Hair bleaching is an excellent way of changing your hair’s look using chemicals like sodium hydroxide or hydrogen peroxide. These chemicals affect the hair’s color and texture differently, and you can change to a blonde, brunette, or redhead.
Key Takeaways
- You should wait 4 to 6 weeks before bleaching your hair again.
- Never bleach your hair twice a week; otherwise, you’ll damage it.
- Waiting up to 6 weeks gives your hair ample time to recover from the previous treatment and rehydrate.
- Ensure you undergo conditioning treatments and oil the tresses before bleaching again.
However, regular bleaching can cause damage, making your hair porous, weak, and dry. It could also lead to skin irritation and burns on the scalp. Many people have wondered how long they must wait to bleach their hair again, with many getting contrasting answers.
This article looks at factors affecting the waiting period between bleaching sessions, recommended waiting times for people with different hair types, and tips for keeping your hair healthy, which you will learn if you read on.
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Factors Determining The Waiting Time Until You Can Bleach Your Hair Again
Although bleaching your hair allows you to change your look, it’s crucial to wait at least 4 weeks before changing or reapplying the bleach. However, the waiting period is different with individuals, with the following factors affecting how long you need to wait before bleaching the hair again:
- Hair condition
- Type of bleach used
- Desired level of lightening
- The natural hair color
- The type of oxidizing agent used
- Hair Condition

Bleaching chemicals weaken the hair’s shaft and cuticles, making it impossible to re-bleach immediately. Check if your hair breaks easily after bleaching to determine how long you should wait before re-bleaching. It’s always best to wait until the hair gets strong and healthy before bleaching again, even if you’ve waited the recommended 4 to 6 weeks.
- Type of Bleach Used
Stronger hair bleaching agents take a long time for the hair to recover and be ready for re-bleaching. Products like powder lighteners are known to be harsh on hair, although they work more quickly.
Weaker products like cream lighteners might take a few more hours for the effects to show, but they also require a short period before re-bleaching.
Ensure you know the hair-bleaching product you use. That helps determine how long you should wait before bleaching again.
- Desired Level of Lightening

The desired level of lightening you want on your hair determines how long you should wait before bleaching again. For instance, you may require a few bleaching sessions to change your hair color from dark brown to blonde. Doing so takes time compared to someone who needs a quick hair color change. Ensure you space out the sessions to allow the hair ample time to recover.
- The Natural Hair Color

