Bleaching your dreads can really damage them, so you should choose other options when dyeing them. Those with light-colored dreads can simply use hair dye on them to make them darker, but there are ways to make them lighter without bleach. While hydrogen peroxide is used primarily used for treating infections, low concentrations of the liquid can lighten your hair. If you are interested in lightening your hair without the damage that bleach can cause, choose this method to save time and money, as salons are expensive and time-consuming.
Prepare your dreads for the dyeing process. Wash your dreads before attempting to dye them as you would normally wash them to remove built-up grease and oil that can accumulate in them. Dry your dreads with a towel so that they will absorb the hydrogen peroxide more readily and lighten over time.
Pour the hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle that has been cleaned thoroughly. If it's new, a quick rinse might be all you need, but if not and there were liquids in the bottle other than water, make sure you do thoroughly wash the bottle to remove any previous liquids. Once it's clean, fill the spray bottle with as much peroxide as you will need for the amount of dreads you're wanting to color.
Spray your dreads with hydrogen peroxide to lighten them. Avoid getting peroxide in your eyes or on exposed skin. Treating your dreads with the peroxide will lighten the hair color. It will make dirty blonds blonder and can also give redheads a strawberry blond look. Allow the hydrogen peroxide to dry in order to get the best penetration on each hair strand.
Wash your hair after the hydrogen peroxide has dried. Removing it will stop the dyeing process and will allow you to asses which areas need a little more work. Use a mirror or ask a friend to look at the back of your hair where you applied the hydrogen peroxide to see if you missed any spots. Spray the areas that were missed and allow them to dry, then wash your hair once again.
Continue this process until all areas have been covered and dyed. Use a box color or go to salon to change the color if you then choose to go darker. After they have been dyed without bleach, they can be re-colored any way you would like using hair color from the store.
Tip
Sit in the sun while the peroxide is drying to amplify its effectiveness.
Warning
Peroxided hair and swimming pools don't mix well. Whether it's the chlorine or certain metals dissolved in pool water that causes the effect, going swimming in a pool can make your peroxided hair get a greenish tint.
Writer Bio
Christian Mullen is a graduate from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in finance. He has written content articles online since 2009, specializing in financial topics. A professional musician, Mullen also has expert knowledge of the music industry and all of its facets.