Yes, you can colour your hair after rebonding: wait about two weeks, and tell your colourist your hair is rebonded. Regular colour is usually fine on healthy rebonded hair, but bleach is the high-risk combination, and it’s the one most likely to end in breakage.
Rebonding and colouring are both chemical services, and both work on the inside of the hair strand. Book them too close together, or in the wrong order, and you ask the same hair to take two hits before it has recovered from the first. New to either treatment? Start with our complete guide to rebonding in Singapore and our hair colouring guide.
This guide covers how long to wait, which order to book, which colour services are gentler and which are riskier, how strand tests and bond repair help, what doing both costs in Singapore, and how to keep straight, coloured hair looking good.
How Long After Rebonding Can I Colour My Hair?
About two weeks is the usual minimum. That gives the new straight shape time to settle and your hair a short break between chemical services. It also clears the first 72 hours after rebonding, when you shouldn’t wash, tie or wet your hair at all (colouring means rinsing, so it’s off the table anyway). Our guide to washing your hair after rebonding covers that first week day by day.
Two weeks is a floor, not a target. Some stylists prefer a month or longer if your hair is dry, fine or has been coloured before. If yours suggests waiting longer, that’s usually a sign they’re being careful with your hair, not upselling you.
Can you do rebonding and colouring on the same day? It isn’t recommended. Both services open up the hair and stress it, and stacking them in one sitting multiplies the damage risk. A good salon will split them into two visits.
Which Colour Services Are Safer on Rebonded Hair?
Not all colour carries the same risk. The big divide is whether your hair needs to be lightened.
| Colour service after rebonding | Typical wait | Risk on rebonded hair | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Going darker or staying close to your natural shade | About 2 weeks | Lower | The gentlest route; ammonia-free options exist |
| Single-tone full-head colour | About 2 weeks | Moderate | Usually fine on healthy hair, tell the colourist it’s rebonded |
| Colour root touch-up | As needed | Lower on lengths | Colour goes on the regrowth, so the rebonded lengths are mostly left alone |
| Highlights or balayage (uses bleach) | Longer, stylist’s call | Highest | Strand test first; many stylists will advise against it |
| Full-head bleach | Stylist’s call | Highest | The combination most likely to cause breakage |
The pattern is simple: the more your hair has to be lightened, the more risk you take on. Going a shade or two darker, or refreshing a colour close to your own, is where rebonded hair copes best.
Why Bleach and Rebonding Don’t Mix Well
Rebonding breaks and resets the bonds inside each strand. Bleach works by lightening the pigment inside the strand. Put both on the same hair and the strand has less and less internal strength left.
This is why our rebonding guide calls rebonding over bleach “the most common way people end up with breakage”, and it works the other way too: bleaching hair that has already been rebonded is the riskiest order to do it in.
If you really want to go lighter on rebonded hair:
- Ask for a strand test first (more on that below).
- Keep the lift small. A soft, subtle lightening is far less risky than going several shades lighter.
- Ask about bond repair in the same session.
- Be ready to hear no. A stylist who turns down bleach on your rebonded lengths is protecting your hair.
Weighing up highlights against balayage? Our balayage vs highlights guide explains the difference, but on rebonded hair, talk to your stylist before choosing either.
Rebond First or Colour First?
For most people, rebond first, then colour about two weeks later. Rebonding uses strong chemicals and a lot of heat from the flat iron, which can dull or shift a fresh colour. Colouring after the rebond has settled means the colour you pay for is the colour you keep.
Already coloured and want to rebond? That’s possible, but tell your stylist everything: when you coloured, what shade, and whether any of it was bleached. Rebonding over bleached or heavily highlighted hair is where many stylists will say no, and that’s a stylist worth trusting.
How this differs from keratin: with a keratin treatment, many stylists colour first so the keratin seals over the colour. Rebonding is a structural change rather than a coating, so the usual advice runs the other way. If you’re still choosing between the two, our keratin vs rebonding comparison walks through which suits coloured hair.
A simple rule of thumb many stylists use: leave at least two weeks between any two chemical services on the same hair, and always tell each stylist your full hair history.
Gentler Options: Ammonia-Free Colour and Bond Repair
Ammonia-free colour. Many Singapore salons offer an ammonia-free or organic colour option. It’s often described as gentler and usually smells milder, but it’s still a chemical colour, so the two-week wait still applies. On the salon menus we reviewed, ammonia-free colour usually costs about $20 to $30 more than the standard option.
