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Cover your counter with newspaper. Wrap a dyeing cape or an old towel around your shoulders and put on a pair of plastic gloves. Lastly, make sure that you have all of your supplies laid out and ready to go. Purchase a bleaching or highlighting kit from the store and prepare the bleach according to the instructions. Each brand will be a little different. In most cases, however, you will have to mix some sort of powder into a cream. The type of bleach you choose depends on how dark your hair is to begin with and how much lighter you need it to go. Use a rat-tail comb to divide your hair in half horizontally so that you have a top and bottom section. Clip the top section out of the way, then split the bottom section into two pigtails. Gather a 2-inch (5.08-centimeter) section of hair. Apply the bleach to it using a tinting brush. How far you apply the bleach is up to you. Most people choose to only do the bottom half of their hair, but you can go higher or lower if you want. If you have thick hair, you may need to take smaller sections to ensure that your hair is fully saturated with the bleach. This will not only keep your dyeing cape/towel clean, but also prevent the bleach from getting onto the rest of your hair. Once you have finished the entire bottom row, let down another layer of hair from the top section and bleach it as well. Keep going until you are done. Remember to wrap each section with foil or plastic wrap as you finish it. How long you wait depends on the type of bleach you used, so be sure to follow the instructions closely. Double-check your hair while it is processing. The times on the kits are only recommendations, and your hair may process faster! Do not over-process your hair, however; the longer you leave the bleach on, the more likely your hair is to be damaged. Be careful and don't lose track of time!  If you want a warm tone, such as red, violet, or pink, lighten your hair until it is marigold-yellow.  If you want a cool tone, such as blue or green, lighten your hair until it is pale yellow, like the inside of a banana peel. Make sure that you use one specially formulated for bleached, damaged, or color-treated hair. Your hair will look darker at this point, but only because it's wet. Sometimes, dark hair turns orange when it is bleached. This can affect the color your dip dye will turn out. Get some blue or purple toning shampoo for blonde or bleached hair. Mix it with some water, then apply it to your hair as a mask. Leave it on for a few minutes, or however long the shampoo bottle instructs, and then wash it out with cool water. Toning shampoo has some blue or purple dye mixed into it. This will help neutralize any copper or brassy tones. Only do this if the instructions on your kit say it is safe to do so. Keep in mind that bleach is very harsh on hair, and that the more often you bleach your hair, the more damaged it will become. If you don’t have to dip dye your hair right away, wait a couple of weeks before bleaching your hair again so that it stays as healthy as possible.
Protect yourself and work area from bleach stains. Mix the bleach according to the instructions on the package. Section off your hair. Use a tinting brush to apply the bleach a small section of hair. Fold plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the hair. Continue bleaching your hair, one section at a time. Allow your hair to process. Rinse your hair thoroughly, then follow up with a conditioner. Tone your hair, if needed. Apply the bleach a second time, if needed.