How To Bleach Your Asian Hair

Know your hair color and texture to figure out how to lighten it the right way.

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• Nov 14, 2023

Image: Shutterstock

Asian hair is usually very dark, and going blonde from natural dark locks to blonde is always fun but difficult. However, you can easily bleach your Asian hair with the right hair care products and high-quality bleach. This article explores the process of dyeing your Asian hair blonde and the ways you can maintain its appearance. Keep reading to know more.

Quick Tip

Persulfate salts and hydrogen peroxide are the most commonly used commercial bleaching agents.

In This Article

Why Is Asian Hair So Difficult To Dye Blonde?

Young Asian woman looking at her damaged colored hair

Image: Shutterstock

Asian hair color is very dark, and you have to penetrate the tight cuticles to reach a dark base color, which is hard to lift. Also, you not only have to lift the hair at many levels but also deal with several layers in the undercoat.

The Asian hair pigment passes through black, brown, red, orange, yellow, and pale yellow colors while bleaching. Since the red pigment is the hardest to lift, people encounter the orange phase more, and the hair eventually turns brassy because the initial treatment did not lighten the hair properly.

An Asian blogger recounts her 8-hour journey of going from black hair to blonde locks. She writes, “The hair color I achieved wasn’t the color I desired but I don’t blame it on my hairdresser. My hair did all the lifting it possibly could. I wanted platinum hair and if anything, I blame my black hair for having so much pigment to lift (i).” However, she is confident that her next bleaching session will give her the desired results.

If you want to bleach your Asian hair, choose a perfect blonde shade prior to any hair treatment. Scroll down to know more!

How Do You Choose A Perfect Blonde Shade For Your Complexion?

Young Asian woman with platinum blonde hair

Image: Shutterstock

Choose a blonde shade that complements your skin’s undertone and looks natural. If you have a pale skin tone, lavender, pearl, ash, and mint blonde shades will look stunning. For warm skin tones, golden, peach, and rose golden blonde shades are suitable.

Have patience during the bleaching process to achieve the desired results. Let’s now find out how many sessions Asian hair takes to get a perfect blonde look.

How Long Is The Process?

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You can reasonably lift the hair color by 2-3 shades in one session. However, platinum should be a multi-step process over the course of weeks for optimal hair health. Furthermore, the duration also depends on the techniques, such as balayage, foil, and ombre, used to bleach your Asian hair.

Going from black to blonde is certainly a challenge. Thus, keep in mind these points before going blonde.

What You Need To Know Before Going Blonde

Image: Shutterstock

1. Find A Professional Hair Colorist

Your colorist should know everything about your Asian hair to lift its color and tone successfully. They will check how much bleach and how many sessions are required to get the desired color. You can also ask them more details about the bleaching process and condition of your hair. The stylist may suggest a few hair care products to be used before and after intense treatments like bleaching. Therefore, it is better you visit a hair salon for bleaching.

2. Have Patience

Going platinum blonde is not a one-day process. It requires two or three sessions, depending on your hair texture and color. Thus, patience is the key. You cannot turn your black locks blonde overnight –it takes multiple bleaching and toning sessions to achieve the desired shade. Wait for a minimum of 14 days between each session to keep your hair healthy.

3. Avoid Washing Your Hair

Do not wash your hair two days before bleaching. The natural oil of the scalp acts as a thin barrier between the hair and bleach. Slightly oily hair will help distribute the bleach evenly.

In the next section, we have discussed the step-by-step process to bleach Asian hair. Keep scrolling for more information.

How To Dye Asian Hair Blonde

Asian hair is very dark and has significant melanin content. It requires at least two bleaching sessions. Your hair will undergo a change from black to brown/yellow and finally to platinum blonde. Red/orange is the most common middle outcome and where many people end up when trying to lighten Asian hair.

Pro Tip: Do not shampoo your hair for at least two weeks before bleaching for better results..

What You Need

Bleach powder
Volume developer
Applicator brush
Gloves
Mixing bowl
Old T-shirt

Procedure

Step 1: Wear the gloves and old T-shirt to prevent your hands and clothes from staining.

Step 2: Mix the bleaching ingredients – bleach powder and volume developer in the bowl – in 1:1 proportion.

Step 3: Start applying the bleach to your hair from the tips to the roots with the brush.

Step 4: Keep the bleach on your hair for 35 minutes and on the roots for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Let your hair air dry.

Schedule the next session after two weeks. During this period, your hair will regain its strength. Also, do not shampoo your hair between the bleach sessions. Your hair color transforms from black to brown in these two weeks and is ready to change its color from brown to platinum blonde.

