Highlights are a fantastic way to add dimension, brightness, and overall vibrancy to your hair. They can instantly elevate your look, but maintaining them requires dedication and the right strategies. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to keep your highlights looking salon-fresh for longer, from choosing the right products to adopting healthy hair habits.
Understanding Your Highlights: The Foundation of Maintenance
Before diving into the specifics of maintenance, it’s crucial to understand the type of highlights you have and how they were achieved. Different techniques and colors require different levels of care.
Knowing Your Highlight Technique
The method used to create your highlights significantly impacts how you should care for them. Balayage, for example, which involves hand-painting highlights, typically has a softer grow-out than traditional foil highlights, requiring less frequent touch-ups. Foil highlights, on the other hand, often create a more uniform and defined look, but the stark line of demarcation as they grow out can be more noticeable. Understanding whether you have balayage, foil highlights, babylights, or another technique will help you tailor your maintenance routine.
Understanding Your Hair Color and Highlight Shade
The difference between your natural hair color and the shade of your highlights also plays a role in maintenance. If your highlights are significantly lighter than your base color, the contrast will be more apparent as your hair grows. Similarly, cool-toned highlights like ash blonde or platinum require more upkeep to prevent brassiness than warmer tones like golden blonde or caramel. Knowing your hair’s natural undertones and how your highlights complement them is essential for choosing the right products and treatments.
The Role of Porosity in Highlight Maintenance
Hair porosity refers to your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. Highly porous hair absorbs moisture quickly but also loses it just as fast, making it prone to dryness and damage. Low porosity hair, conversely, resists moisture absorption. Highlights, especially if bleach is involved, can increase hair porosity. Understanding your hair’s porosity is critical for choosing moisturizing products and treatments that will keep your highlights healthy and vibrant.
Essential Products for Highlighted Hair
Using the right products is non-negotiable when it comes to maintaining your highlights. Sulfate-free shampoos, hydrating conditioners, and color-protecting treatments are essential for preserving color and preventing damage.
Sulfate-Free Shampoos: A Must-Have
Sulfates are harsh detergents commonly found in shampoos that can strip your hair of its natural oils and fade your highlights. Switching to a sulfate-free shampoo is one of the best things you can do to prolong the life of your color. Look for shampoos specifically formulated for color-treated hair, as they will be gentler and help maintain the vibrancy of your highlights.
Hydrating Conditioners and Masks: Combatting Dryness
Bleach, often used to achieve highlights, can dry out the hair, making it brittle and prone to breakage. Using a hydrating conditioner or hair mask regularly is essential for replenishing moisture and keeping your highlights healthy. Look for products containing ingredients like shea butter, argan oil, coconut oil, or hyaluronic acid, which are known for their moisturizing properties.
Purple Shampoo: Banishing Brassiness
One of the biggest challenges of maintaining blonde or light-colored highlights is preventing brassiness – those unwanted yellow or orange tones that can appear over time. Purple shampoo is a lifesaver for neutralizing these tones. The purple pigments in the shampoo counteract the yellow tones, leaving your highlights looking brighter and cooler. Use it once or twice a week, depending on how quickly your hair becomes brassy. Be careful not to overuse it, as it can sometimes leave a purple tint, especially on very light or porous hair.
Leave-In Conditioners and Serums: Daily Protection
Leave-in conditioners and serums provide an extra layer of protection and hydration throughout the day. They can help detangle your hair, reduce frizz, and protect against environmental damage. Look for products that contain UV filters to shield your highlights from the sun, which can fade color and cause damage.
Heat Protectants: Shielding from Damage
Heat styling tools like flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers can wreak havoc on highlighted hair, especially if it’s already dry or damaged. Always use a heat protectant spray or serum before using any heat styling tools. This will create a barrier between your hair and the heat, minimizing damage and preventing your highlights from becoming dull or brittle.
Healthy Hair Habits for Highlight Longevity
Beyond using the right products, adopting healthy hair habits is crucial for maintaining the health and vibrancy of your highlights.
Washing Your Hair Less Often
The more frequently you wash your hair, the faster your highlights will fade. Try to extend the time between washes as much as possible. When you do wash your hair, use lukewarm water instead of hot water, as hot water can strip your hair of its natural oils and fade your color.