People with dark hair colors require multiple bleaching sessions, which takes time compared to those with light hair colors. The bleaching sessions also require more processing and applying many hair bleach products that compromise the hair’s quality and strength. That’s why you must wait longer to re-bleach than someone with a lighter hair color.
- The Type of Oxidizing Agent Used
The oxidizing agent is a crucial component in hair bleaching. Mixing it with the bleaching product activates the lightening process. Its purpose is to open the hair’s cuticles, allowing the bleach product to enter the hair shaft.
A powerful oxidizing agent opens the cuticles quickly, shortening the bleaching period. However, it compromises the hair’s strength, which requires you to wait longer before re-bleaching. Ensure you find out the oxidizing agent’s strength before bleaching your hair.
Related: Can You Bleach Wet Hair? How to Do it Safely and Effectively
What Are The Recommended Waiting Times Before Re-bleaching?
As a rule of thumb, you should wait at least 4 weeks before re-bleaching your hair. However, the waiting period changes with individuals depending on the desired effects, products used, and the hair’s pre-bleaching condition. Here are some general guidelines that determine how long you should wait before bleaching your hair again:
- Healthy hair – If you have healthy hair and want to lighten a few shades, you should wait between 6 and 8 weeks before re-bleaching.
- Moderately damaged hair – You may have to wait 8 to 12 weeks if you have moderately damaged hair before deciding to bleach your hair again.
- Severly-damaged hair – It’s recommended to wait for at least 12 to 16 weeks before re-bleaching if you have severely damaged hair and want to lighten a few shreds.
- Healthy hair but drastic changes – You may have to wait 6 to 8 weeks between bleaching sessions if you have healthy hair but want to make drastic changes, like bleaching from dark brown to blonde. Additionally, you’ll need 2 to 3 sessions to achieve the desired results.
- Damaged hair but drastic changes – You’ll have to wait 12 to 16 weeks if you have damaged hair and still want to bleach it from dark brown to blonde. Again, the process requires 3 sessions to achieve the desired look.
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How Soon Can I Bleach My Hair Again To Fix It?
The recommended waiting period for healthy hair before re-bleaching is 6 to 8 weeks, and 8 to 12 weeks for damaged hair. The waiting period is crucial as it allows the hair to recover from the damage caused by the oxidizing and bleaching agents.
How Often Can I Bleach My Hair Without Damaging It?
Although bleaching helps to change your hair color, regular bleaching can weaken and damage your hair. It’s best to wait for a minimum of 4 weeks between bleaching sessions before bleaching your hair again to avoid any damage.
Additionally, you should avoid bleaching the hair yourself if you’ve never done it before. Instead, you should hire a hairstylist who has experience bleaching hair.
Can I Bleach My Hair After a Week?
You should avoid bleaching your hair after a week since it hasn’t recovered fully. Bleaching your hair too soon could lead to further damage and complications like split ends, dryness, and breakage. The best you can do is apply appropriate hair products that aid in ‘healing’ the hair from the previous damage.
Can I Bleach My Hair Again After 2 Days?
No, you shouldn’t attempt to bleach your hair after 2 days, as doing so will damage it. Your hair needs appropriate time, mostly between 6 and 12 weeks, depending on the damage, before re-bleaching it.
Can I Bleach My Hair Again The Next Day?
No, it’s not recommended to bleach your hair again the next day since it hasn’t healed or recovered from the damage caused by the previous bleaching. Bleaching your hair the next day may lead to damage like breaking, dryness, and damaging the hair cuticles. Also, you risk burns on your scalp if you bleach your hair too soon.
Can I Bleach My Hair Again After A Week?
No, you cannot bleach your hair again after a week; otherwise, you’ll cause damages that will take a long time to repair. It’s always best to consult a hairstylist to know when to bleach your hair.
Related: How to Bleach Bath Hair to Remove Color
Tips For Keeping Hair Healthy
Proper hair care routines result in strong, healthy hair that can withstand bleaching effects. Knowing the best hair care tips is crucial to prolong your hair’s lifespan. Here are a few ideas to achieve this:
- Use a deep conditioner – Hair products that contain natural oils and proteins are perfect for nourishing and strengthening your hair. Using deep conditioner products once a week will result in healthy and strong hair.
- Avoid heating styling tools – If you must use heating styling tools, it’s best to use a heat protectant spray first, as these tools can damage your hair.
- Use protective spray before using bleach – Heat-protective sprays containing argan oil and keratin are perfect for keeping your hair safe before bleaching. They minimize the damage caused by bleaching products that weakens the hair.
- Trim your hair regularly – The common side effect of regular bleaching is split ends. You can eliminate this problem by trimming your hair more often.
- Avoid washing your hair too often – Use a gentle hair shampoo when washing your hair. Again, washing it at most 2 times a week would be best to avoid washing off the hair’s natural oils.
- Stay hydrated and eat healthy food – Your hair’s health depends on your diet and hydration. A diet rich in minerals and vitamins helps build strong and healthy hair.
- Get regular hair treatment – If you want to nourish and strengthen your hair, we recommend going for regular hair treatments like hair masking, oiling, and spa.
How Long Should You Wait To Bleach Your Hair Again FAQs
- Can I Bleach My Hair Again After 24 Hours?
No, you shouldn’t bleach your hair after 24 hours; otherwise, you risk damaging it further. Instead, it would be best if you let it rest for up to 4 to 6 weeks before attempting to bleach it again.
- Can I Bleach My Hair Again After 6 Months?
Yes, you can bleach your hair again after 6 months. That’s because your hair has had enough time to recover.
- Can I Bleach My Hair Again After 3 Days?
No, you cannot bleach your hair again after 3 days without risking damaging it further. Three days are not enough for your hair to recover from the damage caused by the previous bleaching.
- Can I Bleach My Hair Again After A Month?
Yes, you can bleach your hair again after a month, but only if your hair is healthy and hasn’t experienced moderate or significant damage from the previous bleaching. Also, you can only bleach your hair again after a month if you need moderate lightening.
- Can I Bleach My Hair Again After 3 Months?
Yes, you can bleach your hair after 3 months since it falls within the recommended wait period before re-bleaching your hair.
Conclusion
Regular bleaching weakens and damages the hair. It’s recommended to use mild bleaching products to prevent hair damage. Additionally, it would be best to wait 6 weeks before bleaching again to avoid damaging the hair. Talk to a hairstylist if you have concerns about how long you should wait before re-bleaching your hair.