How to Do Ombre (Dip Dye) Hair at Home

Co-authored by Steven Waldman and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: March 15, 2022 References

Ombré hair is a popular coloring technique that involves shading your hair into a gradient. You can easily use this technique with your own hair from the comfort of your own home, as long as you use plastic gloves and white towels to protect both your skin and bleaching workspace. After preparing the bleach, use a brush applicator to paint the product into your hair. With proper maintenance, you can enjoy a stylish and trendy hair color!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing Your Hair and Workspace

1
Put on plastic gloves to protect your hands. Protect your hands with a pair of disposable gloves to prevent any harsh chemicals from getting on you. Bleach can burn or irritate the skin, so make sure that your hands are covered and protected at all times.^{[1]
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- Follow the safety instructions on your bleach kit in the event that you accidentally get any bleach product onto your skin.
- Disposable gloves can be found at any store selling cleaning supplies.
2
Place old white cloth over your shoulders and workspace. Take a well-used white towel and dangle around your shoulders, back, neck, and any other place that the bleach might touch. Don’t use a dark towel for this, as the bleach will stain and permanently recolor the material.^{[2]
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- Any material will work, as long as you don’t mind it getting bleached. Old T-shirts and linens are also great options.
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3
Mix 2 sachets of powder with 1 bottle of creme developer. Set a small bowl on your workspace and dump in 2 packets of bleach powder. Next, pour in a whole bottle of developer. Use the brush applicator or another stirring utensil to mix the ingredients together. Aim for the bleach mixture to have a thick, yogurt-like consistency. If the bleach is too runny, then you won’t be able to apply it in your hair.^{[3]
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- If you have longer hair, you might want to use more bleach, while individuals with shorter hair might want to use less. See how much bleach mixture you have after stirring 2 packets into the developer, and go from there.
- Since the ombré look is gradual, you only want to bleach the lower sections of your hair.
Did you know? You can control the lightness of your bleached hair by using different levels of developer. A 10 volume bottle of creme developer only lightens your hair slightly, while 20 volume lightens your hair by 1-2 shades.

The strongest developers come in 30 and 40 volume levels; however, these products should only be used by salon professionals.^{[4]
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4
Apply a small amount of bleach to a few strands as a test. Take the brush applicator and rub a tiny amount of bleach product onto your hair. Watch and monitor how much your hair lightens, and think about whether or not you like the shade.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Steven Waldman
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 27 July 2021.} Before bleaching a large amount of your hair, decide if you’d like to continue with your ombré hair plans.^{[6]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Lightening Your Hair

1
Use a brush to apply the bleach from the bottom up. Dip the brush into the bleach and scoop out some product. Then, starting from the bottom, paint the bleach onto your hair using upward strokes. Apply the bleach in a thick layer, ensuring that all strands are equally covered as you go. Work the bleach about halfway up your hair, stopping at the point where you’d like the bleach to ombré into your natural color.^{[7]
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- Try to keep your bleach application as smooth and consistent as possible. This will lead to a smoother and more consistent ombré.
- Feel free to bleach a larger section of hair if you’d like your ombré to be less gradual.
2
Add highlighting streaks of bleach above your ombré line. Make your ombre appear more like a gradient by applying thin streaks of bleach product to the upper half of your hair. Work in upward strokes, arranging these streaks randomly above the lower section of bleach. Try to use smaller amounts amount bleach for these random sections to vary up the ombré effect in your finished look.^{[8]
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- Try to avoid getting excess bleach mixture on your scalp, as this can irritate the skin.
3
Let the bleach sit for 30 minutes or less. Read the label on your bleaching kit to see how long the hair bleach needs to stay on your hair. Depending on your hair color, you might need to wait around 30 minutes for your hair to lighten to the desired shade.^{[9]
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- Don’t keep the bleach on for longer than the specified time.
- Someone with brown hair will probably need to keep the bleach product in for longer than an individual with blonde hair would.
4
Rinse off the bleach in the sink or bathtub. Set the faucet to a warm temperature and wash out the bleach beneath the running water. Keep your gloves on as you rinse your locks, using your fingers to get rid of any extra bleach clumps. Continue rinsing until your hair is completely bleach-free.^{[10]
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- When wet, your bleached hair will look significantly darker than its true shade.
5
Massage a coin-sized amount of conditioner into your treated hair. Pour a small amount of conditioner for bleached hair onto your hands and knead it into your scalp. Focus on the lower sections of hair, which were just exposed to bleach. Work the product into your hair until it reaches a foamy lather, then rinse it out.^{[11]
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- Read the label on the conditioner to see if the product needs to sit in your hair for a certain amount of time.
Did you know? If you have dark brown or black hair, your hair probably won’t reach the desired blonde shade in 1 sitting. To protect your hair, never keep bleach in for longer than the recommended time, and if you want your hair to be lighter, wait 1-2 weeks before applying any more bleach.^{[12]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Adding an Ombré Effect

