Dreaming of a dramatic hair color change, but stuck with dark, black hair? You are not alone! Many people want to lighten their deep, rich locks, but the journey from black to a lighter shade can feel like climbing a mountain. It is exciting to imagine vibrant new colors, but the fear of damage, uneven results, or simply choosing the wrong product stops many in their tracks. Black hair has a lot of pigment, which means bleaching it requires careful planning and the right tools.
The wrong bleach can leave your hair brassy, brittle, or even break off completely. It is a confusing world of developers, powders, and aftercare routines. You want a beautiful transformation, not a hair disaster! This guide cuts through the confusion. We will break down exactly what you need to know to safely and effectively lift that black pigment.
Keep reading to learn the secrets to successful bleaching on black hair, how to choose the best bleach for your goals, and essential tips to keep your hair healthy throughout the process. Get ready to unlock the lighter hair color you have always wanted!
Top Hair Bleach Black Hair Recommendations
- Hair bleach kit with patented, ammonia-free hair bleach powder and cream developer with encapsulated oils
- Delivers up to 8 levels of dramatic hair color lift while maintaining curly hair texture integrity and curl pattern
- Simplified two-part system makes bleaching easy, for healthy-looking hair and curls that bounce back
- Violet Toning Care Conditioner that cools down harsh brass tones while replenishing the hair with moisture
- Provides 4x more hydration vs. untreated hair- expertly made for less damage on all curly types- lifts for visible, dramatic results on dark hair, black hair, and brown hair
- We’ve upgraded our look, without changing our essential formulas, to reflect our long-standing mission to deliver authentic, natural, and professional results through our full portfolio of products for every hair type.
- Clairol Professional BW2+ Dedusted, Extra Strength Lightening Powder with malic acid is your secret to quick and easy lightening.
- Our multi-use lightener can now be used for a range of both on and off-scalp applications including all-over head lightening, highlights and balayage.
- Providing up to 9 levels of lift, BW2+ lifts past the brass for bright, even results.
- Our non-pigmented powder mixes into a creamy consistency for easy application and provides clear visibility of lift during the lightening process.
- Lightening Hair Color System: This advanced hair lightening system provides crystal clear Platinum Blonde Hair results for weeks; Lighten any hair type and texture up to 8 levels. Ideal for dark brown hair to light brown hair
- Includes Purple Conditioner: This hair dye kit includes Anti-Brass Conditioner with purple pigments to reduce unwanted orange and yellow tones while providing reinforcing care for strong, no-brass hair color
- Hyper Platinum Hair Dye: Feria Hyper Platinum Blonde Hair Dye has been custom-blended by master colorists for the imaginative trendsetter, even the darkest of bases can achieve our purest platinum without compromising condition
- L'Oreal Paris Hair Color: We offer permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary hair dye plus root cover up, anti-brass toners and lightening systems. Cover gray hair, highlight, go bold with bright color or even try an ombre hair color
- L'Oreal Paris Innovation: We are a total beauty care company that combines the latest in technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in hair color, hair care, hair style, skin care and cosmetics
- High-Power Solution for Vibrant Colors - This professional hair bleach and developer kit is formulated to lift up to 7 levels, making it an ideal hair lightener for dark hair and pre-lightener for bold, semi-permanent or pastel colors.
- 40 Volume Developer for Maximum Lift - This hair dye kit is intended to bleach black and medium and dark brown hair to achieve medium to very light blonde hair color for women and men.
- Dust-Free Hair Bleach Powder - Ensuring that hair lifts evenly, this is an ideal bleach powder for hair that is especially dark or needs be prepared for intense, vivid colors.
- Complete DIY Hair Lightening Kit - Comes with everything you need, including bleaching powder, developer, gloves, mixing tub, tint brush, and plastic cap, making it perfect for at-home hair transformations.
- The Manic Manifesto - Manic Panic's hair coloring products are always Cruelty Free and Vegan - tested on celebrities, not animals! This vegan hair color is also ammonia and PPD-free, gluten-free, phthalate-free, and PETA accredited.
