Have you already bleached your hair today? Are you contemplating doing it again and asking yourself: "Can I bleach my hair twice in one day?" While some opinions suggest it’s alright, we advise you not to. Take a break in between bleaches. Breathe in, bleach some other time! Preferably in more than one month! 

Table of Contents:

• How does bleaching work?
• What potential unpleasant side effects does bleaching have?
• How often can you bleach your hair?
• Can you bleach your hair twice in one day?
• Can you bleach your hair two days in a row?
• How long should you wait before the second bleaching? 
• The proper hair care routine when bleaching is involved

How does bleaching work?

The bleaching process is quite unfriendly for the strands and scalp. Sometimes we don’t get the tone exactly right and we can be tempted to try again. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? Well, bleaching your hair is an aggressive process and it can leave the treses dry, frizzy, damaged, and extremely vulnerable to breakage. 

Bleaching consists in oxidizing the melanin pigment in the hair. This is done with an aggressive chemical agent, like hydrogen peroxide or ammonia. This chemical opens the hair’s cuticle (although “forces an entry” would be more accurate) to remove the pigment. That is why bleached hair can become sensitive to breakage: the cuticle is forced open and the hair loses its natural pigments.

What potential unpleasant side effects does bleaching have?

Regardless of the chemical agent used to bleach your hair, this process can have serious side effects. Even more so when done twice!

• The scalp can become irritated since the bleaching agent can cause skin burns. Such burns can trigger itching and scalp damage. We recommend you rinse off the bleach if you feel tingling and burning sensations. A damaged scalp can mean damaged follicles, which can trigger hair loss.
• Hair strands can become coarse, frizzy, and can lose moisture. The hair becomes dry and rough to touch. It may need extra hydration from deep conditioning and treatments. Pay attention to signs of serious damage: the hair becomes gummy, or it breaks at every touch, or it sheds in clumps. 
• Hair can be left discolored after bleaching. You may notice your locks are uneven in color. And maybe you’d think it’s alright to go for another round. But while it’s safe to bleach again after a while, please do not bleach your hair twice in one day!

How often can you bleach your hair?

How soon can I bleach my hair again to fix it? I’ve encountered this question a lot online. And while I understand the desperation of not having the color you wanted and the need to obtain it ASAP, I recommend you take some time in between bleaches. 

• Leave at least one month in between bleaches, if your hair has suffered damage after your first discoloration. 
• Also, make sure at the second bleaching session to leave the solution on your hair for only 10 minutes. Usually, it’s recommended you leave it for 20 minutes. But for the second time around, half the time will do. This will offer your hair some protection.
• I strongly advise you to ask your stylist to perform a strand test. It will tell you how long you should leave the bleach on the second time. We also suggest you go to the salon for the second discoloration, if not for any harsh treatment.

Can you bleach your hair twice in one day?

Can you bleach over already bleached hair (aka bleach your hair twice in one day)? Depending on the level of lightness and discoloration you need, you can bleach your hair twice. Just NOT in one day. No matter what. No matter how much you hydrate it, double bleaching can seriously burn your hair and scalp.

Can you bleach your hair two days in a row?

Can I bleach my hair again the next day? Also, NO! Yes, I’m shouting via caps lock. I cannot stress this enough! Discolored hair needs extra maintenance. You need good quality products and you need patience. Calibrate your expectations and understand you may need more than one session to get the color you need. Keep a gap of at least two weeks in between bleaches if your hair is healthy. One month, if there’s been damage. 

Extra info: one bleaching can lighten your hair up to three tones.

How long should you wait before the second bleaching? 

Two weeks, for healthy hair. One month for damaged hair. If you cannot wait. The ideal waiting time in between bleaches? Six weeks. During this time, offer your hair hydration and a break from mechanical, environmental, and chemical stressors. Avoid heat, cold, heating tools, harsh accessories, chlorine, and hair care products that contain sulfates and parabens. 

The proper hair care routine when bleaching is involved

The harsh chemicals involved in opening your hair’s cuticle and removing its pigments can leave a lot of damage behind. To prevent such damage, there are some precautions you can take before bleaching. Just like we recommend you take extra good care of your bleached hair after the discoloration. 

Pre-bleaching & in between discolorations care tips & tricks

How to bleach with minimal hair damage, especially if you have to bleach your hair twice? Invest time, energy, and money in keeping your hair moisturized and strong. Here is how to prep your hair for the second bleaching session: 

• Choose natural conditioning treatments. Avoid harsh ingredients and focus on deep conditioners, regular conditioners, and leave-ins based on natural ingredients. Coconut or onion oil, pure, raw, extra-virgin, and unrefined can be a good fit for your hair pre-bleaching. Apply it from the middle of your hair length down and let it soak overnight. You can repeat this process once every two days. 
• Avoid heat styling tools such as blow dryers or flat irons. They leave the hair dry and prone to breakage. If you have to use them, invest in a potent, natural heat protectant.
• Trim the split ends, if there are any.
• Prepare your hair, offering it a boost in hydration, from products like Onion Shampoo & Conditioner Set, before the bleaching process. 

Post-bleaching hair care: what to do to keep your hair healthy

What should I do after bleaching my hair? Your locks need extra TLC. Overprocessed hair can become frizzy, porous, wonky, and fragile. That’s why you need to pay attention to the products you apply on your tresses. 

• Choosing a sulfate-free shampoo, one that is based on natural ingredients will contribute to keeping your scalp balanced. Hydrating shampoos are perfect since they do not strip the scalp and hair of their natural oils. And, boy, do they need it now, after discoloring!

• Going for a deep conditioning treatment is a basic need now that you’ve got bleached hair. Splurge on a good hydrating conditioner, now that the cuticles are open and thirsty.

What can you do to correct uneven discoloration without bleaching?

You can solve minor discoloration and orange tones without bleach stripping your hair twice in one day and burning your scalp.

• Using shampoo for colored hair (purple shampoo for blondes, blue shampoo for dark hair) will help keep an even tone.
• Using a toner can be gentler. It will not change your color too much, but you can use it more frequently than bleach. If you have the patience for gradually altering your color. 

In conclusion: bleaching your hair twice in the same week: big NO. Bleaching your hair twice in the same month: it can be done, with proper care. Bleaching twice in the the same day: huge NO. Yes, caps lock on!

Also, make sure that you use all natural products after bleaching, and provide your hair with some extra care and nourishment!

We recommend you explore the WOW Skin Science website, and find the hydrating and nourishing natural care your bleached hair needs.