How to Bleach Men's Hair at Home (Without Screwing It Up)
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By Jake Barr
So you want to bleach your hair. Maybe you've been watching too much TikTok, or you're just tired of looking the same. Either way, you're probably also worried about ending up with fried, orange hair that makes you look like a traffic cone.
Good news: bleaching your hair at home is doable. Bad news: using a random box from the pharmacy is how you end up with a disaster. This guide walks you through the actual process, what can go wrong, and how to get it right the first time.
Should You Even Do This Yourself?
Real talk: your barber will tell you not to. Every article starts with "go to a salon." But salons charge £150-300 for bleaching, and plenty of guys do this at home successfully.
You can do this if:
- Your hair is healthy (not already fried from heat styling)
- You haven't dyed it in the past few months
- You're patient and can follow directions
- You accept it might take two sessions to get platinum
Go to a salon if:
- Your hair is already damaged
- You just got a perm or relaxer
- You have zero patience
The biggest mistake isn't doing it yourself. It's using poor products or an incorrect process.
What You Actually Need
Don't just grab whatever's at the drugstore. Those £10 box kits are made for women with long hair.
If buying separate products:
- Bleach product
- Developer 20 or 30 volume
- Mixing bowl
- Application brush
- Gloves
- Shower cap
- Old towel
- Purple toner
- Good conditioner
Easier option: Get a kit designed just like this. LOX is the only one made specifically for guys doing this at home. Everything's pre-measured so you don't have to figure out ratios, and it works on all hair types without guessing which developer strength to use.
Either way, don't cheap out or rush the process. Bad bleach or an incorrect process = orange hair.
Before You Start
Stop washing your hair 2-3 days before. I know it sounds gross, but the natural oils protect your scalp from getting irritated. Your hair being a little greasy is actually perfect.
Do a test strand first. Pick a small piece of hair somewhere hidden (behind your ear) and bleach just that. This shows you:
- How your hair reacts
- How long it takes to lighten
- If you're allergic to anything
It takes 20 minutes and can save you from a complete disaster.
Know what to expect based on your starting colour:
- Light brown: You'll get golden blonde in one go
- Dark brown: You'll go through orange (normal), then yellow, then blonde
- Black hair: Needs multiple sessions
If you have dark brown or black hair and want platinum, accept that you'll go orange before you go blonde. That's how chemistry works. The orange phase is part of the process.
How to Bleach Your Hair (Step by Step)
Plan for about an hour start to finish. Don't rush this.
LOX have created a step-by-step tutorial on how to send your hair the perfect blonde first time if you’d prefer to watch rather than read!
Mix It
Standard ratio: 1 part bleach powder to 2 parts developer (but always refer to what your product of choice recommends). Mix in a bowl until it's smooth like yogurt.
Which developer to use:
- 20 volume: Works for most guys, lifts 2-4 shades
- 30 volume: For dark or thick hair, lifts 4-6 shades
The difference between these is very little on young short hair. So we recommend going straight for 30vol.
LOX comes pre-measured with 30vol, so just mix the bottles from each step together, and you’re good to go. It's designed to take all this guess work away, which is often daunting to a first timer!
Put It On
This part is important: Ensure your whole head is covered for an even color. Paint it on thick (don't be stingy).
Wait (and Check)
Set a timer for 25 minutes.
You'll see your hair go through stages:
- First lift: 25 minutes: will be lighter, will likely have some coppery tones
- Second Lift: 25 minutes: If this step is needed, you hair will be lifted to its full “lightness”
- Toner: 10 minutes: if needed, this step will not lighten your hair anymore but will remove unwanted tones
Don't freak out between stages when it's orange. That's a normal stage. Keep going.
Overall don’t leave it on longer than 60 minutes total. After that, you're just damaging your hair without getting lighter.
Stop immediately if:
- Your hair feels gummy or stretchy
- It starts breaking off
- Your scalp is burning (tingling is normal, burning isn't)
Rinse
Rinse with warm (not hot) water until the water runs clear. Takes a few minutes.
Shampoo gently. Then put on a ton of conditioner and leave it on for at least 10 minutes. Your hair just went through a lot.
