Should I rinse bleach out of hair with hot or cold water?

 

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 You should always rinse out bleach or the bleaching mixture with cold water. 

 

This way, you turn off the chemical reaction that bleaches your hair. And you avoid two very important things:

 

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Because if you rinse out the bleach with hot water, you can irritate your scalp and ruin your hair.

So choosing the right water temperature for rinsing the bleach out is just as important as respecting the exposure times of the bleaching mixture.

And if you’re about to bleach your hair, you should first understand all the ins and outs.

Let’s start with the water temperature.

 

Bleach is always rinsed out with cold water

Cold water is always good for your hair because it closes the cuticles, promotes hair growth, and reduces frizz.

But what about when you’re rinsing out bleach? Then it’s even more important. Let’s see why.

 

Bleaching is an aggressive chemical process for hair because two very powerful chemicals are used. One is the 30 volume developer and the other is the bleaching powder.

Once you apply this mixture to your hair, start to raise the temperature so the hair cuticles open and the bleach can enter the core of each strand of your hair, to remove the color.

 

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Of course, during this process, your hair not only loses color but also loses nutrients and moisture.

This chemical reaction lasts about 20 minutes, during which your scalp will receive heat and fumes from the chemicals.

 If you use hot water to rinse out the bleach , you’ll only increase the heat reaction by reactivating it in some spots on your scalp. But mainly, you’ll raise your scalp’s temperature and that will cause inflammation, irritation, and itchiness.

 

 The only way to stop the chemical reaction of the bleach is to use cold water. 

 

For example, when I have to rinse the bleach out from a client’s hair, I do a three-minute cold water rinse to stop the chemical reaction and remove as much of the bleach as possible.

 Then, I wash their hair with shampoo and hot water , so that the cuticles expel any remaining bleach. And finally, I rinse their hair with cold water again to close the cuticles. That way the hair fiber retains the moisture from the wash.

 

So to rinse bleach out properly, you should follow these steps:

If you respect this cycle to rinse out bleach, you’ll protect your hair and scalp, which after all, is in charge of distributing nutrients throughout your hair.

Now, here are some secrets on how to rinse your bleach like a real pro.

 

What to keep in mind when rinsing out bleach

A few moments ago we talked about the importance of rinsing out bleach with cold water.

Now, what exactly does ‘cold water’ mean?  How can you tell if the water is cold enough to rinse out the bleach? 

 

When regulating the temperature of the water you’ll use to rinse the bleach out, don’t use your hand, because that part of your body is used to hot and cold temperatures.

What you should do is  feel the temperature of the water on your scalp , because it’s the thermal difference between your scalp and the water that will tell you if the water temperature is cold enough to rinse out the bleach.

 

This is the secret we colorists use to regulate the water’s temperature when we rinse out bleach.

When I’m rinsing hair in the hair salon, I always ask the client if the water feels too hot or too cold while I’m holding the shower head over their scalp.

Because the skin on your head is the best thermometer.

 

Finally, a pro tip:  don’t rinse the bleach mixture out while you’re showering. 

Because if you rinse bleach out while you’re showering, the bleach residue will run down your back and legs and can cause irritation and itchiness.

Also, if your skin is very sensitive, you could even get burns.

Therefore, I recommend that you rinse out bleach in the kitchen or bathroom sink. Then you can let the cold water run only through your hair and remove the bleach.

 

Conclusion

To remove bleach you should first rinse your hair with cold water for three minutes. Then wash your hair with hot water and shampoo, and finally rinse your hair again with cold water.

That way, you’ll avoid any further damage to your hair or scalp.