Bleaching Frequency

Woman with bleached hair — Photo: B-D-S Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock

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

A: This isn't a question with a single answer. It depends on many factors: namely, the texture of the hair, the color of the hair, how light you intend to go, and the condition of the hair.

While someone whose hair is coarse and dark and only lightens their hair one to two levels may lighten their hair several times a year and still have healthy-looking hair, another individual with fine hair that is a pale blonde, may find that they can only bleach the hair once a year.

Your hair can only be lightened to a certain level - level ten or pale yellow. Attempting to go beyond this level means that practically all the pigment in the hair is dispersed and often means that the hair is damaged as a result.

Hair after bleaching too frequently — Photo: B-D-S Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock

The damage is increased if the hair is darker, and in fact, people with the darkest hair colors often find that their hair cannot be lifted safely beyond a certain level without a professional's assistance and then, only in carefully measured stages so that the hair can be treated between lightening sessions.

So, depending on what color your hair is to start, its texture and condition, the number of times a year the hair can be bleached varies. Generally speaking, you never really want to re-bleach the hair during a color retouch service.

If you are trying to lighten new growth in the hair, you want to carefully apply the bleach only on the new growth so that you avoid potentially creating weak spots in the hair at the point where the bleach is doubled up.

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See also:

How does bleaching hair work?

Where does the color go when you bleach dark hair?

Would it be best to re-bleach my entire head or should I re-bleach only the roots?

Is it safe to use a home bleaching kit?