The Ultimate Guide to Taking Care of Bleached Hair

What is the best treatment for bleached hair?

Both Casanova and Fortiz recommend coming into the salon for maintenance appointments to help neutralize pH levels and strengthen strands, and getting regular trims to remove any dead ends or split ends. For at-home solutions and the best hair care for bleached hair, she says you’ll want to use protein treatments and bond builders to restore the structure and health of the hair and a good conditioning mask. 

Casanova agrees. “Conditioning masks work for the majority of people who bleach their hair; because there’s different types of masks for all types of density, texture, etc.” As for bond builders, she says this is the perfect solution for people with moderate to severe damage and safe for all hair types, textures, and lengths. 

What should you not use on bleached hair?

The biggest thing to avoid is excessive use of hot tools. “Avoid using heat,” says Fortiz. “Air drying will be your best friend. If you must certainly have to style your hair with heat, use a protectant before and keep your hot tool on a low setting.” Casanova adds that styling your hair in extremely tight ponytails and buns can be harmful as well because those styles can cause breakage. 

You’ll also want to avoid applying harsh chemicals like relaxers and straightening treatments, as those are also damaging for your hair. “The chemicals in these treatments can make your hair break because of the combination with heat tools or too much combing through the hair,” says Fortiz. 

How long does it take for bleached hair to heal?

If you do experience damage on your bleached hair, the good news is that it can heal (for the most part). How long it takes just depends on a couple of different things. “This is really circumstantial,” says Casanova. “Someone with mild damage can repair their hair within a matter of just a few weeks.” 

For extreme damage, Casanova says that it can take up to two years for hair to completely grow back healthy, and you may need to wait for the over processed hair to grow out or cut off the dead ends. To prevent this from happening, make sure you consult with your colorist for best upkeep practices and—most importantly—to get their input on whether bleaching is the right option for you. “Always trust your colorist’s recommendation; they don’t want to damage your hair,” says Fortiz. “If they say a certain shade isn’t possible, it’s probably because it realistically isn’t.”