A method for altering the color of hair comprising applying a bleach composition containing persulfate salts and at least one oxidizing agent to the desired strands of hair for a period of time sufficient to bleach the hair, removing the bleach composition from the hair but leaving at least some residual oxidizing agent on the bleached hair strands, then treating the hair with a colorant composition containing at least one dye operable to color hair in the presence of the residual oxidizing agent found on the bleached hair strands, said colorant composition being free of any oxidizing agents operable to react with the dye present therein to form color, whereby upon contact with the colorant composition, the hair strands treated with the bleach composition having residual oxidizing agent thereon will react with the dye present in the colorant composition to cause the bleached hair strands to become colored, while any remaining unbleached hair will not become colored by contact with the colorant composition and a kit and shampoo composition for use with the method.