How to Bleach Your Hair Like a Pro (According to TikTok's Favourite Barber, Sam Rascals)
If Esquire was to write up a list of things a person should do at least once in their life, bleaching your hair would be up there. Simply because, well, why not? Blondes have more fun, et cetera.
Samuel Bentham – the Newcastle-born barber of Britain's social media feeds better known as Sam Rascals – concurs. “It can totally change someone's look,” he tells me as we lounge in his Manchester studio.
He should know. Not only does Bentham regularly dye hair all shades of blonde for a living, he's also often blonde himself.
Like most who plaster on the peroxide, Bentham first took the jump after seeing one of his celebrity role models do the very same: David Beckham.
“For me, Beckham is the OG of men's hair bleaching. I was getting highlight like him when I was in about year 9. I had it like a mohawk. My brother used to bleach his hair too, but just the fringe.”
These days, he favours another Manchester United player's bleached locks: Alejandro Garnacho, who is now a client.
“I feel blonde is most wearable, most versatile, once the roots have started to come in,” he tells us, loading a picture of the Spanish winger's platinum-top drop fade. “Since he has dark hair, I like that the contrast gives his hair depth.”
Whether your inspiration comes from a footballer, actor, musician or simply a desire for change, Bentham offers priceless guidance for anyone embarking on the blonde journey below.
How to Bleach Your Hair at Home
Step One: Bleach Your Hair
Bleaching your hair means breaking down the melanin in each strand, and the darker your natural hair colour is, the harder it's going to be to lift.
You might need to bleach it twice (something we will get on to).
All you'll need is the bleach itself, some developer, a hair colouring brush and a mixing bowl. Perhaps some gloves, if you're sensible.
Bentham encourages everyone to bypass Boots and head to a hairdresser wholesalers, unless your hair is very fair anyway, in which case you can probably opt for a box.
When electing your products, pay heed to two numbers: the level of lift of the beach and the concentration of peroxide in the developer.
“I tend to use nine levels of lift because you're going to get the most out of it,” Bentham shares, “and a 6% peroxide developer – you'll find 3%, 6%, 9% and 12% on the market.”
“With the 6% you can leave it on for about an hour which I find provides the best results. Peroxides disrupts the barrier of the skin so the higher the percentage the more it's going to irritate the skin.
Step Two: Wrap and Rinse Your Hair
Bentham confirms that wrapping your hair after applying the bleach will help you “get the most out of the process”.
Cling film is his go-to wrap, but acknowledges the effectiveness and practicality of plastic caps and tin foil.
“It will help retain the heat of the chemical reaction in a way that won't dry out the bleach – even if you apply external heat using a hair dryer or diffuser.”
After about an hour, rinse the bleach out with water.
“rinse with cold water, as the scalp is already irritated.”
Step Three: If Necessary, Bleach Again
If you do decide your hair isn't light enough and go ahead with another round of bleach, Bentham suggests you do it straight after (re-following step one and two). Just make sure this time round it's off the scalp.
“Don't put bleach on your scalp for a second time. The good thing is that the thing that lifts the easiest is the root anyway so you shouldn't need to get it on the root the second time anyway.”
But if you prefer to play it safe by gradually bleaching your hair (good advice for those with long, dark locks), start with caramel highlights, add some lighter streaks a few weeks later and slowly but surely head towards total gold/honey/platinum.
Step Four: Apply a Toner
Once your hair is a light enough, it's time to swap the ineludible brass for a colour more desirable.
That's where toners come in, with some more numbers...
Any number before a decimal point is the base. 1 equals deep black, so if you want your hair to be white, you need to opt for 9 0r 10.
Numbers after the decimals are the tones: the first is the primary tone, the second is the secondary tone and so on.
Here are the most popular toners to pair with bleached hair.
· 9.0/10.0 has no tone, minimising warmth and coolness to achieve a neutral tone.
· 9.1/10.1 is a blue that neutralises yellow and achieve an ash blonde.
· 9.2/10.2 is a purple that neutralises orange and achieves a cool blonde.
· 9.3/10.3 is a yellow that achieves a golden blonde.
· 9.4/10.4 is an orange that achieves a warm blonde.
Keep an eye on your hair as the toner develops – according to Bentham, it can anything from 5-15 minutes. Post-toner, care for your new head top using shampoo and conditioner.
Step Five: Aftercare
“As we all know, a lot of lads do not look after their hair,” states Bentham. “But when you've dedicated yourself to blonde hair, you're going to have to do more than rub some shower gel into it.”
“Since bleach draws all of the moisture out of your mop, you need to put some moisture back in. You want your hair to flow – be in good condition so you can style it properly.”
This barber suggests giving anything with harsh chemicals a wide berth; he recommends Faith in Nature shampoo and Palmer's coconut oil leave-in conditioner.
“I also use the Palmer's for styling – I use a leave-in conditioner almost every day.”
The same steps for curly hair?
Bentham reckons Olaplex products are key for those looking to keep their curls in the bleaching process.
“The brand creates a product you can put in the bleach before you apply it to keep it as healthy as possible, and there's also a product you can use when washing your hair afterwards.”
“And, of course, make sure you're using conditioning treatments.”
Including afro hair?
“Yes,” says Bentham with a confidence born from experience in bleaching tight curls.
“It's actually easier to apply it off the scalp as with afro textures you can use a sponge to work it through the hair.”
You can visit Rascals Studio in Manchester (book an appointment here) or Rascals Barbershops in two locations in Newcastle (book an appointment here).
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