How often can you bleach your hair

By: | Last Updated: March 21, 2022

You have to admit, dyeing your hair is fun. But there’s something about bleaching your own hair that makes the process twice as exciting.

Maybe the sense of accomplishment you get after doing a successful bleach job makes the idea tempting.

But with all hair experiments, there’s bound to be complications.

Bleaching your hair can be challenging even for professionals, especially when you have a mixture of leftover dyes on your hair.

Maybe your DIY bleach job resulted in streaky or orange hair. So now you’re scrounging for answers on the internet to figure out how often can you bleach your hair at home.

So before picking up that other bottle of bleach, why don’t you read more below to know how soon you should bleach your hair again.


How often can you bleach your hair without damaging it?

How often can you bleach your hair without damaging it

As they say, blondes have more fun. So if you don’t have naturally blonde hair, you’re tempted to bleach your hair at least once in your life.

But bleaching your hair is an aggressive process. 

So if you bleached your hair once, then it has already caused damage since bleach and hydrogen peroxide opens up your hair cuticle for the bleach to penetrate your hair. 

Bleach then reacts with your hair’s melanin to make it lighter.

The longer you leave the bleach on your hair, the less melanin it will have.

So you end up with dry and brittle hair since your hair cuticle remains open for a few days. This makes your strands hold on to less moisture, making them lose their elasticity.

So if you bleach your hair again, it will repeat the process, and you’ll end up with even more damaged hair.


How long should you wait to bleach your hair again?

If you’re planning on bleaching your hair again, it’s essential to assess the state of your hair.

If it feels gummy and weak, it’s best to skip the bleach, or else you’ll risk melting your hair off. But if it still feels healthy and strong, then you can probably go ahead.

So how soon after bleaching hair can you bleach again?

Wait about 3 weeks after your first bleaching session to bleach your hair again. This allows your hair cuticles enough time to close and lay flat, so your hair can recover.

Going blonde, especially going platinum, takes time. But if you stay patient, all your hard work will pay off, and your hair will remain intact.


Can you bleach your hair twice in 24 hours?

bleaching

So you bleached your hair, but you still want it to go lighter.

Before you do anything, we suggest you step away from the bleach.

Bleaching your hair twice in 24 hours can lead to a major disaster that will take you months to repair. It’s a harsh chemical that can do major damage even if it’s only applied once. 

So if you re-apply bleach on the same day, your hair might not be able to keep up. This can lead to dry and brittle strands that will look dull and lifeless.

Worst case scenario, it can make your hair break off and fall out in chunks. Some even experienced seeing smoke appear where the bleach burned their hair off.

The only time it’s possible to bleach your hair twice within 24 hours is when a professional will bleach your hair as long as it’s aided by a bond-building treatment, like Olaplex.


How many times can you bleach your hair in a week?

It’s tempting to bleach your hair again after a couple of days when it didn’t turn out the blonde you’d thought it would be.

But it’s important to note that you should only bleach your hair once a week. And no, that doesn’t mean you can bleach your hair again the week after your first application.

As mentioned above, you have to wait 3 weeks after your first bleaching session before re-applying.

So in the meantime, focus on getting your hair healthy again. Lather it with a moisturizing conditioner and pamper it with hydrating hair masks.

So by the time 3 weeks are up, your hair is ready for another round of bleach.


How many times can you bleach your hair in a month?

After a month of bleaching your hair, you’ll probably notice your roots start to grow out and show your natural hair color.

It’s OK to bleach them, but make sure to just focus on the roots.

But if you feel like you want your hair to go lighter since it’s in a healthy state, you can go ahead and bleach it. As long as the maximum application of bleach is only twice a month, considering there’s plenty of time between each bleaching session.

However, don’t make it a habit to bleach your hair every month, as it can lead to severe damage.

Trust me; your bleached blonde hair color will still look great a month after bleaching it. So only use it when it’s absolutely necessary. 


How many times can you bleach your hair in a year?

Are you the type of person that loves to switch up their hair color frequently and use bleach to strip out the old dye?

If so, it’s important to be cautious of how frequently you bleach your hair since it can only handle around 6-8 applications a year.

More than that and your hair could have split-ends, breakage, and a dull sheen no matter how many hair products you apply to it.

So give your hair a break in between bleaching and dyeing sessions to let it recover from absorbing too many chemicals. Otherwise, you could end up with bald patches from overworking your hair.


How often can you bleach bath your hair?

If you’re not familiar, a bleach bath is a gentler technique of lightening your hair. 

It still requires bleach, but it uses a lower volume of hydrogen peroxide. 

A bleach bath also contains shampoo, which may seem random, but it makes the formula easier to apply to your hair.

You also have to apply it on wet hair, so the color appears even throughout your hair.

Besides lightening your hair, a bleach bath is also good for stripping off the old dye in your hair and fixing over-toned hair.

However, it’s not recommended to use the bleach bath method to maintain bleached hair, as it can still damage it. So make sure to only do this 1-2 times a year if you really need it.

You can also swap out the shampoo for a hydrating conditioner to minimize the damage whenever you do this.


How many times should I bleach my hair to get it blonde?

Do’s and Don’ts after bleaching hair

Bleaching your hair is not a “one size fits all” process. So if you want to go blonde, it might take you a couple or more applications depending on your starting hair color.

So if you have naturally dark blonde or light brown hair, you’ll have to bleach it 1-2 times if you want to get a light blonde color. 

But if you have naturally dark brown or black hair, it will take 2-3 applications. But if you want to go platinum blonde, you might need to make 1 more application.

The same goes for dyed hair. You’ll need several applications to get the dye out of your hair, especially if you have persistent colors like black, blue, or red.

Also, remember to space out each bleaching session every 3 weeks to avoid frying your hair.


Should I bleach my hair again if it turned orange?

If you have naturally dark hair, bleaching it would turn it into a brassy orange hue. That’s because brown or black hair has underlying orange pigments that you can’t get rid of in a single application.

But if you already have bleached blonde hair and notice it’s starting to go orange, it might be from chemical build-up from your hair products. Swimming in salt water and chlorinated pools can also contribute to it, the same way it turns naturally blonde hair green.

Try using a blue toner on your hair to get the orange out. It cancels out the orange and turns your hair into a neutral blonde shade. Apply the toner 1-3 times a week to see results.

But if you want to get rid of the brass faster, you can try bleaching your hair again. Just make sure to wait 3 weeks after applying bleach to your hair.

CHECK OUT: How long does bleached hair last


The bottom line

Bleaching your hair by yourself can be an intimidating process, especially if you haven’t tried bleaching anyone’s hair before. That’s why it’s important to do research beforehand. 

Since bleach is an aggressive treatment, several things can go wrong during and after application. Getting an uneven color or brassy hair can make you think about bleaching your hair again. So it’s essential to check the current state of your hair before you decide to redo the process.

But, of course, it’s still best if you let a professional hairstylist bleach your hair since they can help you get to the blonde you want with minimal damage. 

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