Protecting Your Hair from the Sun
Just as the sun can damage your skin, it can also damage your hair, fading your color and making it dry and brittle. Wear a hat or scarf when spending time outdoors, especially during peak sun hours. You can also use hair products that contain UV filters.
Avoiding Chlorine
Chlorine in swimming pools can be extremely damaging to highlighted hair, causing it to become dry, brittle, and even turn green. If you’re a swimmer, wet your hair thoroughly with clean water before getting in the pool, and apply a leave-in conditioner or hair oil to create a barrier. After swimming, rinse your hair immediately with clean water and use a clarifying shampoo to remove any chlorine residue.
Eating a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is essential for healthy hair. Make sure you’re eating plenty of protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. These nutrients provide the building blocks your hair needs to grow strong and healthy.
Gentle Brushing and Detangling
Be gentle when brushing and detangling your hair, especially when it’s wet. Wet hair is more fragile and prone to breakage. Use a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush and start from the ends, working your way up to the roots. Avoid pulling or tugging on knots.
Extending the Life of Your Highlights: Touch-Ups and Toning
Even with the best care, highlights will eventually need a touch-up. Regular toning appointments can also help keep your highlights looking fresh and vibrant.
Root Touch-Ups: Maintaining a Seamless Look
As your hair grows, your roots will become visible, creating a line of demarcation between your natural hair color and your highlights. The frequency of root touch-ups depends on how quickly your hair grows and how noticeable the contrast is. Generally, most people need a root touch-up every 6-8 weeks. Consider a root smudge or shadow root technique for a softer grow-out.
Toning: Correcting and Enhancing Color
Toner is a demi-permanent hair color that can be used to correct unwanted tones, enhance the vibrancy of your highlights, and add shine. Toning is a crucial part of maintaining your highlights, especially if you have blonde or light-colored hair. It can neutralize brassiness, add warmth, or create a more ashy or cool-toned look. You can get a toner at the salon or use a DIY toner at home.
Gloss Treatments: Boosting Shine and Health
Gloss treatments are similar to toners, but they are less pigmented and focus more on adding shine and smoothing the hair cuticle. They can help revitalize dull highlights and leave your hair looking healthy and radiant.
When to Seek Professional Help
While you can do a lot to maintain your highlights at home, there are times when it’s best to seek professional help.
Corrective Color: Fixing Mistakes
If you’ve tried to DIY your highlights or touch-ups and ended up with uneven color, brassiness, or damage, it’s best to consult a professional colorist. Corrective color can be a complex process, and it’s important to have someone with experience and expertise handle it.
Significant Color Changes
If you want to make a significant change to your highlight color, such as going from blonde to brunette or vice versa, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. These types of color transformations can be damaging to your hair if not done correctly.
Unexplained Hair Damage
If you’re experiencing unexplained hair damage, such as excessive breakage, dryness, or split ends, it’s important to consult a hairstylist or trichologist to determine the cause and get appropriate treatment. Highlighting processes can sometimes exacerbate underlying hair health issues.
Long-Term Highlight Care: Preventing Damage
Preventing damage is paramount for the long-term health and beauty of your highlighted hair.
Protein Treatments: Strengthening Hair
Protein treatments can help strengthen and repair damaged hair, making it more resistant to breakage. They work by filling in the gaps in the hair cuticle, making it stronger and smoother. Use protein treatments sparingly, as overuse can lead to dryness and stiffness.
Deep Conditioning Treatments: Restoring Moisture
Deep conditioning treatments provide intense hydration and nourishment to dry, damaged hair. They can help restore moisture, improve elasticity, and add shine. Use a deep conditioning treatment once a week or as needed.
Regular Trims: Eliminating Split Ends
Split ends can travel up the hair shaft, causing further damage and breakage. Getting regular trims every 6-8 weeks is essential for preventing split ends and keeping your hair healthy.
Avoiding Over-Processing
Over-processing your hair with too many chemical treatments can lead to severe damage and breakage. Be mindful of how often you’re highlighting your hair, and avoid overlapping highlights on previously treated areas.
Maintaining highlights requires a commitment to using the right products, adopting healthy hair habits, and seeking professional help when needed. By following these tips, you can keep your highlights looking salon-fresh, vibrant, and healthy for longer. Remember that consistency is key. A dedicated routine will pay off in the long run, ensuring your highlighted hair always looks its best.
