How Long Do Highlights Last + How to Make Them Last Longer (2024)

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Are you bored with your natural hair color and want something new for a change?

If you want to change your look and elevate your style, you should consider getting highlights and make sure that your highlights last longer!

Highlights are trendy and can make your hair look dimensional and volumized. After the highlighting process, you’ll have a low-maintenance hairstyle suitable for all occasions.

Interested?

Keep on reading as we continue to provide fun facts about highlights: how long do highlights last, tips to maintain them, and some of the frequently asked questions about this permanent color treatment.

What Are Highlights?

Hair highlighting is a hair treatment performed by a salon expert to change the color of your hair using hair color or lightener to lift your hair strand’s brightness—known as level.

You can choose any color for your hair highlight, given that it is a lighter level compared to your natural hair.

Remember that the hair lightened with permanent color or bleach will be permanent until your hair starts to grow out.

Here are the timeless, classic, and subtle hair highlight types to choose from, which can give your hair texture and dimension.

• Traditional Highlights
• Babylights
• Balayage
• Foil-ayage
• Ombré
• Lowlights

Check out this video that you need to watch before getting highlights:

How Long Do Hair Highlights Last?

Most of the time, highlights can last between two to three months in average hair.

But, this timeframe may vary depending on several factors, such as your hair care routine, how the highlights are done, your hair texture, how healthy or damaged your hair is, etc.

After you get this hair color treatment, hair damage is inevitable because your hair will be exposed to strong chemicals—potentially drying out and burning your hair.

That only means that the more frequently you get hair highlights, the more damage is done to your hair. Because of that, professional hair stylists claim that touch-ups should be required anywhere between every four weeks to four months.

So, if you are doing hair treatments more often, we highly recommend you invest in high-quality deep conditioners and apply them regularly to keep your hair from being damaged.

How to Make Your Highlights Last Longer?

If you want to make your highlights last and prevent further hair damage, you can do a few things.

1. Delay Washing Your Hair

Do not wash your hair right after you get highlights at the salon. Give it at least 48 hours before rewashing your hair. This waiting period allows the fresh color to balance and penetrate your hair.

2. Use Cool Water to Wash Your Hair

Do not use hot water to wash your hair, as much as possible, after the treatment. Hot water won’t only cause damage to your hair, but it will also cause your highlights to fade out quickly.

With that, we highly recommend you always use cool water to protect your highlights and hair color while keeping your hair healthy.

3. Use Good Conditioning Products

Using conditioning products is the easiest method to prevent further hair damage and balance out the harsh chemicals.

After you get hair highlights, it is crucial to use the right conditioner and shampoo that can cater to your hair’s needs. That way, the damage done to your hair will be minimized.

Also, you can guarantee that your highlights won’t get dull or fade out easily.

Try out the following best-selling shampoo brands from Amazon that make bond-building treatments that keep your hair nourished and minimize damage.

4. Go to a Trusted Hair Colorist

We highly discourage you from asking someone who doesn’t know how to do the proper highlighting techniques or even trying to do it yourself at home without a hair expert’s supervision.

Trust us when we say that it will only end up in a mess that will damage your hair a lot. So, you should never get highlights from anyone other than a professional hair colorist. Your hair will thank us a lot with this tip!

Frequently Asked Highlight Questions

How Long Does It Take for Highlights To Fade?

Nothing beats the look of fresh-from-the-salon hair. Hair highlights can fade over time. It’s a slow process that you might overlook between hair consultations.

Your highlights start fading when the color oxidizes over time—not because you washed your hair. That’s why you should protect your hair from oxidation and keep it from the harsh environment.

You can use a good heat protectant that will serve as your hair’s armor. Heat protectants are ideal for keeping your hair protected from heat styling, slowing the oxidation rate.

Here’s one of the top-rated heat protectants on Amazon:

Can Highlights Damage Your Hair?

Yes, highlights can damage your hair. However, there are ways you can do to minimize the damage caused by the treatment.

If you have dyed hair, it is not advised to wash your hair every day to prevent premature color fading and dryness.

The blonde highlight procedure is used with bleach to strip out the hair color, removing the hair’s natural oils. Meanwhile, the darker highlight process can be less damaging but still cause dryness since they change the hair structure.

If you want to maintain healthy-looking hair, take care of your highlights after coloring. You can do that by never skipping out on your hair conditioner.

Also, adding a hydrating hair mask at least once per week to your hair care routine is never a bad idea.

If you think your hair is damaged, don’t freak out just yet! Your professional hair stylist can help you prevent long-term hair damage with their recommendation.

With their help, the inevitable, short-term damage will be fixed!

How Often Should You Get Highlights Redone?

Fading highlights occur gradually over time, and you can take steps to slow the process. On the contrary, your hair roots are a totally different story.

Everyone’s hair grows differently, but diet, genetics, and age play a significant role.

Nobody likes to see their exposed hair roots. Fortunately, with highlights, it’s less noticeable that you have color on your hair once it grows.

Also, since highlights blend better with your natural hair color, you may be able to delay your retouch appointment a little longer.

Still, most hair colorists and stylists recommend getting those roots touched up every six to eight weeks.

Conclusion: Are Hair Highlights Worth It?

Your hair is your crowning glory and is one of your best assets. Completely changing your hairstyle or color can be a huge commitment, making you hesitant to do it.

The good news is that you don’t need to make any drastic or significant changes to achieve a new look! Instead, you can get hair highlights now if you want a natural and subtle dimension.

We promise you; hair highlights are totally worth every penny and time it costs! Plus, you will never go out of style with this new hair color treatment.

Try it now and book a hair consultation with your trusted hair salon!

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