When you're planning a brand new hair colour, it can be tempting to apply your chosen colour as quickly as possible, but if you’ve got vibrant and colourful results in mind, then you're likely to be disappointed. As a semi-permanent brand, we know the importance of bleaching your hair before applying your hair dye; with a bleached base, you are creating a surface that will provide you with a long-lasting and bright result! Semi-permanent hair dye formulas do not contain any ingredients that will lighten the colour of the hair they are applied to; their result depends completely on certain attributes such as the base colour.
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To Bleach or Not To Bleach?
August 14, 2025 12:02
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Bleaching or pre-lightening your hair will lift the natural pigment from the hair and change its colour. How light your hair lifts depends upon the bleach volume that you choose; for example, a 30 volume bleach is likely to lighten the hair 2-3 levels, whereas a 40 volume bleach can lift the hair 5+ levels. This process requires hair bleach powder and developer; you can often buy a kit such as the Manic Panic Flash Lightning home hair bleaching kit in 30 and 40 volume.
Hair Levels
Why are hair levels so important? The level that your hair is will help to determine the result you can achieve when dyeing your hair, especially when using semi-permanent formulas. Hair bleach levels start from level 1 to level 10+ and are used to measure the lightness of your hair colour. For example, someone with very dark brown/black hair could be a level 1-2, whereas someone with a light blonde tone could be a level 7-8.
Bleach lift levels that are required when using semi-permanent hair dyes vary between a level 7 to level 10 as the dyes are fortified with different levels of pigments.
Pastel tones - When using pastel shades or very light colours, you will need level 10 bleached hair that has been evenly toned. This type of hair colour no longer holds the darker natural tones which would interfere and mask the pastel dye.
Vibrant hues - If the goal is to achieve a vibrant result, similar to those on our website pages, you will need to consider pre-lightening the hair to a level 8-10 depending on the colour you choose and result you desire.
Colour tint - Some of our semi-permanent formulas can provide a colour tint which is most obvious in certain lights. Darker hair colours, such as level 4-7, are best for these results. You will also need to choose highly pigmented shades such as Vampire Red or Violet Night as these are more likely to be seen on these types of hair levels.
If you opt to bleach your own hair at home, it is important that you have done your research. Applying bleach without any direction or idea of what you're doing can cause serious damage to your hair such as breakage and uneven tones. You should have a good understanding of the processing time, how to apply your bleach, and how to take care of it after. It is also important to note that achieving the level of lightness you require can take time, and patience is key! If you are a natural brunette trying to achieve a level 8 blonde, you will need a few bleaching sessions before you reach your end point. Give your hair time to breathe between applications, and we don’t mean minutes or hours, we mean days or weeks.
After bleaching your hair and achieving the level that you had in mind, toning is your next step. Toning the hair will help to even the colour after bleaching and is the final stop to becoming the light shade that you are looking for! At Manic Panic, our hair toner products range includes our highly reputable Silver Stiletto collection which you will find in a cream formula, as well as our Silver Stiletto violet shampoo and conditioner duo. This collection helps to achieve a cool-toned base with an icy silver finish! Alternatively, we also have our Virgin Snow cream toner; a warm blonde hue that enhances a creamy result.
Looking after your bleached hair
Bleaching can cause the hair to feel quite dry because bleach draws out the natural moisture in your hair, so it is essential that you nourish your hair to help promote a moisturised base. The Manic Panic Mermaid Hair Repair Mask is a highly nourishing hair mask that has been fortified to introduce and maintain a moisturised and smooth result. This beneficial hair care product includes ingredients such as wheat protein and Quaternium-91, used to strengthen and smooth the hair as well as protect it from outside aggressors. Once you’re ready to apply your new hair colour, you can rest assured that your bleached base will be taken care of with the Manic Panic formulas. Fortified with 98% conditioner, these dyes will condition your hair as you colour it, once again promoting that smooth and moisturised result!
If you’re considering bleaching your hair, take the time to get to know the product and the process before you delve in. Achieving your desired finish is a possible outcome but it should be carefully considered. Here at Manic Panic, we are always happy to discuss and answer any questions that you might have before taking this step on your hair journey; our professional stylists are always on hand to provide their top tips and advice as and when you require!
