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How To Grow Out Bleached Hair

Worry no more, for the return to your natural hair color will henceforth be less stressful.

Reviewed by Tiffany Young, Certified Trichology Practitioner
Written by Annie Jangam, MSc

Edited by Eshna Das, BA, MSc

Fact-checked by Monomita Chakraborty, MA (Journalism & Mass Communication), Certified Skin Care Coach • Mar 6, 2024

Image: Shutterstock

Bleached hair can change your overall appearance. While it may seem fun initially, bleaching has its risks. Over time, continuous bleaching may damage your hair. That is why it is best to grow out bleached hair. However, it requires a planned approach, and there is a step-by-step process to grow bleached hair properly. The overall result may vary as per your hair bleaching history, hair type, and hair growth goals. Read this article to know how to accomplish this and grow bleached hair without any damage. Scroll down to know more.

In This Article

The Trend Of Hair Bleaching

A hairspecialist is bleaching the hair of a woman.

Image: Shutterstock

Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Kurt Cobain have played an instrumental role in promoting hair bleaching. Their bold bleached look has inspired millions to take up bleaching without even knowing what it is.

The idea behind hair bleaching is to have strands of colored hair. While some people bleach a few hair strands, others do it strand-by-strand to the entire hair. You must know what bleaching is, the aftereffects of bleaching, and the entire chemical process before you commit to this hair treatment.

The bleaching process involves the opening of hair cuticles with the help of an alkaline agent. An oxidative agent then moves up the hair cuticles and gradually dissolves the natural hair color or melanin (1).

The longer the agent is left in the hair, the more effectively it dissolves the melanin. You can expect the bleaching to give you a reddish or yellowish tone in the initial days, depending on your hair’s base tone. Repeated bleaching can make your hair turn into a gorgeous platinum blonde as well (1).

However, bleach can damage your hair too. Here is how.

Bleach Damage To Hair

A girl is trying brush her damaged bleached hair.

Image: Shutterstock

Bleach is a harsh invader that challenges the hair proteins to change the hair color. Any alteration in the natural orientation of the hair proteins weakens the hair. It also makes hair prone to frizz, dryness, dandruff, split ends, and breakage. While you may deal with the hair damage from an occasional bleach, the sooner you go back to your natural hair color, the better it is for you.

Bleaching also changes the hair’s porosity and elasticity, resulting in an uneven texture (1). The chemicals used to open up the hair cuticles continue to keep them open. These open cuticles can lead to split ends and eventual hair fall.

The chemicals used in bleaching penetrate the hair shaft to tackle the natural melanin. This penetration breaks down the hair’s natural fatty acids and weakens hair cuticles. If this prolongs, going back to the natural hair color could get more challenging.

Quick Tip

Post bleaching, make sure to go for regular trims, keep your bleached hair moisturized, and opt for hair repair therapy to grow out bleached hair gracefully.

Keep reading to know how you can grow out bleached hair.

How To Grow Out Bleached Hair

Growing out bleached hair depends on your hair type, the bleach used, and frequency of usage, among other factors.

Lily, a blogger, discussed her experience of growing out bleached hair. She said, “Since the length is already the color I would like it to be, I only bleach my roots, and most of the really damaged parts of the length have been trimmed off (i).” She further described her hair care routine, which included washing with a sulfate-free conditioner, oiling with sweet almond oil, and taking hair vitamins to support new hair strength and growth.

1. Play With The Ombre Look

A girl is holding her ombre looking hair.

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Those who have just bleached a few strands of their hair into highlights can go back to their natural hair color quickly. They have the luxury of growing out bleached hair ombre. Such a look is in vogue today, and one does not have to worry about compromising their style quotient.

You may also consider lowlights in the shade closer to your natural hair color. Do that every 6 or 12 weeks and the highlights will soon cease to exist.

2. Take A Step-By-Step Approach

A hair specialist following steps to bleach the hair of a girl.

Image: Shutterstock

Take a step-by-step approach and do not give up on the brush abruptly. Color the bleached hair to a shade close to the natural hue of your hair (2). You may then take a strategized approach to regain your original hair color.

Step 1: Divide Your Hair

You need to have a clear distinction between your old bleached hair and newly regrown hair. Over time there will be more newly regrown hair, and you must know how to treat the two hair types differently.

Step 2: Decide On The Color For Natural Hair

You will be using hair dye to achieve the new regrown hair color. You will be growing your hair color out by using two shades of colors. While one color will cater to your bleached hair, the other is for natural hair. In this step, you will choose the hair color for you to regrow hair. It is a slow hair styling process, and you need to be patient.

