31 August 2026
If you are wondering how often should you get highlights, a typical maintenance interval is around six to twelve weeks. However, subtle highlights, a softer root blend or a partial placement may allow you to wait longer, while bright highlights beginning close to the scalp may need attention sooner.
You do not necessarily need a full head of highlights at every appointment. A T-section, half-head service or toner may be enough to refresh the visible areas while avoiding unnecessary lightening through the rest of the hair.
The best schedule depends on your starting colour, placement, desired brightness, hair condition and how comfortable you are with visible regrowth.
How often should you get highlights?
Classic highlights commonly need refreshing every six to twelve weeks.
Wella Professionals gives a broad expectation of six to twelve weeks, with classic root-to-tip highlights often refreshed at approximately eight to ten weeks. Softer techniques can allow longer intervals because the regrowth is less obvious.
Your ideal schedule may be:
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Six to eight weeks for bright highlights close to the scalp
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Eight to twelve weeks for a softer or more blended result
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Twelve weeks or longer for subtle highlights with low contrast
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Three to six months for balayage-style placement with a deliberately lived-in grow-out
These are planning guides rather than fixed rules. A stylist should examine your regrowth, previous lightening and hair condition before deciding how much colour to repeat.
Why do highlights need refreshing?
The highlighted hair itself does not return to its original natural colour. Hair that has been lightened remains lighter until it grows out, is cut away or is coloured over.
Maintenance becomes necessary because:
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New natural hair grows from the scalp
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A visible root develops
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Toner gradually fades
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Warm undertones may become more noticeable
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The haircut changes the colour placement
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Previously bright sections may look duller
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Your colour preferences may change
The amount of regrowth you are comfortable with is personal. Some clients prefer a consistently bright root area, while others enjoy a softer transition and book less frequently.
What is the difference between a T-section, half head and full head?
These services describe how much of the hair is being highlighted.
T-section highlights
A T-section generally focuses on the parting and front hairline, where regrowth is most visible.
This can be useful when:
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The lower and back sections still look good
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You mainly want brightness around the face
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You wear a consistent parting
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You want a smaller refresh between larger appointments
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Your previous full or half-head placement remains balanced
A T-section will not create the same brightness throughout the entire head as a full service.
Therapy’s T-section highlights currently cost £130.
Half-head highlights
A half head usually focuses on the upper, side and visible areas of the hair rather than placing foils throughout the entire head.
This may suit you if:
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You want noticeable brightness around the face and crown
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You wear your hair down most of the time
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The underneath sections do not need further lightening
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You are maintaining an existing full head
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You want dimension without maximum brightness
Therapy’s half-head highlights currently cost £145.
Full-head highlights
A full head creates highlighted dimension throughout the hair, including lower and underneath sections.
It may be appropriate when:
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You are having highlights for the first time
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You want brightness throughout
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The underneath sections are regularly visible
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You wear the hair up
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It has been a long time since a complete refresh
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Existing placement needs significant rebalancing
Therapy’s full-head highlights currently cost £170.
All Therapy hair-colour services include a professional blow-dry and finish. A cut can be added for £30. Check the current hair services and prices when booking, as prices may change.
Do you need a full head every time?
Usually not.
Alternating appointments can maintain brightness without repeatedly lightening every section of hair. For example, your stylist may recommend:
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A full head to establish the overall placement
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A T-section or half head at the next appointment
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Tonal maintenance between lightening services
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Another full head when the underneath sections genuinely need refreshing
The exact pattern depends on your haircut, colour and how you wear your hair.
Repeatedly applying lightener over already-lightened areas can increase dryness and breakage. A careful stylist will identify the untreated regrowth and avoid unnecessary overlap wherever possible.
More colour is not automatically better maintenance.
How quickly will highlight regrowth show?
Human scalp hair commonly grows by roughly one centimetre per month, although individual growth varies.
Regrowth may appear more noticeable when:
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Your natural colour is much darker than the highlights
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The highlights begin very close to the scalp
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The placement is dense and bright
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You have a defined parting
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You wear the hair straight
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Grey or white regrowth contrasts with the coloured hair
It may be less noticeable when:
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The contrast is subtle
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Your highlights are finely woven
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The root area is deliberately blended
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Your natural base is close to the highlighted shade
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Your hair has natural movement or texture
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The placement includes lowlights or softer dimension
The visibility of regrowth matters more than the calendar. Two clients with the same amount of growth may feel very differently about when their colour needs refreshing.
How long does highlight toner last?
Toner often needs attention sooner than the physical highlight placement.
