Highlights are all the rage right now – they bring your best features, enhance your hair color, and make your hair appear fuller. No wonder why women from all over the world are obsessed with this hair coloring technique.
But how often should you get highlights? Well, it depends on a number of factors. In general, you should get your hair highlighted every 6 to 8 weeks. If you do it too often, you may end up damaging your hair.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything that can possibly affect the time between your appointments and also some ways to make your highlights last longer.
Factors That Determine How Often Should You Get Your Hair Highlighted
1. Frequency of Hair Washing
Washing your hair too often can cause the color to fade faster. For someone with oily hair who washes their hair every day, you may find yourself heading to the salon much more frequently. However, if you wash your hair once or twice a week, your highlights are probably going to last much longer.
2. Rate of Hair Growth
The rate at which hair grows can also affect the time between your appointments. According to The Trichological Society, human hair grows between 0.5 centimeters and 1.7 centimeters per month.
That’s about 0.2 to 0.7 inches per month. If you’re on the higher end of this range, you’ll need to get highlights redone more frequently.
3. Hair Products You Use
Using regular shampoos after getting highlights? Then your highlights may not last as long as you would expect. You see, regular shampoos can strip your hair color much faster. Therefore, it’s important that you invest in color-safe shampoos and conditioners. If you don’t, your highlights won’t last that long.
Also: How Often Can You Tone Your Hair?
What Can I Do To Make My Highlights Last Longer?
1. Don’t Wash Your Hair With Hot Water
If you wash your hair with hot water, then that’s not good for your highlights. Hot water opens up your cuticles and fades hair color. It’s best to rinse your hair with cold water.
Not only would it prevent the color from fading, but it would also keep your hair healthier in general. Because hot water can strip moisture out of your hair.
2. Use Heat-Protectant Sprays
Heat styling tools such as a blow dryer or a flat iron can also fade your color at a much faster rate than you would imagine.
The reason is the same as above – as you apply flat irons or other heat tools to your hair, the heat opens up your cuticles, reacts with the color pigment causing it to fade or change. Here’s an Instagram video illustrating how heat tools fade color:
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Therefore, you should avoid using them. Or if you do have to use them, make sure to use heat protectants.
3. Wash Hair Less Frequently
We talked about how washing more frequently can affect the life of your highlights. Thus, by washing your hair less often, you can make your hair last longer. Another thing you can do is use color-safe products on your hair.
4. Avoid Pools
Pools contain chlorinated water, and this can also fade your hair color. Therefore, it’s best to avoid pools. If you can’t, you should try to keep your hair out of the water as much as possible. Be sure to put sunscreen on your hair as well. Oiling your hair can also help.
Also Read: Does Coconut Oil Fade Hair Color? Here’s What Experts Say
Conclusion
Highlighting your hair is fun, but it can also damage your hair if you overdo it. But now that you know how often you should get highlights, you can book your next appointment with confidence.
If you still have any questions, let us know in the comments below. Also, we’d love to hear about your hair highlighting experience as well, so feel free to share your story.
Sheryll is a lifestyle editor with over 7 years of experience in beauty. She is obsessed with Korean skincare, and she mostly covers the Beauty and Skincare space at Skin Seas.