Why do my highlights fade or turn brassy so quickly?
Your highlights can fade or turn brassy due to several factors. Sunlight exposure, washing your hair frequently with harsh shampoos, and using heated styling tools can all contribute to color loss and brassiness. Minerals in your water, such as iron and copper, can also deposit on the hair and cause unwanted warm tones to develop over time.
To combat this, use color-safe shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for highlighted hair. These products typically contain UV filters and antioxidants to protect against environmental damage. Limiting heat styling and using a water filter on your showerhead can also significantly extend the life of your highlights and prevent brassiness.
What type of shampoo should I use to maintain my highlights?
When maintaining highlighted hair, the right shampoo can make a huge difference. Opt for a sulfate-free shampoo, as sulfates are harsh detergents that can strip the hair of its natural oils and fade color faster. Look for shampoos specifically designed for color-treated or highlighted hair, as they often contain ingredients that help to seal the hair cuticle and protect the color.
In addition to being sulfate-free, consider using a purple shampoo once or twice a week. Purple shampoo contains violet pigments that neutralize brassy tones, keeping your highlights looking bright and fresh. Remember to follow the instructions on the bottle, as overuse can lead to a purple tint, especially on lighter shades of blonde.
How often should I wash my hair after getting highlights?
Washing your hair too frequently after getting highlights can cause the color to fade faster. Try to wait at least 48-72 hours after your salon appointment before washing your hair for the first time. This allows the hair cuticle to fully close and lock in the color.
When you do wash your hair, aim for washing only two to three times per week, if possible. Using dry shampoo in between washes can help to absorb excess oil and keep your hair looking fresh without stripping it of its color. Overwashing can also dry out your hair, making it more prone to damage and breakage.
What are the best products to protect my highlights from heat styling?
Heat styling can significantly damage highlighted hair, leading to dryness, breakage, and color fading. Before using any heat tools, such as flat irons, curling irons, or blow dryers, it’s essential to apply a heat protectant spray or serum. These products create a barrier between the hair and the heat, minimizing damage.
Look for heat protectants that are specifically designed for color-treated hair and contain ingredients like silicones or natural oils. These ingredients help to seal the hair cuticle, prevent moisture loss, and protect the color from fading. Apply the heat protectant evenly throughout your hair, focusing on the ends, before using any heat styling tools.
How can I prevent sun damage from fading my highlights?
Sun exposure is a major culprit when it comes to fading highlights. The sun’s UV rays can break down the color molecules in your hair, causing them to lose their vibrancy and become dull. Protecting your hair from the sun is crucial for maintaining your highlights’ salon-fresh look.
Wear a hat or scarf when spending extended periods outdoors, especially during peak sun hours. You can also use hair products that contain UV filters, such as leave-in conditioners or hairsprays. These products create a protective barrier against the sun’s harmful rays, helping to prevent color fading and damage.
How can I refresh my highlights between salon visits?
Maintaining your highlights between salon visits is essential for keeping them looking their best. There are several ways to refresh your highlights at home without needing a full salon appointment. Consider using a color-depositing conditioner or glaze that matches your highlight shade.
These products deposit a small amount of color onto the hair, helping to revive faded highlights and add shine. You can also use a root touch-up spray or powder to conceal any regrowth and blend your roots with your highlights. These temporary solutions are perfect for extending the time between salon visits and keeping your hair looking polished.
Are there any at-home remedies that can help maintain my highlights?
While professional salon treatments are ideal, there are some at-home remedies you can use to help maintain your highlights. A simple vinegar rinse, using diluted apple cider vinegar, can help to remove build-up and restore shine to your hair. It also helps to close the hair cuticle, which can prevent color fading.
You can also try using a hydrating hair mask made with natural ingredients like avocado, honey, or coconut oil. These ingredients can help to nourish and moisturize your hair, keeping it healthy and vibrant. Remember to always do a patch test before applying any new product to your entire head to avoid any adverse reactions.
Alden Pierce is a passionate home cook and the creator of Cooking Again. He loves sharing easy recipes, practical cooking tips, and honest kitchen gear reviews to help others enjoy cooking with confidence and creativity. When he’s not in the kitchen, Alden enjoys exploring new cuisines and finding inspiration in everyday meals.