A tonal result may remain close to its original finish for approximately six to ten weeks, although this depends heavily on:
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Washing frequency
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Shampoo and conditioner
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Water temperature
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Heat styling
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Hair porosity
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Swimming
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Sun exposure
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The selected shade
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The condition of the hair
Cool, ash or icy tones can appear to change quickly as the toner fades and the hair’s underlying warmth becomes more visible.
A toner refresh may be sufficient if you still like the placement and brightness but want to restore the intended shade.
Toner cannot lighten untreated regrowth. If you want the root area brighter, you will need an appropriate highlighting service.
Why do blonde highlights turn brassy?
Lightening reveals warm underlying pigment in the hair. Toner helps refine that warmth into the chosen blonde, beige or cooler shade.
As toner fades, yellow, gold or orange undertones may reappear.
Brassiness can be influenced by:
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The natural starting colour
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How light the hair was lifted
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Toner choice
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Hair porosity
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Repeated washing
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Heat
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Sun exposure
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Chlorine
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Minerals in water
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Product build-up
Warmth is not always undesirable. Honey, caramel, golden and warm blonde shades may be intentional.
The goal is not to remove all warmth from every head of hair. It is to maintain the tone selected during your consultation.
Can purple shampoo replace a toner appointment?
Purple shampoo can help neutralise some yellow tones in suitable blonde hair, but it does not replace a professionally formulated toner.
Purple shampoo:
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Deposits temporary violet pigment
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May soften some yellow tones
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Cannot lighten regrowth
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Cannot correct every type of warmth
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May grab unevenly on porous areas
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Can make the hair look dull if overused
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Is unsuitable for some warm or caramel colour plans
Orange warmth may require a different tonal approach. Strong purple products will not necessarily correct it.
Ask your stylist whether a purple product suits your highlights and how frequently to use it.
How can you make highlights last longer?
You cannot prevent natural growth, but you can maintain tone, condition and shine.
Use suitable colour-care products
Choose shampoo and conditioner appropriate for professionally coloured hair and your individual texture.
Fine highlighted hair may require lighter conditioning than thick, curly or naturally dry hair. The best products are the ones that suit both your colour and the way your hair behaves.
Avoid unnecessarily hot water
Very hot water can contribute to dryness and colour fade. Wash using comfortably warm water.
Protect the hair from heat
Use a suitable heat protector before blow-drying, straightening or curling.
Set tools to the lowest effective temperature and avoid passing over the same section repeatedly.
Condition the lightened lengths
Highlighted hair may need additional moisture and conditioning care.
A professional treatment or suitable home mask can help maintain softness, but very heavy products may weigh down finer hair. Follow advice tailored to your hair.
Protect highlighted hair when swimming
Chlorine can affect lightened hair and contribute to dryness or tonal changes.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a swim cap where practical or applying a protective oil or leave-in conditioner before entering the pool. It also advises rinsing and washing the hair promptly after swimming, followed by conditioning.
Ask your stylist which protective product is suitable for your colour and texture.
Book smaller maintenance services
A T-section, toner or face-framing refresh can restore the most visible areas without repeating a full-head appointment.
Trim regularly
Dry or split ends can make even fresh highlights look less polished. A suitable haircut supports the shape and condition of the finished colour.
Therapy offers professional cut and blow-dry appointments in Canterbury.
Highlights or balayage: which needs more maintenance?
Traditional highlights often begin closer to the scalp and can create more visible regrowth. Balayage is generally blended through the hair to create a softer transition.
Highlights may be the better choice when you want:
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More brightness from the root
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Evenly distributed blonde
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Fine ribbons of colour
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A classic highlighted effect
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Grey blending near the scalp
Balayage may be more suitable when you want:
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A softer grow-out
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Dimension through the mid-lengths and ends
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Fewer full lightening appointments
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A lived-in finish
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More natural root depth
Neither technique is universally better. The right choice depends on your goal and maintenance preferences.
Our guide explains how long balayage lasts and when tonal or placement refreshes may be needed.
Can you alternate highlights and balayage?
Yes, some personalised colour plans use elements of both.
A stylist might combine foil placement with softer hand-painted sections or use a root blend to reduce the appearance of regrowth. These hybrid approaches are sometimes described using terms such as foilyage.
The name matters less than the plan. Bring inspiration photographs, but explain what you like about them:
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Brightness near the face
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Soft roots
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Cool or warm tone
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Contrast
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Overall lightness
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Low maintenance
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A particular placement
A good consultation translates the photograph into something suitable for your starting colour, hair condition and budget.
How often can you safely bleach your hair?
There is no universal safe interval because “highlights” can involve very different amounts of lightening.
