How to Wash Hair After Bleaching

Co-authored by Patrick Evan

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Fact Checked

The last thing you want after getting the perfect bleach-blonde color is to ruin it with improper care! To keep your locks looking as healthy as possible, adjust your shampooing and conditioning regime and do your best to avoid exposing your hair to excess heat. With regular maintenance, conditioning treatments, and some gentle care, you can keep your bleached hair looking as healthy as possible.

Things You Should Know

Wait 48-72 hours to wash your hair after bleaching it. Bleaching causes your hair cuticles to swell, so washing your hair before they shrink can affect the color. Hair expert Frankie Sanderson says that “within two days, [the cuticles] should have come back down.”

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Shampooing and Conditioning Your Hair

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1
Avoid washing your hair for the first 48-72 hours after bleaching it. Give your hair ample time to seal in its new color. Because bleaching is such a volatile process, your cuticles remain open for longer immediately following a bleaching session.^{[1]
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- You may need to wear your hair up in a ponytail for a few days or even sport a hat until you’re able to wash and style it.
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Wash your hair with cool water so your cuticles stay closed.^{[2]
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Patrick Evan
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Expert Interview. 17 January 2019.} As much as you can stand it, use cool or cold water every time you wash your bleached hair. Hot water opens your cuticles and makes it more likely that your color will change or your hair will get more dried out.^{[3]
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- Cold showers aren’t the most relaxing things in the world! If you hate the idea of a cold shower, try putting your hair up in a cap while you shower. Then, wash your hair under the faucet afterward so that your whole body doesn’t have to get cold.
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Use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to protect your hair from damage. Sulfate-free hair products won’t strip your hair of its essential oils like other shampoos and conditioners might.^{[4]
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Expert Interview. 17 January 2019.} They can also help prevent brassiness and protect your hair from damage.^{[5]
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- These shampoos can sometimes be a little more expensive than other hair care products, but you’ll be using them much less frequently, so your investment should even out over time.
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Wash with purple products once a week to maintain your hair’s tone. Purple shampoo and conditioner is a must for bleached hair, as it helps neutralize the color and keeps it from turning orange or brassy. It can be a little drying so you won’t want to use it every time you shower.^{[6]
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- If you waited the full 72 hours before washing your hair after it was bleached, you can go ahead and use the purple shampoo the next time you shower. If it hasn’t been 72 hours yet, skip the purple shampoo until your next wash so it doesn’t potentially mess up your hair tone.
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Apply a leave-in conditioner to keep your hair shiny and hydrated. After shampooing and conditioning your hair, either massage or spray a leave-in conditioner all over your still-damp hair. Gently comb through your hair from the roots to the tips to evenly disperse the conditioner once it has been applied.^{[7]
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- Not only will the conditioner help protect your hair from any heat styling you may use, but it also provides your locks with some much needed extra moisture.
- You can use a leave-in conditioner every time you wash your hair. If you start to feel like it’s weighing down your hair, switch to using it every other wash.
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Wait 3-4 days between washes to prevent your hair from drying out. After that initial wash, it’s important that you space out all subsequent washes. Learn how to style your hair with ponytails, braids, and waves to keep it looking stylish.^{[8]
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- If you have natural hair, you may even want to space out your washes to once every two weeks or so.
Using Dry Shampoo Between Washes: Dry shampoo is a fantastic product to use between washes to help absorb some of that oil that may have accumulated. Simply spray it onto your roots, let it sit for a few minutes, and then brush it into your hair until it disappears. You could even spray it on at night before going to sleep so it can absorb new oils all night long.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Hydrating and Maintaining Your Hair

