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In this tutorial, we discuss how long do you keep bleach in your hair. It’s possible that you are already familiar with how to use permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary hair colors when it comes to dyeing your hair. But are you aware of the guidelines that must be followed while bleaching your strands? Bleaching is not something you should experiment with since it may drastically alter the texture and quality of your hair.
However, there is no need for alarm since there are many resources available to you that will teach you the right techniques. When it comes to bleaching one’s hair, one of the most often asked questions is how long do you keep bleach in your hair.

It is recommended that you keep the bleach on your hair for no longer than 30 minutes at a time. If you leave it on for any longer than that, you run the risk of causing major damage, such as brittle strands.
Can You Leave Bleach In Your Hair Too Long?
The short answer is that you can. If you leave the bleach on your hair for longer than the specified amount of time, you risk causing harm to your strands. Because of this, it is very important to use the bleach in accordance with the instructions included on the package and to wait at least 14 days between bleaching sessions.
Other dangers of bleaching
In addition to the hazards of putting bleach on your hair for too long, there are additional risks related to using this sort of dye.
- Your hair may lose all pigment and become white.
- Your hair may become white as a result of the oxidation process, which decolorizes the pigment.
- Your hair may become less stable and able to retain moisture.
One research Trusted Source discovered that bleaching considerably weakened the hair. Bleach has been reported to make hair very porous.
This occurs when the hair cuticle is too widely separated, preventing the strands from retaining moisture. Goddard explains that moderate porosity helps the mane seem fuller and makes hair easier to keep curls. However, severe porosity and dehydration contribute to hair shaft destruction and may cause lasting damage.

Keratin could leave your hair.
The loss of keratin, which is a kind of protein that builds up hair, is one of the last and most significant risks of bleaching. The hair’s structure is damaged without keratin, making it brittle and difficult to style. Unfortunately, it is difficult to eliminate keratin loss when bleaching.

How To Determine When To Remove Bleach
So, how do you determine when it’s time to remove the bleach? Set timers and examine your hair periodically to see whether more time is required. A second method is to do a test strand before bleaching the entire head.
This will allow you to determine how your hair reacts to bleach and how long it will take to lighten without trying it on your whole head. Apply bleach to a few concealed strands from your hair’s underlayer and time how long it takes for the hair to brighten.