Can I Wash My Hair the Same Day I Get Highlights?

Can I Wash My Hair the Same Day I Get Highlights?
Getting highlights is one of the easiest ways to add depth, brightness, and dimension to your hair. Whether you’re going for sun-kissed balayage, bold blonde streaks, or caramel ribbons, the process of lightening your hair requires care.
So, once you’ve left the salon with your fresh new look, you might be wondering: Can I wash my hair the same day I get highlights? The short answer? No. It’s best to wait.
In this blog, we’ll explain why you should hold off on washing your hair straight after a highlighting session, what could happen if you do, and how long you should wait before giving your hair its first post-colour rinse.
How Do Highlights Affect Your Hair?
What Happens to Your Hair During Highlights?
Unlike traditional hair dye, highlights lift the natural pigment from your hair rather than covering it with a different shade. To achieve this, your hairdresser uses bleach or a high-lift colour to open up the cuticle and remove the melanin inside the strands.
This process can be intense on the hair structure, making it more porous and prone to dryness. Because your cuticles remain lifted for a while after bleaching, the hair becomes extra absorbent—meaning washing it too soon can strip away essential moisture and toner.
Why Highlighted Hair Needs Extra Care
When you lighten your hair, you’re removing natural oils and weakening the hair shaft. This makes it more vulnerable to damage, breakage, and dehydration. That’s why it’s so important to use the right products and follow expert advice when it comes to caring for your highlights.
At Salon No. 100, we always recommend professional aftercare to keep your new colour looking vibrant for as long as possible.
Should You Wash Your Hair Right After Getting Highlights?
The Importance of Letting Colour Set
After you’ve had your highlights done, your hair needs time to settle. The toner and any gloss treatments applied at the end of your session help neutralise unwanted brassy tones and enhance the final colour, but they need time to fully bond to your hair.
If you wash too soon, you risk:
- Fading the colour prematurely
- Stripping away toner, leaving brassy tones behind
- Drying out your hair before it has a chance to recover
How Long Should You Wait?
Experts recommend waiting at least 48 hours before washing your hair after highlights. If you can stretch it to 72 hours, even better! This gives your cuticles enough time to reseal and lock in the colour for longer-lasting results.
If you’re worried about greasy roots in the meantime, a light dusting of dry shampoo can help refresh your style without interfering with the colour.
What Happens If You Wash Your Hair Too Soon?
Fading and Discolouration
One of the most frustrating things that can happen after highlights is watching your fresh colour fade too quickly. If you shampoo too soon, the water and surfactants in your shampoo can strip away the toner, leaving your hair looking dull, uneven, or brassy.
Blonde highlights, in particular, are prone to brassiness if the toner is washed out prematurely. That’s why we always recommend waiting before reaching for the shampoo.
Dryness and Weakness
Because bleached hair is more fragile, washing too soon can make it feel rough, dry, or brittle. Your natural scalp oils play an important role in replenishing lost moisture, so giving your hair a break from washing allows these oils to work their magic.
Overloading with Products
Newly highlighted hair is extra absorbent, which means it soaks up product much faster than usual. If you wash your hair immediately after highlights, you risk overwhelming your strands with shampoos, conditioners, and treatments before they’ve had time to stabilise.
Instead of rushing into a full wash, let your hair rest for a couple of days and then introduce gentle, colour-safe products.
How to Care for Highlighted Hair Properly
First Wash After Highlights
When it’s finally time for your first shampoo after highlights, take extra care by following these steps:
- Use a Sulphate-Free Shampoo – Sulphates strip away natural oils and speed up colour fading. A gentle, colour-safe shampoo helps maintain vibrancy.
- Rinse with Cool or Lukewarm Water – Hot water opens the cuticle, leading to faster colour loss. Stick to lukewarm or cool rinses to preserve your highlights.
- Follow Up with a Deep Conditioner – A moisture-rich conditioner or hair mask helps restore hydration and keep your highlights looking glossy.
- Limit Heat Styling – Give your hair a break from straighteners and curling wands for the first few days to prevent further damage.
The Best Products for Maintaining Highlights
Keeping your highlights vibrant, soft, and healthy requires the right aftercare routine. Here are some must-have products recommended by our team at Salon No. 100:
- A Purple Shampoo (for blondes) to neutralise brassiness and enhance cool tones.
- A Bond-Repairing Treatment (like Olaplex) to strengthen and protect highlighted hair.
- A UV-Protectant Spray to shield your colour from sun exposure and fading.
- A Lightweight Leave-In Conditioner to keep hair smooth and hydrated.
By using high-quality, salon-approved products, you can keep your highlights looking fresher for longer.
Final Thoughts: When Should You Wash Your Hair After Highlights?
If you’ve just had highlights done at Salon No. 100, the best thing you can do is wait before washing. Ideally, hold off for 48 to 72 hours to allow your colour to fully settle and your hair to recover from the bleaching process.
Taking extra precautions—like using sulphate-free products, washing with cool water, and deep conditioning regularly—will help extend the life of your highlights and keep your hair looking its best.
Need personalised haircare advice? Our team at Salon No. 100 is always here to help!
For the best Solihull hairdresser, look no further than Salon No. 100! Serving clients from [cities], we’ve gathered hundreds of five-star reviews over the past few years. Call [xfield_phone] and book your appointment today!
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