Bleached Hair: How to Care for It and Repair Bleach Damage at Home

Updated November 2026. Prices are our live online prices.

Bleached hair is the most common thing we look after in the salon, and the hair people worry about most. It feels fine on the day. Then three weeks later the ends are rough, it tangles when wet and the blonde has gone yellow.

None of that means the colour was a mistake. Lightened hair just needs a different routine to the one you had before. This is the one we give our blonde clients.

What bleach does to your hair

Bleach opens the outer cuticle so it can get in and break down your natural pigment. That process also weakens some of the internal bonds that give hair its strength and stretch. The result is hair that's more porous. It soaks up water fast, loses it fast, and takes in whatever's around it, from toner to chlorine to minerals in tank water.

So bleached hair care comes down to three jobs: put moisture back, protect the bonds that are left, and stop the outside world from undoing it.

How to care for bleached hair: the weekly routine

1. Wash two or three times a week. Every wash costs some moisture. Use a gentle shampoo, and keep a purple one for once a week if you're fighting yellow.
2. Condition every single time. A light, slippy conditioner from the ears down. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb while it's in.
3. Mask once a week. Five to ten minutes, on towel-dried hair so it isn't diluted.
4. Leave-in before heat, always. Lightened hair is much less forgiving of hot tools. Keep straighteners at 185°C or under if you can.
5. Protect from sun and chlorine. A leave-in before a day on the lake or a swim makes a real difference to how fast blonde dulls.
6. Trim every 8 to 10 weeks. Even a few millimetres stops split ends travelling up.

Two ways to repair bleached hair

Both brands have a proper routine for lightened hair. Sebastian is the lower price point and Kérastase is the premium option. They do the same core job, so choose by budget and by whether you also want toning.

Choose Sebastian if your main problem is damage and breakage, or you want the strongest repair for the money. Penetraitt is Sebastian's repair range for hair that's been through colour and heat, and NO.BREAKER is its bond-building range. UKIYO is Wella New Zealand's No.1 Sebastian Professional retailer.

Choose Kérastase Blond Absolu if you want care and tone in one routine. It's built specifically for lightened hair, the textures stay light on fine blonde, and the range includes its own purple shampoo.

Plenty of our clients mix them. Penetraitt Mask once a week with Cicaflash as the everyday conditioner is a common one. There's more on each range in our Penetraitt guide and our four weeks with Cicaflash review.

How to fix bleached hair breakage

Breakage is different from dryness. Dry hair feels rough. Breaking hair snaps, and you'll see short bits around your face or in the brush.

• Add a bond-building step. NO.BREAKER Pre-Shampoo Crème ($36.92) goes on dry hair before you wash. Sebastian says the full NO.BREAKER routine makes hair up to 20 times stronger against breakage.
• Detangle wet hair only with conditioner in, from the ends up.
• Ditch tight elastics. Use a scrunchie or a claw clip, and change where you tie it.
• Back off the heat until the breakage settles.

Our NO.BREAKER guide explains what bond builders can and can't do.

How to keep bleached hair healthy between appointments

Most of the damage between visits comes from three places: heat, sun and water. Blonde Guard is Kérastase's new leave-in for this. It's a light milk that protects lightened hair from heat styling, UV, chlorine and salt water, so it's handy for a Wānaka summer. For heat alone, Cicaplasme ($70.56) protects up to 230°C.

If you're on tank or bore water, blonde can turn dull and yellow from minerals. A clarifying wash every week or two helps. Our clarifying shampoo guide covers which one.

The first two weeks after bleaching

Go easy. Wait a couple of days before your first wash, skip the purple shampoo for the first week because your toner is fresh, and keep heat to a minimum. A mask at the end of week one is a good idea.

When home care isn't enough

Try the stretch test. Take a single wet hair and gently pull. Healthy hair stretches and springs back. If it stretches like chewing gum and stays there, or snaps straight away, home products won't fix it. Cutting off the worst and treating what's left is the honest answer. Book in and we'll look at it with you before your next lightening.

For product picks only, see the best shampoo for blonde hair. Browse our damaged hair and blonde hair collections.

Bleached hair and swimming

Chlorine is hard on bleached hair. It dries the lengths and can leave very light blonde with a green tinge. Wet your hair with fresh water before you get in, so it soaks up less pool water. Smooth a leave-in through the lengths first; Blonde Guard is made for this. Rinse straight after, and use a clarifying wash that week. If green does appear, don't reach for purple shampoo; ask us, it's an easy fix in the salon.

If your bleached hair needs more than home care, our blonde specialist guide explains how we fix colour that's gone wrong.

Questions we get asked

How do I repair bleach-damaged hair?

Put moisture back with a conditioner every wash and a weekly mask, protect what's left with a bond-building or repair leave-in, and cut the heat. Severely damaged ends usually need trimming.

Can bleached hair go back to normal?

The lightened lengths won't return to how they were before bleach, but they can feel soft and healthy again with the right care. New growth from the root is unaffected.

How often should I wash bleached hair?

Two or three times a week suits most people. Every wash costs a bit of moisture and fades toner, so less is better if your scalp allows it.

Is purple shampoo bad for bleached hair?

No, but use it once or twice a week only and condition afterwards. Used every wash it can leave bleached hair dry and grey-toned.

Should I use a bond builder on bleached hair?

If your hair is breaking or feels stretchy when wet, yes. Sebastian NO.BREAKER is the bond-building range we stock for home use.

Why does my bleached hair feel like straw?

Lightening makes hair porous, so it loses moisture quickly and the cuticle feels rough. A richer mask weekly, a leave-in and less heat usually fix the feel within a few washes.

How long should I wait to bleach my hair again?

At least six to eight weeks, and only if the hair passes a stretch test. Never lighten over hair that's already breaking.

Is Sebastian or Kérastase better for bleached hair?

Both work. Sebastian Penetraitt and NO.BREAKER are the lower price point and lean towards repair. Kérastase Blond Absolu is the premium option and adds toning and blonde-specific care.

Everything we sell is genuine salon stock, bought direct from the brands' New Zealand distributors and shipped from our salon on Helwick Street in Wānaka. Free NZ shipping over $75.