If you are thinking about getting some partial highlights in your hair, you’ve probably heard contrasting opinions on how long the process may take.
Highlights, depending on multiple factors can take as much as several hours to as little as thirty minutes.
Lots will depend on your hair type, the kind of highlights you want, the color, and the technique employed for achieving those highlights.
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How Long Will Partial Highlights Take at a Salon?
It’s important to decide what kind of highlights you desire. Full and partial highlights require different amounts of time as well as the kind of highlights you want, for example, ombre or balayage.
The thickness of your hair together with the length will influence the amount of time needed. As a general rule, highlights will take between two and four or so hours to complete.
If you are going to a hair salon, you might want to ask for a consultation beforehand so they can give you an idea of how much time you’ll need.
Factors that Influence the Amount of Necessary Time for Highlights
Several factors can make a difference in how much time you will need to dedicate to getting your partial highlights. The initial thing to consider is your hair color before the highlighting begins. Darker hair will require more time than lighter shades of hair will need.
Another aspect to evaluate is the hair care technique used to achieve the highlights. The use of foil will take a bit more time.
Also consider that if you select an unusual or unique color, you might need more time as the stylist may need time to mix that special color. Plan on two hours from the the procedure start to completion.
However, remember that this can vary substantially depending on the salon, your professional stylist, your hair, and the method.
Can Highlights Be Made to Last Longer?
Highlights will usually last for a period of four to six weeks, however, there are several things you can do so they last somewhat longer. Follow these tips to keep your highlights beautiful and vibrant as long as you can.
- Wash your hair in tepid water rather than hot water. Very hot water can contribute to highlights fading quickly.
- When blow-drying your hair, choose to use a cooler setting during styling.
- Heat does not treat highlights well so when styling hair, use heat styling tools and products sparingly to prevent fading.
- Wash your hair a bit less. Even when using shampoos for treated hair, they still contain chemicals that can strip hair color. Each washing will cause you to lose a little color or toner.
If you have selected to have very light blonde highlights applied, you should ask your hair care professional about a toning mask to keep your highlights vivid between salon visits or perhaps a purple shampoo.
These suggestions can help your highlights last longer, perhaps even by several weeks. Nonetheless, as your hair grows, your highlights will gradually begin to appear grown out even with the best care.
Can I Do Highlights at Home?
If you don’t have the time for a salon trip or prefer not to spend so much time at a salon, you can do some highlighting at home. For temporary highlights, try using hair paint or hair chalk to create highlights.
For more permanent highlights, try using a bleaching kit at home along with a cap specifically for highlights. A highlight cap has very tiny holes that permit you to pull a few strands of hair through these tiny openings while you protect the rest of your hair.
Once you have pulled out the strands you wish to highlight, apply the bleaching solution or even a lighter hair dye over the cap and hair strands.
Wait the suggested amount of time for the bleaching or dyeing process to complete the lightening and then rinse and wash your hair. You will have created your highlights.
You can also opt to use a highlighting kit even for balayage highlights but you will need the time and patience to use such a kit.
Highlighting kits will come with precise instructions that should be followed in the letter. Also, be careful to keep your scalp protected from the chemicals in these kits as they can harm your skin.
Depending on the kit you select, ingredients may or may not be the same and some may not specify the strength of the developer volume included. Watch your hair if you need to rinse sooner than specified or suggested.
How Often Should I Redo My Highlights?
Much of this will depend on how quickly your hair grows out. Most people will redo their highlights every six weeks to two months. This is the average time needed for you to see some significant hair growth.
By renewing your highlights, they will not appear brassy or faded. Your hair stylist may opt to apply some toner to the hair strands that have already been lightened to revive color and shine.
You can also select to get your roots touched up, rather than redoing your hair color entirely unless you want to change your hair color entirely.
Balayage or Ombre: What’s the Difference?
The balayage technique is a hair coloring procedure that achieves a very soft, subtle type of highlight. Balayage indicates the way the coloring is applied to the hair. A stylist will paint the hair giving more gradual and natural-looking highlights. Hair will appear “sun-kissed”.
Ombre hair is more dramatic offering a gradient appearance divided into two sections. The top of the hair will be darker at the roots and the lighter section is reserved for the bottom half of the hair.
Highlighted Hair Care
Once you have invested time and money into getting highlights, you’ll want to care for them. Here are several hair care tips to maintain beautiful and vibrant hair highlights.
- Avoid washing hair daily as this gradually strips hair color and causes highlights to fade.
- Use a gentle shampoo formulated for treated and colored hair and condition after every washing.
- Reduce the heat your hair is exposed to as this, too, can cause fading. If you do style using heat, apply a heat-protectant product while moist before using heating tools.
The Bottom Line
Getting highlights for your entire head of hair will require anywhere from two to four hours on average. Foil highlights which work on a few hair strands at a time can take a lot of time as well.
Partial highlights are usually done on a top section only of hair, so they can be done in approximately thirty to forty-five minutes.
