How Long Does It Take to Get Highlights – How to Keep Longer

Consider getting highlights, and make sure they last longer, if you want to change how you look and up your style.

Your hair can look dimensional and volumized with highlights, which are in right now. After the highlighting procedure, your hair will have a low-maintenance look that is appropriate for any situation.

Continue reading for more fun facts about highlights, including how long they last, how to keep them looking good, and some 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.

As long as it is lighter in intensity than your natural hair, you can pick any color for your hair highlights.

Keep in mind that until your hair starts to grow out, any permanent color or bleach used to lighten your hair will remain in place.

Here are some options for classic, understated, and timeless hair highlights that can add dimension and texture to your hair.

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

How Long Does It Take to Get a Highlight on Short Hair?

Short hair requires less time to get highlights than long hair does. It’s possible to process colored hair in various ways depending on hair length.

The amount of time it takes to get the best results will depend on the color of the highlighting product and how porous your hair is.

A process of highlighting can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours. That depends on how tall your hair is. It would move more quickly if you used the same amount again after getting the highlights with a cap.

But each type of hair is unique. Wrapping short hair is different from wrapping long or medium-length hair, for instance. Furthermore, the length of processing time and the quantity of bleaching agents your hair colorist is currently using are important factors.

How Long Do Hair Highlights Last?

In typical hair, highlights typically last between two and three months.

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.

The strong chemicals your hair will be exposed to after this hair color treatment could potentially dry out and burn your hair, resulting in hair damage that is unavoidable.

That merely indicates that the more often you get highlights done, the more harm is done to your hair. Because of this, expert hair stylists assert that touch-ups should be needed anywhere from once every four weeks to once every 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?

You can take a few steps to prolong your highlights and stop further hair deterioration.

1. Delay Washing Your Hair

Right after getting highlights at the salon, avoid washing your hair. Prior to rewashing your hair, wait at least 48 hours. The new color has time to penetrate and balance your hair during this waiting period.

2. Use Cool Water to Wash Your Hair

As much as possible after the treatment, avoid washing your hair with hot water. Your highlights will fade out quickly when you wash your hair in hot water, in addition to harming your hair.

In light of this, we strongly advise using cool water to maintain the health of your hair while protecting your highlights and hair color.

3. Use Good Conditioning Products

The simplest way to stop additional hair damage and counteract the harsh chemicals is to use conditioning products.

After you get hair highlights, it is crucial to use the right conditioner and shampoo that can cater to your hair’s needs. Your hair will sustain less harm if you do this.

Additionally, you can be sure that your highlights won’t quickly fade or become dull.

4. Go to a Trusted Hair Colorist

We strongly advise against trying to highlight your hair at home without a professional’s supervision or even asking someone who doesn’t know how to do it.

It will only result in a mess and severe damage to your hair, so believe us when we say that. Therefore, only a qualified hair colorist should be trusted to apply highlights to your hair. With this advice, your hair will be very grateful to us.

How Long Does It Take to Get Blonde Highlights?

You should undergo a lightening treatment if you want light hair. If the hair becomes excessively long, a root treatment may be required, which can take 1-3 hours. For your first highlighting experience, pick a trustworthy hair salon with a qualified hair colorist.

If you’re short on time, consider lighter hair color. You could use either ash or strawberry blondes, for instance, if you had dark brown hair originally but wanted to lighten it and add dimension and shine. You’ll get an ombre effect from it.

It is ideal for a hairstyle that looks long. It will also provide you with a volume that you have probably never seen before.

Types of Highlights

There are two popular methods for dying hair. We know the other as highlighting with a cap, and we refer to it as foiling. Medium-length head hair is best foiled, and a long mane can be highlighted with a cap. Unfortunately, it takes time for these methods to develop.

Being more complicated, the cap technique takes less time to set up. But once the setup is completed by the hair colorist, the processing time for the cap technique is typically reduced.

People with long hair may find it challenging to use the cap technique.

When highlighting, people with curly hair need to exercise extra caution. When the hairstylist uses excessive heat or color, the curly hair may split. Take it slow when getting highlights for the first time if you have curly hair.

Foiling Method

What is the best way to foil-highlight hair? For it to function, your hair must first be lightened. For dark hair, which easily damages lightning, using low volumes is best.

Following this procedure, please pick the color that will be infused into your hair, and then begin applying it to the strands of your head that require highlights.

To distribute it evenly across your head, use a brush or a bottle cap. For those with long hair, the latter speeds up the process but presents a challenge.

It is quick and simple to do this way, so we suggest it for people with relatively short hair.

You must then wait an additional 30 minutes for the product to properly affect your head.

In order to achieve an even color, it is best to refrain from touching or playing with your hair while you wait.

After this period of time, you should check to see if the hair color has been properly deposited before rinsing it off with cold water.

How Long Should the Foil Highlights Process Take?

The highlighting procedure takes about two hours, and eventually, dark roots may show through. Every month, and more frequently if necessary, deep condition your hair.

Every other day, you should wash your hair. About two hours are needed for the shampoo procedure. The hairdresser needs 5 minutes to highlight your hair.

Cap Method

How does wearing a cap highlight your hair? Foil is first applied in sections to the head, working from the front to the back. The next step is a cap with holes where the hair strands can pass through, better separating the strands than a brush or comb.

Depending on how long it takes for your hair to process, the highlights can be applied in 1-2 hours.

Due to the maximum cap limit, applying highlight colors requires time. The majority of the time, they have long hair.