Step 6: While bleaching your hair the second time, take your time to cover any patches you did not notice during the first session. If you observe any dark or brown patches in your hair, repeat the bleaching process in another session.

Let’s now find the use of a toner in bleaching Asian hair.

What Does Toner Do?

Toning is an optional final step in the bleaching process. It helps eliminate brassy yellow or red tones that appear on bleached hair. Most of the toners are semi-permanent and do not damage the hair.

Bleached Asian hair requires proper maintenance to avoid damage. The next section explains how to do so.

How To Maintain Your Dyed Hair

Use A Purple Shampoo: A purple shampoo is specially designed to help maintain platinum and ash blonde shades. The violet pigment in the shampoo neutralizes brassy and yellow tones that ruin your style.
Use Olaplex Treatment: Olaplex treatment rebuilds the hair bonds after intense chemical processing. It protects your hair from damage and strengthens it. Add it to the bleach solution to keep your hair bonds intact.
Rinse Your Hair With Cold Water: Use color maintenance shampoo and wash your hair with cold water. Low temperatures help seal your hair cuticles, making the hair dye last longer.

Bleach is a powerful chemical that may cause eye and skin irritation. It also causes a lot of permanent modifications in your hair. Scroll down to know more about the disadvantages of bleaching your hair.

Disadvantages

Improper bleaching techniques can lead to severe hair damage. The chemicals used in the bleaching process might react with your hair roots and cause hair loss. This also happens when you employ heat while bleaching your hair.
Bleaching may distort the molecular arrangement of your hair, making it curly. Your hair also becomes prone to frizz.
Your hair might feel lightweight and straw-like after bleaching.

Quick Tip

Apply a moisturizing mask weekly to prevent frizziness after bleaching your Asian hair.

Asian blonde hair needs a lot of maintenance to keep it in shape. Here are a few tips to help you.

Tips For Going Blonde With Asian Hair

Young Asian woman smiling with blonde hair

Image: Shutterstock

Keep your skin tone in your mind while choosing a blonde shade for your hair.
If you are applying bleach for the first time, do not overdo it. Go slow for the best results. Excessive bleaching may end up making your hair brassy.
Avoid frequent shampooing. Use dry shampoo between washes to help your bleach last long and prevent your hair from getting brassy soon.
Avoid heat styling tools like curling irons, straighteners, and flat irons. They can damage your bleached hair and leave it dry and dull.

These tips will help you achieve perfectly bleached hair without causing much damage to the hair so that you can experiment with all the latest coloring trends in the beauty and fashion world.

Infographic: How To Dye Asian Hair Blonde

Asian hair tends to be darker due to its significantly high melanin content. Due to this, bleaching the tresses can be quite a task. If you wish to color your Asian hair with a beautiful platinum blonde hue, we have it covered. Check out the infographic below for a step-by-step guide on coloring Asian hair blonde.

how to dye asian hair blonde (infographic)

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Asian hair tends to have darker pigmentation and needs a bleaching agent to achieve lighter hair colors. You may also need multiple applications to properly lighten Asian hair. The lighter the shade you desire, the more applications you need. It is recommended to get your hair lightened by a professional at a salon as they will do an expert job, and help you choose a hair color that suits your skin tone and style. You can scroll up and check out some tips on maintaining and caring for Asian bleached hair. Since you need multiple applications to lighten your natural hair color, your hair will be weak and prone to damage. Avoid heating tools, chemical processes, sun exposure, and other factors that can harm your hair further.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Asians have blonde hair?

It is not common for Asians to have naturally blonde hair. However, there have been records of Hmong and Mongolian people producing blonde-haired babies. Additionally, there are people who have lighter hair in the Middle East.

Does virgin hair bleach faster?

Virgin dark hair – dark hair that has never been bleached – tends to bleach faster than other types of hair as it is untreated.

What is the rarest color of hair?

Red hair is recorded as the rarest natural hair color in the world, with only 1-2% of the world population contributing to it.

Key Takeaways

Choosing the perfect blonde shade is the most important step in bleaching Asian hair.
The duration of the process usually depends on the hair type and technique used to bleach hair.
Always use color protectant shampoos and wash your hair in cold water to maintain hair health.

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Download

Learn the process of bleaching Asian hair from dark to blond or light brown in this video. Dare to embrace a stunning new look right at home! Check it out!

Personal Experience: Source

StyleCraze's articles are interwoven with authentic personal narratives that provide depth and resonance to our content. Below are the sources of the personal accounts referenced in this article.

i. How To Go Blonde If You Are Asian or Have Black Hair, A Short Story
https://jerrlife.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-go-blonde-if-you-are-asian-or.html

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