1
Wait 1-2 weeks before making a new batch of bleach. Let your hair rest and rejuvenate before you lighten it another shade. Wash and condition your lightened hair on a regular basis, using silver or color-treated shampoo. Once you’ve given your hair some time to heal and adjust, you can finish creating the ombré effect!^{[13]
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- If you bleach your hair multiple times in 1 sitting, your hair could end up breaking and splitting.
2
Create a new batch of bleach with powder and creme developer. Go to your local beauty supply shop and pick up 2 packets of bleach powder, as well as a bottle of 10 or 20 volume creme developer. After putting on a pair of gloves, mix the bottle of developer and the bleach powder together, stirring until you create a chunky mixture.^{[14]
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- Whenever you work with bleach, make sure that you’re protecting your skin and workspace with old white towels or rags.
3
Brush bleach over the bottom ⅔ of your already-lightened hair. Use the same bleach mixture and brush applicator to apply the product into the lower sections of your hair. Don’t cover all of your bleached hair; instead, paint over the lower ⅔ of your lightened hair. Coat this portion of hair in a thick, even layer of bleach to keep the color and ombré consistent.^{[15]
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- This layer of bleach depends on the ombré pattern that you’re going for. If you’d prefer a more drastic transition, bleach the lower half of your hair instead.
4
Leave the bleach in your hair for less than 30 minutes. Follow the instructions on the bleaching kit box, and wait for your hair to lighten. Don’t leave the product on for longer than listed, as this could do long-term damage to your hair.^{[16]
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Research source} Since your hair is already bleached, keep the bleach in for less than 30 minutes.^{[17]
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- If your hair is lighter, you might reach your desired color sooner.
5
Rinse out all of the remaining bleach. Tilt your head beneath a running faucet in your sink or bathtub. Use your glove-covered hands to remove any remaining bleach in your hair, so the product doesn’t continue to lighten your hair. Run your fingers through your hair to check that all bleach product is gone before doing anything else.^{[18]
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- Never touch hair bleach with your bare hands, as you could end up irritating and hurting your skin.
6
Nourish your hair with a coin-sized amount of conditioner. Pour a small amount of conditioner for bleached hair into your hands, then work the product into your lower, bleached section of hair. Continue kneading the conditioner into your hair until it reaches a foamy lather, then rinse it out with warm water.^{[19]
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- Double check on the product label to see if you need to leave the conditioner in for a certain amount of time.
7
Wash out your hair regularly with a silver shampoo. Look in your local beauty supply shop for silver or purple shampoo, which is designed for bleached hair. Apply a coin-sized amount of the purple formula onto your fingers, then massage the product into your hair until it reaches a foamy lather. Rinse out the shampoo once you’ve worked the product into all of your bleached hair.^{[20]
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- Don’t be alarmed if your hair has a slightly purple tint. This is a normal side effect of using this type of shampoo.
- Silver/purple shampoo uses the principles of the color wheel to bring out the lightness of your hair while preventing brassy tones.
- Continue using this type of shampoo in the coming weeks to maintain your bleached hair.

Expert Q&A

Question

How far down should ombré start?

Steven Waldman
Professional Hair Stylist
Steven Waldman is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Director of Technical Training at Hair Cuttery. Steven uses his creative insight and extensive experience to drive educational programming and motivates facilitators and learners to communicate effectively, create and execute strategies to maximize potential, and achieve success. He uses unexpected sources such as art genres, architecture, and cooking to inspire shape, color, and cuts.

Steven Waldman

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Back when ombré hair first become popular, the ombré hair transition started close to the cheekbone or jawline. Nowadays, people prefer to start the transition higher up in their hair with smudged/shadow roots.
Question

What is the ombré look?

Steven Waldman
Professional Hair Stylist
Steven Waldman is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Director of Technical Training at Hair Cuttery. Steven uses his creative insight and extensive experience to drive educational programming and motivates facilitators and learners to communicate effectively, create and execute strategies to maximize potential, and achieve success. He uses unexpected sources such as art genres, architecture, and cooking to inspire shape, color, and cuts.

Steven Waldman

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

The ombré look involves a horizontal transition of color down a person's hair. This could a really bold color transition, like a light blonde transitioning to a dark brunette, or something more subtle.
Question

How long will the purple color last on my hair before fading, and do I just touch it up when it does?

Community Answer

If you use a permanent dye, it should last roughly 6 weeks. Touching it up is the best option, but it will further damage your hair.