a facecloth close by to catch drips.
I’ve used this for years now and it is so much easier than fighting with dyes. Any time I want to give my hair a lift, I either spray my whole head or if my hair grows in darker in the winter months, I simply spray the darker areas.