Have you ever bleached your hair before? If the answer is yes, how did it go for you? I hope it went well.
In case the answer is no, it would be a smart idea to learn a bit more about bleach in general and the bleaching process so you would be aware of what exactly you are exposing your hair to.
Today I am going to solve the ancient mystery of how long to wait between bleaching sessions once and for all. Some hair stylists recommend you to wait at least a month before the next bleaching session; some others will say a week or two will be more than enough.
For me, the answer is a bit more complicated than that, and I always think it has to do a lot more with the overall condition of your hair after the first bleach.
Anyhow, let’s see what I have discovered.
So How Long Should You Wait Until The Next Bleaching Session?
I’m not so sure you will like the answer that I’m going to give you. If you need a fast answer and a quick solution, you are at the wrong spot since this one will take some of your time, but it is well worth it, I promise.
Now that we’ve cleared things up let’s see why I am so worried about repeating the bleaching process too soon after the previous one.
Unfortunately, people usually think that bleaching is a simple process where you only whiten your hair strand, and everything goes peachy. No damage, no harmful effect, no risk.
Wrong!
It seems like you all forget that hair, your hair is a part of you, it’s a living growing thing like your skin or nails, and it can greatly suffer when it’s mistreated.
So for reminders, bleaching is a chemical process that wreaks havoc on your hair, and if it is not done properly, all hell gets loose. So if you recently bleached your hair and you are not satisfied with how it looks, and now you are out and about for the next round of bleach, please stop and read this article first.
There is no exact answer to the question of when is it safe to bleach my hair again, it depends on many factors, but these three are crucial:
- First and most important is the current health condition of your hair
- The second factor is the color you are trying to achieve
- The third factor is how well you are taking care of your hair on a regular basis
Since you are reading this article, I am aware that more than half of you plan to bleach your hair on your own, and I’m not a fan of that. It is okay to color your hair at home and experiment with it or do highlights; even cutting your own hair and bangs is okay since none of these actions can completely ruin your hair like bleach can.
I know that the internet is full of videos of people doing it on their own from the comfort of their homes quickly and easily, and they always somehow end up with amazing results. But let’s be honest, those videos undergo extensive video editing, making it impossible for us to discern the true story behind the camera.
Saloons are full of desperate women who ruined their hair with bleach, and they hope hairstylists will have some magic solution for them. In most cases, that magical solution is a radical haircut!
To avoid unnecessary cuts, let me share with you a few secrets to which you should minimally pay attention so you can maintain the healthiest hair possible between two bleaching sessions.
Let’s start by explaining what bleaching is.
What Is Bleaching?
The main ingredient of bleach is hydrogen peroxide. This chemical does all the work: it penetrates the hair fiber, strips out, and eliminates the melanin responsible for giving the natural color to your hair.
If you have dark hair and want to go blond, you must be aware that this process will take months. You will need to go through various sessions before achieving that pale color. In the first phase, you’ll go from dark to orange or, in some cases, red, and in the second phase, you’ll get to yellow or some unnatural shade of blonde.
Now let’s see how long you should schedule bleaching sessions in order to preserve your hair in the best possible condition.
How Much Time Should Pass Between Two Bleaching Sessions?
Forget about using bleach on your hair after a few days, or a week, or two! That is too soon! You will fry your hair for sure, no matter how strong and healthy it was in the first place! Wait at least a month!
But of course, these are only my recommendations; if your hair is healthy and this is the first time you bleach your hair, you can do it after a week but be aware that you will significantly damage the hair strand!
If your hair is severely damaged, waiting for a month is a minimum of time you need to let it pass, and I would recommend waiting, even more, maybe a month and a half. Your hair needs to recover, and that process can’t be done overnight. In the meantime, make sure you nourish your hair every day!
See Also:
Here’s How You Will Properly Take Care Of Your Bleached Hair And Prepare It For The Next Bleaching Session
After you have bleached your hair for the first time, you should take care of it as a newborn. I am serious; you must nourish it daily so it can recover and grow stronger before you expose it to another round of bleaching.
You must use a deep conditioner every week! Do not forget this step!
It is also crucial to include coconut oil in your hair routine to restore and strengthen your hair. Every two or three days, apply coconut oil to your hair from root till the end and leave it overnight. The coconut oil will do magic for your hair. In the morning, wash it with your regular shampoo and rinse well.
During this recovery period, it is absolutely prohibited to use extreme heat sources on your hair!
This includes a curler, flat iron, and hairdryer. Yes. A hairdryer is a goner as well! I know this seems hard, but you can survive without a flat iron or hair dryer for 30 days. Also, use lukewarm water when you wash and rinse your hair.
So since your hair will be in all kinds of messy situations over this period, it is time to find suitable options for hairstyles that will allow you to function during this period.
The first choice is always a ponytail, or if you want to give it some shape and texture, wear a braid for a day, and the next day you can rock waves easily.
When your hair is more damaged, braids and ponytails do not look as good as they should, so try with a bun or a messy bun.
If you see that you have a lot of split ends, go to your hairstylist and trim them so your hair can stay hydrated.
The last step is essential. Do not wash your hair before the day that you do the bleaching process again. If you wash it before the bleaching, you will reduce the amount of natural oils that your hair generates from your scalp. These natural oils will help protect your hair from external, toxic agents such as bleach.
Only this way will you be able to bleach your hair again with the least amount of damage possible.
What Is The Case When Hair Isn’t Too Damaged?
Those lucky girls, and honestly, these cases are rare, can bleach their hair once again after 7 to 10 days. This is only suitable for people who want to bleach one or two tones of hair.
Why?
Well, because the exposure time of the hydrogen peroxide, in this case, is much less. Never expose your hair to the bleach longer than forty-five minutes!
During that week before the second bleaching, keep your hair away from the heat sources. You need your hair as hydrated as possible, so no hairdryer, flat iron, or curler! Use a deep conditioner and coconut oil during that week as well.
Also, don’t wash your hair before bleaching since “dirty” hair rich in your hair’s natural oils will have natural protection. Always rinse your hair with cold water to minimize the risk of an itchy scalp.
There is one more trick that I want to share with you, and that is to apply coconut oil on your hair strands before bleaching. This does not mean to soak your hair in oil an hour before bleaching.
This means that you should apply a generous amount of coconut oil on your hair the night before, brush it well, and put on a protective cap.
Let’s Wrap Things Up
As I said, I am not a supporter of at-home bleaching. So please, if you are so eager to go from dark to light hair color, do it the right way and visit your hair salon. Don’t experiment and play with such aggressive chemical processes like bleaching is.
That is the only way to keep the damage at the minimum after this treatment.
It is in human nature to think that we can do everything on our own that is why I still know many of you won’t listen and do it anyway. But to minimize the damage, I wrote this article to help you do it correctly as much as possible, and of course, to prevent you from losing your hair in literal form.
Take care of your hair and be gentle with it, since once you ruin it, you will have a hard and long recovery ahead of you.
Read Also: How To Cancel Out Pink Tones In Hair? Tone Down Pink Hair?
