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Once you bleach it, hair doesn't like to hold onto color too well. To zap your too-light tresses with a little bit of natural blond, you first have to "fill" your hair. Filling basically evens out hair porosity and fills in the damaged spots -- the spots that let the color get away. It's an extra step, but an easy one. And well worth it when you think about how much effort goes into dyeing your hair -- you don't want to have to do it all again in a few weeks, do ya?
1.
Spritz your clean, dry hair with color filler. Get those ends really well -- they need the most help. Let the filler dry completely before applying the color. You can mix up the color while you wait.
2.
Mix an equal amount of color with 10-volume color developer in a color bottle. Not just any color will do. Select a blond color with a natural or neutral base. Base colors grab onto bleached hair, so you want to make sure you're not putting anything on your hair with a dominant base. Natural and neutral colors have equal parts of all of the primary colors. Colors such as ash, beige and strawberry blond do not.
3.
Slide on some gloves -- your hands don't need coloring -- and start applying the color, from the roots to the ends. Take small sections and work the color into the hair shaft as you go. If you don't think you're getting it through all your hair, take smaller sections.
4.
Set a timer for 25 minutes after you put the last bit of the color on.
5.
Rinse and shampoo your hair with color-protecting shampoo at the timer's ding. Follow up with color-protecting conditioner. Leave it on for a few minutes to seal in your beautiful blond color.
Pick up color filler at any beauty supply store. If you can't find it or don't want to go through the hassle, you can also "fill" your bleached hair with straight hair color that's not mixed with developer. Coat it on the hair shaft and apply the color with developer directly on top of it. It's a little messier, but it will do the job.
When you dye bleached hair, it will fade. Avoid things that will make it fade faster, like shampooing your hair every day.