Rinse with cool water and let it air dry.
Getting Rid of the Yellow (Toning)
After bleaching, depending on your product you hair might be copperie. That's normal. You need toner to make it actually blonde or platinum.
Purple toner cancels out yellow. It's just color theory.
When to tone:
- Same day if your hair feels okay
- Wait a few days if it feels fried
How to do it:
- Get your hair damp
- Put on the purple toner like you would conditioner
- Leave it on for 15-20 minutes
- Rinse
You'll also want purple shampoo for maintenance. Use it once or twice a week to keep the yellow from coming back. Without it, you'll look brassy in a couple weeks.
If Things Go Wrong
It's not blonde: You didn't lift it enough. Either wait 2-3 weeks and bleach again, or use a blue-toned toner to make it less orange and more brownish-blonde. This option will be a temporary solution and will wash out eventually.
It's patchy: You missed spots or didn't apply evenly. Mix more bleach and apply only to the dark spots. Check every 5 minutes.
It's yellow and won't tone out: Use more toner or purple shampoo. Leave it on a full 20 minutes.
My hair feels like straw: You over-processed it. Deep condition multiple times a week. Use a protein treatment. Trim the dead ends. Stop using heat on it.
It barely lifted: Your hair is resistant or you didn't leave it on long enough. You can bleach again after waiting 2-3 weeks. Deep condition in between.
My scalp burns: Rinse it out immediately. Put some aloe vera on it. If it's really bad or blisters, see a doctor.
Taking Care of Bleached Hair
Your hair is more fragile now. You can't treat it the same.
First week:
- Only wash it every 2-3 days
- No straighteners or blow dryers
- Deep condition at least twice
- Let it air dry
After that:
- Keep using purple shampoo 1-2 times a week
- Regular shampoo should be sulfate-free
- Deep condition once a week minimum
- Get it trimmed every 6-8 weeks
- Try not to use heat tools much
Your roots will start showing in about 6 weeks. You can touch them up by only bleaching the new growth (don't overlap onto already-bleached hair). Just do the roots, which only takes 15-20 minutes since they process fast.
Common Questions
How long does it last? The bleach is permanent on that hair. It doesn't fade or wash out. Your natural color only comes back as new hair grows from your roots.
How much does it cost? DIY: £30-50 for supplies. Salon: £150-300. If you mess it up and need to pay someone to fix it, budget another £100-200.
Will people think it looks weird? Some will love it, some won't care, some will roast you. If you're worried about that, maybe start with just the tips or a more subtle color first.
What if I hate it? You can dye it darker with semi-permanent dye. You can't go back to your exact natural color easily, but you can get close. Or just wait it out and cut it as it grows.
Does it damage your hair? Yes, some. How much depends on your technique and products. Most guys who do it right have hair that's slightly drier but totally manageable with proper care.
Why LOX Works Better
Most guys mess this up because they're guessing there not following a correct method, guessing measurements or using products that weren't designed for their hair (the fact is men's hair is generally shorter, and as a result newer, so why do we use the same products as females with a completely different hair profile).
LOX solved this by making everything pre-measured and including clear instructions. It's the only bleaching system made specifically for guys doing this at home. Works on any hair type without you having to know which developer volume to use or how to mix ratios.
It comes with everything: bleach, developer, toner. And all the tools if you order a complete kit. You're not trying to figure out what to buy at Sally Beauty Supply.
Plus it has bond-building stuff in it that protects your hair during the process, so you get less damage than cheap drugstore kits.
Bottom Line
Bleaching your hair at home is totally possible. Most disasters happen because guys rush it or use bad products.
Follow the process: prep your hair, do a strand test, apply mid-shaft first then ends then roots, don't leave it on more than 50 minutes, tone it after, and take care of it with purple shampoo and deep conditioning.
If you want to skip the guesswork and measuring, get a proper kit like LOX that's made for this. If you want to DIY it completely, get professional-quality products from a beauty supply store, not a drugstore box kit.
And remember: if you end up orange at first, that's normal. Don't panic. That's just the stage before blonde. Just make sure you have all the products to fix it.