How Often Should You Get Your Roots Touched Up?

When our clients leave our salon with a fresh new look, they go home feeling like they’re ready to be an Instagram model. Getting your hair done by a professional should leave you feeling gorgeous and ready to take on the world, and we want you to feel that good for weeks to come! Unfortunately, the instructions for keeping your new colour looking great can be confusing, and you may be uncertain about when you need to book your next appointment and how that fits into your budget. But have no fear! This guide will help you to organize your calendar and balance your budget with beauty.

Balayage.

Hair grows fast — about an inch per month. So techniques, like balayage, which involve hand painting the hair and not going all the way to your roots, help you to get a gorgeous look with less maintenance. In general, we recommend scheduling a balayage touch up every 12-14 weeks. Root growth should be fairly subtle, giving you more flexibility in the exact timing.

To protect your colour between appointments, talk to your master stylist about which  highlight-enhancing shampoos they recommend. Sulfate-free shampoos (and even vegan shampoos) can be a good choice as they help to prevent toner being stripped from your hair. And remember most hair only needs to be washed 2 or 3 times per week. Daily washing is excessive, because it dries your hair and ruins your perfect look.

Foil Colours.

Of all your colouring options, foil highlights are the most demanding. These highlights go all the way to the root, and the dyes used to do touch ups are actually affected by the body heat coming from your scalp. That means, if you have more than an inch of hair to touch up, the colour may look inconsistent. For this reason, you should plan to have your roots touched up every 4-6 weeks.

Recolouring your hair every month or so is a big commitment, so you’ll want to ensure your colour stays as vibrant as possible between appointments. One thing that really helps is using lukewarm water instead of hot water when washing your hair. Shower in your preferred temperature without getting your hair wet, then when you’re ready to shampoo, turn the heat down. The cooler water won’t make your colour run as badly, and it will close your hair follicles (hair and skin pores shut in response to cold), which will keep your hair shiny and beautiful.

Ombre.

Thanks to its alluring transition from lighter tips to your natural darker roots, ombre hair requires even less upkeep than balayage. You can schedule your appointments as often or as infrequently as your prefer. Many of our clients enjoy their spa and salon day, so they book a touch up every 12-14 weeks, simply to treat themselves to a luxurious me-day. Others happily wait until so much time has gone by that all the colour has faded or been cut away. The choice is yours!

To keep your hair looking fabulous and the colour as bright as possible, try to co-wash (ie: skip the shampoo and just use a moisturizing conditioner) about half the time. A salon-quality, leave-in conditioner will also help to maintain your hair’s colour and softness. Finally, on the days you aren’t shampooing or co-washing, try not to get your hair wet at all.

Our goal at Cactus Club Salon & Spa is to help Albertans feel great about themselves and their look. If you need help touching up your colour — or want to try a new colour entirely — our stylists are just a phone call away. Let us have you feeling fabulous today.