- Lift 8 Levels & Tone in 1 Step: Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color PL3 is our most performing hair lightener kit. This hair bleach lightens up to 8 levels to deliver our coolest result with less brassiness
- Hair Lightener for Dark Hair: This hair dye kit features a cruelty-free bleach formula with charcoal and 5 fruit oils including Avocado, Olive, Coconut, Argan, and Shea for a bold and beautiful cool platinum result
- How To Use: Best for anyone with medium brown to darkest brown hair. For anyone who currently has color-treated hair, there are special considerations for the color result you can achieve. PL3 is also not recommended for heavily highlighted or relaxed hair
- Hair Bleach Kit: Contains creme developer, charcoal bleaching powder, lightening creme, anti-brass conditioner and gloves. Anti-brass deep blue conditioner with ultra potent pigments neutralizes even the warmest undertones to maintain a platinum finish
- Discover Your Shade: For bold and lasting shades for all hair textures, Garnier Nutrisse Hair Color is available in over 65 cruelty-free and vegan hair dye shades - formulated without animal-derived ingredients
- We’ve upgraded our look, without changing our essential formulas, to reflect our long-standing mission to deliver authentic, natural, and professional results through our full portfolio of products for every hair type.
- Clairol Professional BW2+ Dedusted, Extra Strength Lightening Powder with malic acid is your secret to quick and easy lightening.
- Our multi-use lightener can now be used for a range of both on and off-scalp applications including all-over head lightening, highlights and balayage.
- Providing up to 9 levels of lift, BW2+ lifts past the brass for bright, even results.
- Our non-pigmented powder mixes into a creamy consistency for easy application and provides clear visibility of lift during the lightening process.
- BLUE HAIR BROWN POWDER: Our hair bleach is a blue bleach that removes hair color quickly and evenly. Up to 8 levels of enhancement.
- CAUTION: Please conduct an allergy test before use. This product may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in some people. Avoid the mouth, nose, eyes and any areas with wounds when using.
- DIRECTIONS: Mix bleaching powder and color developer according to the desired ratio and apply evenly to each hair. Apply for 30-50 minutes, not more than 50 minutes. When hair color has faded to your desired color, rinse well with water.
- NOTE: Due to the different hair texture of each person, the hair color effect may vary, the specific effect is subject to the actual effect. This product only contains bleaching powder, does not contain developer, if you need developer, please purchase separately.
- Necessary Hair Dye Kit: 1 mixing bowl; 1 hair color brush; 1 hair dye comb-brush; 2 hairdressing clips. Great for salon hairdressing use and home personal use. Perfect and necessary accessories for DIY hair dye
- Reusable Use: All tools are convenient to use, easy to clean and reusable use. Helping your hair coloring experience easy, and gives you accurate and complete mixing of hair color. Hair dye is not in kit
- Mixing Bowl: Folding design, easy to store and carry. Made of high-quality silicone and has a handle for your convenience
- Hair dye Brushes: 2 different coloring brushes are suitable for any hairstyles such as short or long hair; curly or straight hair. Stiff bristles exceptional for root touch-ups, make sure smooth applications of dye color
- Hair Clips: Perfect hair clips for styling, can easily be used to pin up hair without slipping or damaging
Your Essential Guide to Buying Hair Bleach for Black Hair
Going from dark, black hair to a lighter shade takes serious lifting power. Choosing the right bleach is crucial for success and keeping your hair healthy. This guide helps you pick the best product for your journey.
Key Features to Look For
1. Lift Capacity (How Light Can It Go?)
Black hair needs a strong bleach. Look at the product’s ‘lift capacity.’ This tells you how many levels lighter it can make your hair. For very dark or previously dyed black hair, you might need a bleach promising 6 to 8 levels of lift. Lower lift products might only turn your black hair orange or brassy.
2. Dust-Free or Cream Consistency
The texture matters for safety and ease of use. Dust-free powders or cream bleaches are safer. They create less airborne dust, which protects your lungs. Cream bleaches are often easier to control, especially for beginners.
3. Conditioning Agents Included
Bleaching is damaging. Good bleach kits include bond-building ingredients or moisturizing additives like oils (e.g., argan or coconut oil). These help protect the hair structure while the harsh chemicals work.
Important Materials in Your Bleach Kit
Hair bleach usually comes in two parts: the powder/cream and the developer.