Bond repair (Olaplex, K18 and similar). These treatments are designed to support the hair’s internal bonds during and after chemical services. They don’t make bleach on rebonded hair safe, but they’re a sensible add-on when you’re doing both treatments within a few weeks. Expect about $30 to $90 as an add-on, or about $80 to $150 as a standalone treatment. Our bond repair guide explains what the different systems do.
Strand Test and Patch Test: Ask for Both
These are two different checks, and both are worth asking for on rebonded hair.
A strand test checks your hair. The colourist applies the colour to a small, hidden section to see how the rebonded hair takes it and how it holds up. It’s the best way to spot a problem before it covers your whole head.
A patch test checks your skin. Hair dyes, and the lotions used for perms and straightening, are regulated as cosmetic products by the Health Sciences Authority. HSA’s advice on HealthHub is to try a product on a small area of skin, usually behind your ear or on the inside of your forearm, before use. If you’ve ever reacted to hair dye, or your scalp still feels tender after the rebond, mention it before anything goes on.
What Does It Cost to Rebond and Colour in Singapore?
Rebonding and colouring are two separate visits, so you pay for both. Based on the salon menus we reviewed, rebonding costs about $160 to $300 at most salons (median about $200 across 42 menus), and a single-tone full-head colour has a median entry price of about $120 across 31 menus.
| Budget level | Rebonding | Single-tone colour | Estimated total for both |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | About $70 to $130 | About $50 to $90 | About $120 to $220 |
| Typical | About $200 | About $120 | About $320 |
| Premium | About $300 to $400+ | About $160 to $220 | About $460 to $620+ |
These totals are our estimates from menu “from” prices, which are usually for short hair. Add on:
- Longer hair: usually about $20 to $40 more per length step for colour, and more for rebonding too.
- Ammonia-free colour: about $20 to $30 more.
- Bond repair: about $30 to $90 as an add-on.
- Highlights instead of single-tone: full-head highlights typically run about $150 to $250.
Our rebonding price guide breaks rebonding down by hair length and salon tier, and our hair colour price guide does the same for colour. Menu prices change, so always confirm the price for your hair length before you book.
Keeping Rebonded, Coloured Hair Looking Good
- Use a sulphate-free, colour-safe shampoo and a proper conditioner. This helps both treatments last.
- Wash two or three times a week in lukewarm water rather than hot.
- Keep heat low. Rebonded hair rarely needs a flat iron.
- Use a leave-in or light oil on the lengths. Hair that has had two chemical services is drier than it looks.
- Rinse with fresh water before and after swimming. Chlorine is hard on colour and on treated hair.
- Plan your touch-ups. Rebonding regrowth usually needs a touch-up every four to six months. Keep your colour and rebond appointments at least two weeks apart, and keep a note of the dates to show each stylist. For colour regrowth, see our root touch-up guide.
For the full picture on either treatment, go back to our rebonding complete guide or the hair colouring guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you colour your hair after rebonding?
Yes, you can colour your hair after rebonding, as long as you wait about two weeks and tell your colourist it’s rebonded. Regular colour, especially going darker or staying close to your natural shade, is usually fine on healthy hair. Bleach is the high-risk combination, so ask for a strand test and expect caution.
How long after rebonding can I colour my hair?
Wait about two weeks after rebonding before colouring your hair. That lets the new straight shape settle and gives your hair a break between chemical services. Two weeks is a minimum, not a target: some stylists prefer a month or longer if your hair is dry, fine or already coloured. Same-day rebonding and colouring isn’t recommended.
Should I rebond or colour first?
For most people, rebond first and colour about two weeks later. The chemicals and flat-iron heat used in rebonding can dull or shift a fresh colour, so colouring afterwards keeps the shade you paid for. If your hair is already coloured, rebonding is possible, but tell your stylist everything, especially about any bleach.
Can I bleach my hair after rebonding?
Bleaching rebonded hair is the riskiest combination and the one most likely to cause breakage. If you want to go lighter, ask for a strand test first, keep the lift small, and ask about adding bond repair. Many stylists will advise against bleach on rebonded lengths, and that caution is protecting your hair.
How much does it cost to rebond and colour hair in Singapore?
Based on Singapore salon menus we reviewed, rebonding typically costs about $200 and a single-tone colour about $120, so doing both usually comes to around $320 for short hair. Budget salons can total about $120 to $220, and premium salons about $460 to $620 or more. Longer hair, ammonia-free colour and bond repair cost extra.
Where to Book Colour and Rebonding in Singapore
Look for a salon that asks about your hair history before it starts, and is happy to split rebonding and colour into two visits. Browse salons offering hair colour on Glamingo and hair straightening and rebonding by area and price, add bond repair if your hair needs extra support, and request a booking in a few taps.
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