Okay, let’s talk about these grown out highlights. It’s a journey, let me tell you.
Starting Point: Getting The Highlights
So, picture this: a few months back, I decided I needed a change. Went to the salon, feeling adventurous, and walked out with some pretty nice blonde highlights woven through my darker hair. Looked great at first, you know? Fresh, bright, felt like a new me for a hot minute.
The Awkward Stage Hits
Fast forward maybe six weeks? Yeah, that’s when the trouble started brewing. My natural roots began creeping back in. At first, it wasn’t too bad, just a little shadow. But week by week, that shadow turned into a very obvious line. It wasn’t a subtle ombre look, oh no. It was just… harsh. My hair suddenly looked like it had two distinct, unblended sections. Honestly, I started feeling a bit self-conscious about it.
What I Tried to Do (or Not Do)
My first instinct was just to ignore it. I thought, “Maybe it’ll blend eventually?” Spoiler: it didn’t really blend on its own. The contrast was just too strong.
- I tried different partings in my hair. Zig-zag, deep side part… anything to disguise that stark root line. Helped a little, but not much.
- Pulled my hair back a lot. Ponytails and buns became my best friends. If you can’t see the roots, they’re not really there, right? Well, sort of.
- Considered getting root touch-ups, but honestly, the upkeep felt like too much hassle and expense all over again. That’s partly why I decided to just let them grow out in the first place.
- Looked into root sprays. Used one a couple of times for important days, but spraying my roots every day? Nah, wasn’t for me. Felt sticky.
Embracing the Grow-Out (Kind Of)
After a while, I just sort of accepted this was going to be a process. I started focusing more on keeping my hair healthy overall, hoping that would make the weird color situation less noticeable. Lots of conditioner, less heat styling. Did it magically fix the color? No. But healthier hair at least felt better.
I also played around with toning shampoos. