I've seen a product for highlighting/bleaching for permed hair. Here is a link to a site to check out what the box looks like. www.americarx.com/Products/7591.html

I've used the other highlighting lines in this brand and I've been happy with them. (They have them with caps, just a brush, and different levels out bleached out) But, If it's ok for permed hair, I wouldn't see whyit wouldn't be ok for your naturally curly hair. You can usually find this line at Walgreens and Walmart. If you have a Marc's near you, they should carry it also. You can also visit your local Sally's Beauty Supply, they are usually super informative and nice, and they should be able to point you in the right/safe direction. Bleaching shouldn't straighten your hair. You should always keep an eye on your hair while it's processing. I let bleach sit for 45 minutes then check it every 5-10 minutes to see how it's going. (I have very dark brown hair naturally)

Have you dyed your hair blue before?

I have really coarse, wavy hair (like '80's scrunch w/o needing product). I have been highlighting my hair for a long time & it tends to be very dry. I did bleach out pieces & then use neon color awhile ago. It definitely damaged those pieces & took a lot of the texture out. If you have a little cash to spend, I really recommend going to an Aveda salon that uses Aveda hair color. They may not be able to put the bright colors in, but their color services are much easier on hair. The salon should be able to give you a gentle bleaching to get the base for the bright color. Most of the over the counter bleaches are very harsh. I have been able to maintain long hair & still have blond highlights by using Aveda.

just my two cents...good luck & please post the after pics!

The reason I asked about if you've dyed you hair crazy colors before is because there are some other things to consider before taking the plunge. Like upkeep....Crazy colors are fun and I love them (I currently have pink in my "bangs" and the entire under half of my hair), but they are a pain to keep up with. The color used is only temporary and fades with every wash.

Blue fades to moldy green
Purple fades to gray
Red and pink tend to fade to orange (It looks ok with red....but kindof weird when pink goes to orange)
If you start out with green it tends to fade the best and just lightens back to blonde.

The bottle may say it's going to last for 6 weeks...but it's not bright and pretty that entire 6 weeks. It's only really that way for the first week or two and then you will have to re-apply to keep it looking the way you want. The bleach is going to damage your hair some what no matter what you do. My hair is a little more dry than normal, but I still get the little wavey/curly baby hairs right next to my face. I don't condition my hair in the shower, but I do rub some leave in conditioner on the bleached parts and through the ends of the rest.

See had a good idea of going to the salon. If you are afraid to bleach youself, have a professional do it for you. You can always go home and put the blue in yourself. It shouldn't be too bad cost wise if you only want a few chunks here and there.

I can't answer you on the curly hair question, since my hair is straight to the point it refuses to curl even with machinery, but I can try to help out with the second question.

It really depends on how strong your hair is. First, if you have thin or weak hair - stay away from the bleach! Make sure it's at a healthy stage before you undergo the procedure. I can bleach my hair multiple times without problems, but my aunt and a friend of mine both had most of their hair break - and they both have much thinner hair than I do. If your hair is strong enough for it, there's nothing you can do about the straw-iness for the first few days, but with enough nutrition I think any hair can be nursed back within a week. What I use is conditioner for either color-treated hair or dry hair - preferably both (like "L'oreal Pro Vive for color-treated hair that's dry"). When I jump in the shower the first thing I do is shampoo, and then put a good amount of conditioner in my hair to make sure every strand will be drenched in it. I let it sit there for at least 5-10 minutes (the duration of the shower) and rinse it off right at the end. I find that this helps a lot. Another really good conditioner is the Mandarin Orange one from Bath & Body Works. It makes my hair feel super smooth and silky, and definitely repairs the damage from bleaching.

Hope this helps!

i'm not a colorist or a stylist, but my hair dresser told me that straight hair has very little moisture (she said this in reference to blow drying the waves out of my hair) and since bleach dries the hair, it might loosen or release the curls. that is only in theory though.

Instead of putting streaks in your hair you could always just to the tips. Like say, the last 4 or so inches of your hair. That way if it doesn't work out you could just get a trim. 4 Inches lost isn't so bad. You could always do a strand test too. I guess that should have really been my first suggestion. Take a piece from underneath and bleach it and see what happens. I find that's where my hair ties to curl the most.

My experience with bleaching/un-natural dyes has been just as everyone else says with the upkeep and damage. To answer your question about its effect on curls...I have very curly, thick, strong, dark brown hair. It takes a lot to lighten it enough to take semi-permanent dyes. I've never noticed any difference in the curl. It gets drier, courser, frizzier and more prone to breakage, but I don't worry because it's thick and grows fast. I'm mixed, so I use moisturizing products made for people of color and I buy the Feria deep conditioner that comes in the kits at Sallie's in larger bottles. It makes my hair smoother than anything else I've tried. Also, purple and red work the best on my bleached hair.

Curly hair is much more delicate than straight hair - you may want to take a look at the book "Curly Girl" - the short version is that curly hair's outer layer doesn't lie flat - it remains open which means that dye more easily damages it and it's much more prone to being too dry and needing a lot of conditioning. Curly girls are best off sticking to vegetable dyes to change the color of their curls without doing too much damage, and be sure that your hair is in good condition before you dye it.

A couple things- First, you don't need to rebleach every time you touch up the bright color (which you will have to do very frequently to keep it looking rich; I used to use a toothbrush to apply it to the streaks at bedtime and sleep in a shower cap) (also, I've heard- but have not tried- that using a wet/dry straightening iron to essentially cook the color in when you apply it helps it last a lot longer, but I'd be careful not to overdo it)... anyhow, I only bleached out the new growth every 3 months or so, so you're not completely trashing your hair.

The bright colors themselves are not damaging; it's the bleach you have to worry about.

Right now, I use L'Oreal Hi-Lift Highlights (sort-of professional product I get at Sally's) for my streaks; it only comes in a few copper/red/magenta colors, but they are very pretty and last better than the Manic Panic-type brands, but they're also not so screaming bright. They are made for dark hair only, and work in one step, so you don't pre-bleach. But no colors in the cool range, unfortunately.