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Pat wet hair with a microfiber towel after showering to prevent breakage. A microfiber towel helps prevent further breakage and damage to your already-sensitive bleached hair. After you shower, gently squeeze and pat your hair with the towel to absorb excess water.^{[10]
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- Avoid rubbing your hair with the towel, as that encourages frizz, split ends, and breakage.^{[11]
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Let your hair air dry as often as possible to keep it strong and smooth. The heat and friction from a blow dryer can be rough on bleached hair. While your hair is damp, gently brush through it with a wide-tooth comb to remove any tangles. You could even apply an anti-frizz or detangling cream to help it air dry more smoothly.^{[12]
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- Though it may be a pain to wait for your hair to air dry, it’ll really make your hair easier to style as it won’t be as frizzy.
3
Protect your hair by limiting how often you use heat-styling tools. Curling irons and straighteners can dry out your hair even more and make it brittle and more prone to breakage. If you do use these types of tools, try to use the lowest heat setting possible and go a few days between each styling session.^{[13]
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- When you do use these types of tools, prime your hair with a heat-protective spray or cream to help minimize the damage.^{[14]
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  Expert Interview. 17 January 2019.}
4
Apply a conditioning treatment once a week to maintain hydration. Before you shower, apply a hair mask or hot oil treatment to your dry hair and let it saturate your cuticles for 10-15 minutes before rinsing it out and shampooing your hair. If your hair is especially dry and brittle, up your conditioning treatments to twice a week.^{[15]
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- Conditioning treatments come in lots of different forms, from hot oil treatments to hair masks to special creams. Hot oil treatments are made primarily with oils while masks may have alternative moisturizing ingredients.
- You can buy conditioning treatments at the store, or you could even make your own out of ingredients like olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.
Coconut Oil Hair Mask: Mix 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of soft coconut oil, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of honey, and 1 egg in a small bowl until it’s a smooth consistency. Massage the mask into your dry or damp hair from root to tip. Wrap your hair in a towel for 15-30 minutes before rinsing it out and washing your hair with shampoo.
5
Get your hair trimmed every 4-6 weeks to eliminate dry, split ends. Schedule a maintenance trim with your hairstylist regularly—you could even go every 2-4 weeks if you’re struggling with excessively brittle ends. The ends of your hair are often the parts that get most dried out, so keeping them trimmed will make your hair both look and feel better.^{[16]
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- Even if you’re trying to grow your hair out, you should still get a ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) or so trimmed off every 6 weeks at a minimum.
6
Touch up your roots rather than bleaching your entire head again. When possible, avoid re-bleaching your hair to protect it from those harsh, drying chemicals. Every 4-6 weeks or when you start to visibly notice your darker roots coming in, have them touched up by a professional or do it yourself at home.^{[17]
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- A professional may have better luck at getting the color of your roots to perfectly match the rest of your hair.
- If you end up with hot roots, try using a blue-toning shampoo to balance out the color.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What makes shampoo color-safe?

Patrick Evan
Professional Hair Stylist
Patrick Evan is the Owner of Patrick Evan Salon, a hair salon in San Francisco, California. He has been a hairstylist for over 25 years and is a Thermal Reconditioning Specialist, dedicated to transforming difficult curls and waves into sleek, straight hair. Patrick Evan Salon was rated the Best Hair Salon in San Francisco by Allure magazine, and Patrick's work has been featured in Woman’s Day, The Examiner, and 7x7.

Patrick Evan

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Color-safe shampoos are usually sulfate free and also have a pH to keep your cuticles closed. Sulfates are widely used to create the lather in shampoos, however, they can be harsh. As for the pH, hair has a pH of 4.5-5.5. Anything higher will swell the cuticles which can make color fade.

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Question

Should I wash my bleached hair in cold water or warm water?

Patrick Evan
Professional Hair Stylist
Patrick Evan is the Owner of Patrick Evan Salon, a hair salon in San Francisco, California. He has been a hairstylist for over 25 years and is a Thermal Reconditioning Specialist, dedicated to transforming difficult curls and waves into sleek, straight hair. Patrick Evan Salon was rated the Best Hair Salon in San Francisco by Allure magazine, and Patrick's work has been featured in Woman’s Day, The Examiner, and 7x7.

Patrick Evan

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Wash bleached hair with cold water so your cuticles stay closed. Keep the water as cold as you can stand it.

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Question

What shampoo and conditioner do I use for bleached hair?

Patrick Evan
Professional Hair Stylist
Patrick Evan is the Owner of Patrick Evan Salon, a hair salon in San Francisco, California. He has been a hairstylist for over 25 years and is a Thermal Reconditioning Specialist, dedicated to transforming difficult curls and waves into sleek, straight hair. Patrick Evan Salon was rated the Best Hair Salon in San Francisco by Allure magazine, and Patrick's work has been featured in Woman’s Day, The Examiner, and 7x7.

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Expert Answer

Choose a shampoo and conditioner that are labeled as "sulfate-free." These products will not strip the essential oils from your hair as much as other products.

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Tips

Wear a hat or use hair sunscreen to protect your bleached locks while enjoying the sunshine. ^{[18]
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Cover your hair or avoid getting your hair wet when you go swimming. Chlorine will dry out your hair and make the color look duller.^{[19]
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Sleep on a silk pillowcase to reduce friction and frizz.^{[20]
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Warnings

If you’re bleaching your hair at home and experience any burning sensations on your scalp, stop immediately and rinse the bleach out of your hair.^{[21]
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