If you’re new to bleaching your hair you may be wondering “how soon can I use purple shampoo after bleaching.” Below, we will explain why you should wait and how best to do it.
How Long Should You Wait To Use Purple Shampoo After Bleaching?
After bleaching your hair you should wait 72 hours before using purple shampoo.
While some will say to wait a full week, you only need to wait three days at a minimum.
After 72 hours you’re clear to use shampoo–including purple shampoo. This gives the outer cuticle layer of your hair time to return to normal.
If you want to wash your hair sooner than three days you can do so after two. However, you should not use purple shampoo sooner than three days.
Instead, we recommend sulfate-free shampoo. This shampoo will wash without removing natural oils that protect your hair.
What Happens If You Use Purple Shampoo Too Soon?
The reason you shouldn’t use purple shampoo right away is that hair becomes very susceptible to color changes after bleaching.
This is why you bleach before dyeing in most cases. This also means that using purple shampoo too soon can potentially change your color tones.
In addition to potentially turning your hair purple, using the shampoo too early can be harmful.
The bleaching process takes a toll on your hair. You need to let it rest so that it can recover.
Using purple shampoo immediately after can further dry out your hair.
Can You Use Purple Shampoo After Bleaching Without Waiting?
Yes, you can use purple shampoo after bleaching if there is excessive unwanted brassiness.
However, you need to be careful as using too much purple dye can cause your hair to develop gray tones instead of blonde. It is therefore better to be cautious than spend more money on an emergency salon visit.
If you decide to shampoo after rinsing out the bleach you need to dilute it and use small quantities. Add some of your purple shampoo to your regular shampoo.
It is important to condition your hair prior to the diluted purple shampoo. Using a quality conditioner will remoisturize your hair and lower the chances of purple hair.
If your hair color doesn’t change as much as you want you can up the concentration a small amount.
How To Tell If You’re Shampooing Bleached Hair Too Often
Bleaching your hair really strips it of moisture. Unfortunately, shampoo can do the same. It is important to let your hair have some natural oils.
Without them, your hair will show increased signs of damage:
- Overly dry
- Brittle
- More prone to split ends
- Itchy
- Increased dandruff
You may be shampooing too much if you see an increase in the above signs after bleaching.
Purple shampoo in particular should not be overused. Purple shampoo can be further drying, but can also result in purple tones if used too often.
If you find that you have been washing your hair too often don’t worry. Simply let your hair rest for a few days.
How you should use purple shampoo after bleaching
Now that you know the basics of when not to use purple shampoo, you need to know the best way to use it.
The process is not much different than using regular shampoo. That said, there are a few things to do that will allow you to maximize your efficiency.
- Start with wet hair. You can either do this in the shower with your regular routine or by wetting a towel. The water should be warm.
- Add purple shampoo to your roots.
- Lather the shampoo as you work it into the roots.
- Work the shampoo down to the tips from the top.
- Pay specific attention to any brassy sections.
- Let the shampoo stay in for at least 2 minutes. If your hair is particularly brassy you can leave it for up to 15 minutes.
- Wash the shampoo out.
- Condition as normal for your routine.
Warm water is best as it will prepare your hair for the purple shampoo.
If you are worried about using too much purple shampoo, you can use a small amount on the roots.
Instead of lathering it down to the tips, you can wash it out. The shampoo will work to a lesser degree but will still work on the rest of your hair.
How Long Should You Leave Purple Shampoo In?
How long to leave purple shampoo in your hair depends on several factors. Most important of which is your hair color.
Since you wouldn’t gain any benefits from using purple shampoo on dark hair we will go over the lighter hair colors.
| Hair color | How long to leave in |
| Natural blonde | 2-3 minutes |
| Dyed blonde | 5-15 minutes |
| Gray or platinum | 20-30 minutes |
With all colors, you should leave the shampoo in for a longer period if there are extreme yellow or brassy tones you want to eliminate.
With that said there is a point where it is not practical to leave the shampoo in.
For the longer recommended times, it is helpful to wear a shower cap. This can help the shampoo stay in your hair while you go about your routine.
Is It OK To Use Purple Shampoo Every Day?
In short, no. You should not use purple shampoo every day.
In addition to the problems of using any shampoo every day you have to take into account the purple pigment.
If you use purple shampoo too often you can strip your hair of all its oils. These oils are essential to healthy hair. You also run the risk of adding purple tones to your hair.
Instead of using purple shampoo every day, you should alternate with regular shampoo.
Whatever the frequency is you should at most use purple shampoo every other time.
It is often best to only include purple shampoo in your routine once a week.
How To Pick Purple Shampoo For Bleached Hair
There are three main types of purple shampoo: purple, violet, and silver.
They all serve the same basic purpose to varying degrees.
Purple shampoo is a catch-all term that can describe any of these. However, silver tends to focus on eliminating more orange tones as they have more blue in them.
Violet shampoo is further on the purple side so it is best for dealing with extremely yellow tones.
No matter the name, you should look for purple shampoos that are thick and dark in color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Purple shampoo will not cancel out orange but could help with brassy tones. Purple shampoo is designed to counteract yellow tones as they are opposites on the color wheel. It is not designed to cancel out orange.
If you are using purple shampoo to cancel orange tones it will not work as detailed above. Alternatively, there could be too many other elements, such as those from hard water, in your hair. If this is the case, purple shampoo will not be enough.
Putting purple shampoo on dry hair can make some patches blonder. Dry hair does not absorb the toner as evenly as it does when wet. This can result in a patchy look that does not look good.
It is best to use purple shampoo on wet hair. Using it on dry hair can result in uneven effects. Your hair absorbs the shampoo much more evenly when wet.
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