The stylist should consider:
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Previous colour history
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Existing lightened areas
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Hair elasticity and strength
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Breakage
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Scalp condition
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The amount of lift required
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Whether regrowth can be isolated
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Home heat and chemical exposure
Waiting a set number of weeks does not automatically make another lightening service suitable. Equally, healthy regrowth may sometimes be refreshed without relightening the previously processed lengths.
An experienced stylist should prioritise the condition of the hair over achieving maximum brightness in one appointment.
Signs you may be refreshing highlights too often
Speak to your stylist if you notice:
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Increased breakage
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Short pieces around the hairline
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Excessive dryness
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Loss of elasticity
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Tangling that has become difficult to manage
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Ends that feel rough despite conditioning
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Hair that behaves very differently when wet
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Repeated overlap marks
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A lack of shine
These signs do not prove that highlighting is the only cause. Heat, home colouring, chemical treatments and general haircare can also contribute.
A trim, conditioning plan, reduced lightening or a different colour strategy may be appropriate.
Can you go longer between highlight appointments?
Yes. Your colour can be designed around longer maintenance intervals.
Options include:
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Finer highlights
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Softer placement
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A root blend
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Lowlights
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Keeping more natural depth
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A less contrasting blonde
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Balayage-style placement
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Alternating full and partial services
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Toner appointments without new lightener
Tell your stylist honestly how often you want to visit. A colour that looks beautiful on appointment day but requires more maintenance than you can sustain is not the right plan.
How should you prepare for a highlight appointment?
Bring photographs
Bring examples of results you like and dislike. Images provide a useful starting point, but they must be adapted to your hair.
Explain your colour history
Tell your stylist about:
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Permanent colour
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Box dye
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Henna
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Previous bleach
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Toners
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Colour removers
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Keratin or chemical treatments
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Reactions to previous products
Even colour that looks faded may still be present within the hair.
Discuss maintenance
Explain how often you are willing to return and how much home care you realistically want to do.
Complete the required patch test
Therapy requires a patch test at least 48 hours before all hair-colour services.
The NHS advises that hair-dye reactions can include burning, itching, soreness, dryness and blisters. Serious reactions are rare but require urgent medical attention.
Do not proceed if your screening test produces a reaction. Tell the salon about previous reactions, black henna tattoos, scalp problems and relevant changes in your health.
Allow enough appointment time
Highlighting is a detailed service involving sectioning, application, processing, rinsing, tonal work where appropriate and finishing.
Avoid scheduling an inflexible commitment immediately afterwards.
How much do highlights cost at Therapy?
Therapy’s current highlight prices are:
Highlight servicePriceT-section£130Half head£145Full head£170
All colour services include a professional blow-dry and finish. Add £30 if you would also like a cut.
A consultation helps determine which service matches your current colour and desired result. Selecting a T-section solely because it costs less will not create a full-head result.
Check Therapy’s live highlight service and pricing information before booking.
Frequently asked questions
Is six weeks too soon for highlights?
Not necessarily. Six weeks may be appropriate for bright highlights close to the scalp, but the condition of the hair and amount of regrowth must be assessed.
Can I wait three months between highlights?
Yes. Many clients wait eight to twelve weeks or longer, particularly when the placement is soft and the regrowth does not bother them.
How often should you get a full head of highlights?
You may not need a full head at every visit. Many clients alternate full-head appointments with a half head, T-section or toner.
How often should you get a T-section?
A T-section may be used between larger appointments when regrowth is mainly noticeable through the parting and hairline. The schedule depends on your growth and colour plan.
How long do highlights last?
The lightened hair remains until it grows out or is coloured over. Most clients refresh classic highlights after roughly six to twelve weeks because of regrowth or tonal change.
How often should highlights be toned?
Tonal maintenance may be wanted every six to ten weeks, but this varies with shade, washing, heat, porosity and exposure to sun or swimming.
Is it damaging to get highlights every six weeks?
Frequency alone does not determine damage. The stylist must assess the hair, isolate regrowth and avoid unnecessary overlap. Compromised hair may need a different plan.
What happens if I leave highlights for six months?
The highlighted lengths will remain, but there will be considerable natural growth and the toner will have faded. The result may still look attractive if the original placement was soft.
Should I get highlights or balayage?
Choose highlights for brightness closer to the root and balayage for a generally softer grow-out. A consultation can also combine elements of both.
Book highlights in Canterbury
Most clients refresh their highlights every six to twelve weeks, but the right interval depends on placement, contrast, hair condition and preferred maintenance.
Therapy Hair Body & Nails offers T-section, half-head and full-head highlights from its salon at 21 Burgate in central Canterbury. Every colour service is tailored to your starting point and desired finish.
Explore highlights at Therapy, view all hair services and current prices or contact the salon to arrange a consultation and patch test.
