how to grow out highlights

3 min read 07-02-2025

Meta Description: Tired of your highlights? Learn how to gracefully grow out highlights without looking brassy or patchy. This comprehensive guide offers expert tips and tricks for blending, transitioning, and maintaining healthy hair while letting your natural color shine through. Discover the best products, techniques, and salon solutions to achieve a seamless grow-out process. Get ready to embrace your natural beauty as you transition!

Embracing Your Roots: Growing Out Highlights Successfully

Growing out highlights can feel like a long and challenging process. But with the right approach, you can transition from highlighted hair back to your natural color without looking messy or resorting to drastic measures. This guide will walk you through the best strategies to blend those highlights seamlessly.

Understanding Your Hair's Unique Needs

Before you begin your grow-out journey, it’s crucial to understand your hair type and its current condition. Fine hair will show roots more quickly than thicker hair. Previously bleached or heavily processed hair may need extra care and attention.

Phase 1: Maintaining Healthy Hair During the Transition

Deep Conditioning: Regular deep conditioning treatments are vital. They help replenish moisture lost during the highlighting process, keeping your hair strong and healthy as it grows. Look for treatments rich in moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, argan oil, or coconut oil.
Gentle Cleansing: Use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner designed for color-treated hair. Sulfates can strip your hair of its natural oils, leading to dryness and breakage.
Heat Protection: Minimize heat styling to prevent further damage. When you do use heat, always apply a heat protectant spray.
Strategic Trims: Regular trims, every 6-8 weeks, will remove split ends and keep your hair looking healthy. Focus on trimming the ends, rather than significant length reduction.

Phase 2: Blending Your Highlights

This phase is all about minimizing the contrast between your grown-out roots and the highlighted sections.

Lowlights: Consider adding some lowlights to your roots. This strategically placed color will help bridge the gap between your natural color and the highlights, creating a more gradual transition. This is best achieved professionally.
Root Shadowing: Similar to lowlights, root shadowing is a subtle technique that uses a darker shade to soften the harsh line of demarcation between your roots and highlights. A skilled stylist can expertly apply this technique to create a natural-looking blend.
Balayage Touch-Ups: If your highlights were initially applied using the balayage technique (freehand painting), discuss with your stylist about refreshing only some sections rather than a full highlight. This creates subtle movement without a harsh line.

Phase 3: The Gradual Transition

Color-Correcting Shampoos and Conditioners: These specialized products can help neutralize brassiness or unwanted tones as your highlights grow out. Look for shampoos and conditioners that are formulated to tone down yellow or orange hues. [Link to reputable hair care brand]
Gloss Treatments: A gloss treatment can add shine and even out the color, making the transition less noticeable. Gloss treatments are temporary and can be done at home or professionally.
Embrace the Ombré: As your roots grow out, you may find yourself naturally transitioning into an ombré style, where the color gradually lightens from dark roots to lighter ends. This can be a stylish way to rock the grow-out process.

Phase 4: Patience and Self-Care

Growing out highlights takes time. Avoid impulsive decisions like drastic coloring changes or at-home attempts to cover up the transition. Patience is key. Self-care, including a healthy diet and stress management, contributes to healthy hair growth.

Addressing Common Grow-Out Challenges

Q: How can I avoid brassiness while growing out blonde highlights?

A: Use a purple toning shampoo and conditioner once a week to neutralize yellow or brassy tones. Also, limit your exposure to hard water, which can exacerbate brassiness.

Q: My highlights look patchy. What can I do?

A: Consult with a stylist. They can use techniques like root shadowing or balayage to seamlessly blend the highlights and disguise any patchiness.

Q: How long does it typically take to grow out highlights?

A: It depends on your hair growth rate. On average, hair grows about half an inch per month.

Conclusion: Growing out your highlights is a journey, not a race. With a little patience, the right products, and perhaps some expert help, you can achieve a graceful and stylish transition back to your natural hair color. Remember to prioritize healthy hair care throughout the process.