Will fake tan stain my bleached hair?

Bleached hair demands lots of care and attention or it can end up looking brassy and parched. The same goes for when you want to fake tan your face and body.

Bear in mind that all hair types will absorb fake tan and stain if you don’t protect them first. But because bleached hair is so light, tanner will show up on it even more so than on unprotected brunette or red hair. It can also be drier and feel more processed than hair that hasn’t been bleached, which makes it far readier to soak up fake tan than darker coloured tresses.

Luckily there’s lots you can do to safeguard your bleached hair from becoming discoloured by tanner:

1. Wear a shower cap to contain your hair and act as a physical barrier to tanner. You’ll need to pull it ever so slightly back from your hairline to avoid creating a tan line across your forehead.
2. In fact, pop a headband on first to properly secure you hair and keep any flyaway bits down.
3. Apply a touch of petroleum jelly to the tiny fraction of hair line that’s showing. This will sit on the surface of your hair and prevent tanner from soaking into it. (FYI the natural grease from your hair will work as a barrier too, so don’t bother washing it before you plan on tanning. If you haven’t got any petroleum jelly try running some conditioner through your hair to protect it).
4. If you’ve applied fake tan to your face and some of it has rubbed onto your hair use a cotton bud to collect up any product.