However, the right methods can allow you to bleach your hair at home without frying your tresses. Continue reading to know everything you need before you bleach your locks and also answer this question –“How long should I leave bleach in my hair?”
How Long Are You Supposed To Leave Bleach In Your Hair?
The exact duration depends on various factors such as your hair type, thickness, color, texture, and the bleach/developer you use. Usually, 15-30 minutes is enough time to bleach most hair types. You might need to reapply bleach to get the desired color sometimes. But, even then, it is recommended that you do not exceed the 30-minute mark. The best way to figure out how long to leave bleach in your hair is to do the strand test.
How To Perform A Strand Test
Just mix up a little bit of bleach mixture and apply it to the ends of a few hair strands. Pick up a few hair strands from the underside of your hair. Apply bleach to it. Then, rub off the bleach from a very small section of those strands to check the level of bleached hair. You need to do it every couple of minutes using a timer to get the exact stage. Stop the timer when it has lightened to the shade you like. This will give you an accurate time frame to bleach your hair.
How Can You Tell When It’s Time To Remove Bleach?
You will notice that your hair color starts lightening minutes after the bleach application. Keep observing the lifting process by checking the shade it has reached at regular intervals. Generally, by 10 minutes, you will notice the hair strands changing color. You can wait for 5-10 more minutes before removing the bleach from your hair. As mentioned earlier, a strand test will give you an exact estimate on when to remove the bleach.
Can You Leave Bleach In Your Hair Too Long?
No, leaving the bleach in your hair longer than 30 minutes can damage it. It can lead to dry and brittle hair strands that break easily. If you observe any irritation, wash the bleach off immediately with cold water. If the burning sensation persists, consult a doctor or a licensed medical professional.
What Happens If You Leave Bleach In Your Hair Too Long?
Bleaching agents can strip away the moisture from your hair, making it weaker. It is also speculated that bleach can penetrate the hair shaft, leaving it porous and vulnerable to damage. Animal studies have shown that excessive use of bleaching agents can cause scalp burns (1). It is a common misconception that leaving the bleach on for longer will give you lighter hair color. The truth is, it will only leave your hair brittle and damaged. So, it not advisable to leave the bleach on your hair for too long.
What Should You Do If You Left Bleach In Your Hair For Too Long?
Now, let’s check out how you can look after your bleached hair. Given below are some of the best ways to take care of your bleached hair.
Best Ways To Take Care Of Your Hair Post-Bleaching
Weekly Oil Treatments: Use coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil, or almond oil to repair and nourish your bleached hair.
Regular Deep Conditioning: Use hair masks once or twice a week to protect and hydrate hair after bleaching. You can use protein-based homemade masks with hydrating ingredients like avocado, eggs, yogurt, and banana.
Protect Your Hair From The Sun: Avoid exposing your hair to the sun for too long. You can cover your head with a cap, hat, or scarf when stepping out to protect your hair. Use hairspray with sunscreen to fight against the harsh UV rays and their damaging effects.
Avoid Heat Styling: Limit the use of styling tools or blow dryers that use high temperatures and cause heat damage.
Amanda, a blogger, shares her experience of bleaching her hair at home and embracing a chic pink hue on her tresses. After the process, she enlists some pointers that she learned and will keep in mind for more such bleaching experiments. She adds, “I haven’t heat styled my hair in 4 to 6 months at this point and I think that is a major factor in the bleach not damaging my hair too dramatically. It still feels quite healthy! (i)”
Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Chemicals from hair dyes or chlorine from the swimming pool can damage bleached hair. So, don’t color your hair too often, and always remember to wear a swim cap before stepping into the pool.
Follow A Healthy Diet: Eating a protein-rich diet will help in keeping your bleached hair healthy. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables nourish your hair. You can even take multivitamins and supplements, such as biotin and collagen, to nourish your hair internally.
Listed below are some common mistakes that you need to avoid when bleaching your hair.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Bleaching Your Hair At Home
Does bleach stick better to clean or dirty hair? Bleach is strong enough and does not need something else to stick. That said, expert hair professionals suggest that you use bleach on hair that hasn’t been washed for 2-3 days. When you wash your hair, some natural oils are removed – and immediately bleaching after that would expose your hair to worse damage. Unwashed hair will have sebum from the scalp to protect your hair from bleach to an extent. Is it better to bleach your hair wet or dry? Bleaching your hair when wet ensures safety, as the water will help dilute the bleach to an extent, keeping it from entering your hair cortex and reducing the frizz and brittleness. This would result in a light and subtle bleaching effect. If you want the bleach to lift more color to achieve a stronger bleached effect, your hair needs to be dry. However, remember that this would also mean that your hair will be exposed to more damage. Do you bleach your roots first or the ends? It is advised to bleach the mid-shaft and ends first and leave the roots for later. The hair at the roots, because of body heat from the scalp, lift quicker. Therefore, the roots take less time to bleach than the rest of the hair. Keeping it any longer than 20-25 minutes could damage the roots. How long after bleaching can I use purple shampoo? Hair experts advise you to wait for at least 3 days before using purple shampoo on your bleached hair. Is it okay to bleach hair with dry shampoo? No. Both dry shampoo and bleach contain harsh chemicals that are not good for your hair. Applying them to your hair simultaneously will lead to double the damage. Make sure you do not have any other chemicals on your hair when it is getting bleached. When you bleach your hair, does it turn orange? If your natural hair color is darker, bleaching your hair can turn it orange. This happens when the bleaching process fails to break down the darker pigments in your hair. How long do you leave the bleach on black hair? Bleaching black hair takes longer. Even if you want to completely bleach your hair white, do not leave bleach in your hair longer than 30-45 minutes. Your black hair will not bleach into white in one session of 45 minutes. You will probably need to go for 2-3 sittings over a month with a break of 2-3 weeks between each session. Learn how long you should leave bleach in your hair to get the perfect color and avoid damaging your locks. Time to bedazzle everyone with your new, alluring look! Check out the following video to learn how!