It is best to do this in segments because you can only use one color at a time.

Applying highlights while wearing a cap to cover your entire head takes about 1-3 hours. You will then need to wait an additional 30 minutes before washing your head with cold water to remove the colors.

In order to achieve an even color, it is best to avoid touching or playing with your hair while you wait.

After this period of time, you should rinse it off with cold water and check to see if the hair color has been properly deposited.

Are Hair Highlights Permanent?

Highlights in hair fade over time. If your hair naturally grows, hair highlights are advantageous for you. To ensure they remain inside, you should check.

For shiny hair, deep conditioning treatments are necessary. The color must be checked frequently, though, as it might fade too much or too little.

In the first month, if you do not use hair care products that highlight your hair, damage will become visible. That will aid in preventing this damage and breakage.

Can I Swim After Hair Highlights?

Your hair can be harmed by chlorine water, no. Waiting seven days before entering the pool is advised by experts.

When exposed to sunlight, hair that has fallen out of the skin turns green. Soak your hair in tap water prior to going swimming.

How Do I Have to Take Care of My Highlights?

If your hair is damaged in any way, you must use special products. You shouldn’t over-wash or color your hair after doing highlights.

The recommendation is to use dry shampoo in between washes and leave the colors on your roots. If you prefer, you can choose two distinct colors, but this will necessitate frequent touch-ups.

After highlights, a hair mask is a great way to maintain healthy hair. At least once a week, you ought to use this product.

Which Hair Color is Best to Apply Highlights?

If you are blonde, go for bleached hair with light brown roots. Consider darker hues like red or blond if you have brown hair.

Dark-haired women shouldn’t dye their hair lighter colors because the result will be even more obvious.

Ash colors are best for blonde hair. Use warm hues like golden blond or copper if you want red highlights. However, for the best outcome, dark hair must naturally take a pure white color.

Every other day, your hair must be washed. About two hours are needed for the shampoo procedure. Your hair’s highlights can be done by the hairdresser in 5 minutes.

Do Highlights Damage Hair Follicles?

Yes, but if you sufficiently moisturize your hair and wear a cap while using the highlights procedure, it won’t be as much.

It takes about 3 hours to complete the process. Just three months, on average, are the color’s lifespan. Additionally, to maintain the health of your hair, make sure to get a treatment for them once a week or use a quality mask occasionally.

If you use quality products and take good care of your hair after the procedure, there won’t be any damage.

It takes about 3 hours to complete the process. Only three months on average do the colors last. To keep your hair healthy, be sure to get a treatment for it once a week or use a good mask occasionally.

Do Highlights Or Balayage Take Longer?

By painting individual strands of hair with various colors to produce an ombre effect, balayage is one of the newest hair color trends.

Because it involves going through every inch of your length, the process takes longer than other highlighting methods, which can be difficult for people with shorter hair.

However, if you’re willing to put in a little extra time or wish to forego the high fees, are you ready? There’s a chance that this look would go well with all the elaborate layering that’s currently occurring at home.

Applying the chosen color to all the hair strands you want to highlight is important when working with white or gray hair. Make sure not to harm your skin or scalp when coloring your hair because you might become more sensitive.

How to Take Care of Your Highlights

After spending hours in the salon chair, you’ll want to make sure that your highlights last as long as possible. Maintaining your hair color properly is the best way to achieve that.

Washing

You shouldn’t wash your hair for two days after leaving the salon. This gives the dye enough time to reach your hair follicles and absorb the color, resulting in a color that will last longer.

Additionally, you ought to refrain from swimming for at least a week, especially if you swim in a pool. Chlorine and hair dye ingredients don’t mix well and could give your hair an unfavorable color.

Even though it might make your shower a little more uncomfortable, we advise using lukewarm or cool water when washing your hair.

After all, the stylist typically rinses your hair with lukewarm water after dying it. Warm water tends to hasten the fading of your hair dye.

Products

When using color-safe products, you can also keep your highlights looking good. Change to a shampoo made specifically for color-treated hair from your regular one. Consider using a purple-tinted shampoo to prevent brassiness if you chose blonde or extremely light highlights.

After the lengthy dying process, your hair also needs to recover. Your hair will become healthy once more with nourishing, hydrating products like a deep conditioning treatment or hair mask. Healthy hair will keep its color longer and look better, so the expense is justified.

Finally, stay away from heat-generating products, especially right after coloring your hair.

When the hair has already been harmed by the dyeing process, blow dryers, straighteners, and curling irons cause additional damage, which can lead to breakage and dull tresses.

To ensure that it is shielded while you sleep, we also advise wrapping your hair every night. To learn how to wrap your hair at night like a pro stylist, read this article to learn how to wrap long hair differently from wrapping short hair.

Touch-ups

No matter how well you look after your hair after getting highlights, if you want to keep your highlights for a long time, it will need touching up.

People typically need to make a follow-up visit 30 to 60 days after their initial appointment. Ask your hair colorist when they think you should go back and make sure to do so.

Conclusion: Are Hair Highlights Worth It?

One of your best features is your hair, which is also your crowning glory. You might be reluctant to change your hairstyle or color entirely because it can be a significant commitment.

The good news is that you don’t have to change much or drastically to get a new appearance! If you want a natural and subtle dimension, you can now get highlights for your hair.

We vouch for the fact that hair highlights are totally cost- and time-effective! Additionally, this new hair color procedure ensures that you will always be in style.

Frequently Asked Highlight Questions