How Often Do You Need To Touch Up Your Hair Color?

One thing I always make sure to discuss when my clients want to change their hair color is maintenance. I think it's so important to know what you're signing up for before you commit to a new look, and I want to make sure the new color not only suits your features, but that it suits your lifestyle. Some colors can be a lot more high maintenance than others, so here's a breakdown of different color applications and how often they need to be touched up:

Heavy Traditional Highlight: 8-10 weeks

As the highlights start to grow out, you will see a line of demarcation, but I wouldn't touch them up too frequently, because that can lead to overlapping, which will eventually cause breakage.

Babylights: 10-12 weeks

These are the same as regular highlights, they are just a lot finer, so they grow out more seamlessly, meaning you can go a little longer between touchups.

Balayage/ Teasylights: 3-6 months (or as needed)

This placement seamlessly blends in to your natural root color, so there aren't any harsh lines. Since your natural root is left out, this is the most low maintenance color you can get, and it only needs to be touched up a couple times a year. In fact, some of my balayage clients only come in once a year.

Gray Blending Highlights: 10-12 weeks

Unless you want to fully embrace the gray and let your natural color fully grow out, you can treat this type of color the same way you would treat babylights, because that's essentially what it is.

Fashion Colors: 2-4 weeks

These unnatural colors (like blue, pink, purple, silver, etc.) are really difficult to maintain. They fade more and more each time you wash your hair, so the upkeep is pretty high maintenance.

Solid Gray Root Coverage: 4-6 weeks

As your roots grow out (1/4''-1/2'' every month) you'll need to cover them. It depends how fast your hair grows and how much the grays bother you, but 4-6 weeks in about average for most gray coverage clients.

Solid Root-to-End Color: 4-6 weeks

This is a permanent color that is different from your natural color. Same as the solid gray coverage, as your roots grow out, you'll need to cover over them with fresh color.

Solid Platinum Card: 3-6 weeks

This is for the bleach blondes that don't want any dimension in their hair. The upkeep for this is quite high maintenance. You don't want to let your roots grow out more than 1/2 an inch or so between touchups, because if your roots are too long, you can end up with unevenness and banding.

Toner: 4-6 weeks

A toner (or gloss) is demi-permanent color that fades over time as you wash your hair. It depends how frequently you wash your hair and if you use heat on it, but on average, it will last about 4-6 weeks.

Hair Color Specialist in Wilmington, NC

If you are looking for a new hairstylist in the Wilmington, NC area that specializes in hair color, I would love to meet you and create a beautiful color that suits your preferences and lifestyle. Click here to get started.