The Lightener Powder/Cream
- Persulfates (Ammonium, Potassium, Sodium): These are the active lifting agents. They open the hair cuticle so the color molecules can be removed.
- Conditioners/Oils: These are added to soften the harshness of the persulfates.
The Developer (Hydrogen Peroxide)
The developer activates the powder. Its strength is measured in ‘Volumes’ (V).
- 10 Volume: Very gentle. Good for slight lightening or highlights only.
- 20 Volume: The standard strength. Good for lifting 2-3 levels. Most home users should start here.
- 30 Volume: Strong. Lifts 3-4 levels. Use with caution and usually only on the mid-lengths or ends.
- 40 Volume: Very strong. Professionals often use this, but it causes significant damage. Avoid this for at-home use on black hair unless you are experienced.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
Quality Boosters:
- Bond Protectors: Products that include built-in bond protectors (like Olaplex or similar technologies) greatly reduce breakage and maintain hair integrity. This is a huge quality improvement.
- Blue or Violet Tones: Bleaches with blue or violet tints help to cancel out the strong orange and yellow tones that naturally appear when lifting black hair. This leads to a cleaner base for toning later.
Quality Reducers (Things to Avoid):
- Very Cheap, Unbranded Powders: These often use harsher chemicals without enough conditioning agents. They lift inconsistently and cause more breakage.
- Using Too High a Volume Developer: Using 40V developer when 20V would work damages the hair unnecessarily. High volume does not always mean better results; it often means more damage.
User Experience and Use Cases
For Complete Transformation (Black to Blonde/Platinum):
If you want a major change, expect this to be a multi-step process. You will likely need two or more bleaching sessions spaced a few weeks apart. Use a lower volume developer (20V) for a longer time rather than a high volume developer for a short time. This gives you a better user experience with less shock to the hair.
For Highlights or Ombre:
If you only want streaks or the ends lightened, you can use a slightly stronger developer (20V or 30V) only on the sections you want to lift. Focus the product only where needed to protect the rest of your hair.
Always strand test first! This lets you see how fast your black hair lifts and how it reacts to the chemicals before committing to your whole head.
10 FAQs About Hair Bleaching Black Hair
Q: Can I use regular hair developer with any bleach powder?
A: Yes, generally. Most powders are designed to mix with standard developers (10V, 20V, 30V). Always check the mixing ratio listed on the powder instructions.
Q: How long should I leave the bleach on my black hair?
A: Never leave it on for more than 45–50 minutes total. For beginners, check the color every 10 minutes after applying. If you are using 20V, you might leave it on for 30–40 minutes.
Q: Will my black hair turn bright orange?
A: Almost certainly, yes. Black hair has strong red and orange undertones. The first stage of lifting always exposes these warm colors. You will need a toner afterward to fix the orange.
Q: Should I wash my hair before bleaching?
A: No. It is better to have one or two days of natural oils on your scalp. This acts as a small barrier against the harshness of the bleach.
Q: Is a cream bleach better than a powder bleach for black hair?
A: Cream bleaches are often easier to control and less messy. Powder bleaches tend to lift slightly stronger, which can be good for very resistant black hair, but they create more dust.
Q: What is “double processing”?
A: This means bleaching your hair, rinsing it out, and then immediately bleaching it again (or applying a second, stronger batch). This is sometimes necessary for very stubborn black hair but increases damage significantly.
Q: How do I know if my hair is damaged during bleaching?
A: If your hair starts feeling stretchy, gummy, or breaks off easily while it is wet, stop the process immediately. That means the hair bonds are breaking.
Q: Do I need a toner after bleaching black hair?
A: Yes. Bleach lifts the color, but toner deposits the final desired shade (like ash blonde or platinum) and cancels out the yellow/orange brassiness.
Q: Can I bleach over hair that was previously dyed black with permanent dye?
A: This is very difficult. Permanent dye molecules are tough to remove. You might need professional help or multiple careful bleaching sessions to lift the dye pigment out.
Q: What should I do after bleaching to repair my hair?
A: Use deep conditioning masks, protein treatments, and bond-repairing products regularly for several weeks after the process. Minimize heat styling.