Ideally, you should choose the hair color the same as your natural hair color. If your hair is naturally dark, choose a golden-brown shade or any hue that is lighter than natural hair. This hair care technique will add depth and give your hair the warmth of a natural effect.

Step 3: Choose The Color For Bleached Hair

Bleaching has led your hair to have an overall uneven texture. Hence, applying the same hair color over your entire hair will be uneven. The bleached parts will be lighter than the natural hair and you will notice banding. You can avoid this and enable the highlights to grow out in a distributed manner by choosing a hair color one shade darker than the one chosen in the previous step.

Step 4: Color The Hair

First, take the hair color chosen in step 2 and apply it to the entire hair. Wait for it to dry, and apply the color chosen in step 3 only to the bleached parts. This method will allow you to get an even hair tone and pave the way for beautiful hair.

3. Take The Gray Road

A woman with gray hair is smiling and looking away from the camera.

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Many people take to hair coloring to cover the first gray hairs. But if you feel your body and hair are not ready to take up the stress of regular bleaching, embrace your grays. If you have gray hair, you may have to follow a different process of growing out colored hair (3). Coloring your hair to a shade of gray that will match your natural hair is an arduous task. In this case, the process of growing out dyed hair could take longer. If you are conscious about your looks, you may want to use semi-permanent hair or highlight certain sections of your hair.

Quick Tip

Avoid using hair products like toners as they may cause damage atop damage done by bleach and dyes. It is best to let the bleached locks outgrow naturally.

Infographic: Three Techniques To Grow Out Bleached Hair

So you bleached your hair a while back, but now your tresses are growing out. Worried about how it will look? Don’t worry we have your back! There are some easy ways you can touch up growing out bleached hair to make your tresses look ever-so-fabulous.
Check out the infographic below to learn about some techniques for growing bleached hair out.

three techniques to grow out bleached hair (infographic)

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Bleached hair can certainly up your style quotient, but it comes at a cost. Bleaching alters the natural orientation of hair proteins and the hair’s porosity and elasticity. This causes the strands to become weak, dry, and frizz, resulting in split ends and hair fall. So, the sooner you plan to grow out the bleached hair, the better it will be for your strands to regain their natural texture. Unfortunately, any delay could cause irreversible repair. So, follow the hair maintenance tips mentioned in this article before it is too late to improve your hair health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to frequently bleach your hair?

Bleaching involves using several chemical agents that can stress your strand strength. It also makes your hair prone to breakage and causes long-term damage. Frequent bleaching is not recommended. The sooner you choose to grow out colored hair, the better it is for your long-term hair health.

How long does it take to grow out bleached hair?

Growing out bleached hair takes a different duration for different people. It depends on factors like hair thickness, natural hair color, and the duration of bleaching. Your dietary habits, age, and hormonal changes also play a role.

Does glazing help in growing out blonde hair with dark roots?

You will be amazed to learn how a semi-permanent tinted glaze can help with your dark roots. Ideally, you need to apply a glaze over your entire head. This will blend the dyed hair in a tone closer to your natural hair color. That way, the harsh roots are no longer obvious, and it becomes easier for you to grow out natural hair color.

Will bleached hair grow back healthy?

Anecdotal evidence suggests that while bleach-damaged hair will always be brittle, the new growth of hair will be just as healthy as the original because hair grows out from the root. Even if your hair is damaged to the point where it falls out in patches, new hair will develop once your scalp has recovered.

When should I stop bleaching my hair?

If you are experiencing excessive hair fall or breakage, stop bleaching your hair. Bleaching alters the porosity and elasticity of your hair, making it more prone to frizz, dryness, dandruff, and split ends. Returning to your natural hair color as soon as possible will benefit you in the long run.

Key Takeaways

Frequent bleaching can make your hair prone to dryness, frizz, and breakage. Therefore, it is best to grow out bleached hair.
Growing out bleached hair mainly depends on the bleach used, your hair type, and the color of your hair.
You can play around with an ombre look or dye your bleached hair to a shade close to your natural color while growing it out.

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Download

Discover the ultimate rescue mission for your severely damaged, bleached hair in this video. Check out expert tips, techniques, and product recommendations to revive and restore your locks to their former glory.Discover the ultimate rescue mission for your severely damaged, bleached hair in this video. Check out expert tips, techniques, and product recommendations to revive and restore your locks to their former glory.

Personal Experience: Source

StyleCraze's articles are interwoven with authentic personal narratives that provide depth and resonance to our content. Below are the sources of the personal accounts referenced in this article.

i. Growing and maintaining bleached hair
https://longhair.livejournal.com/2822462.html

References

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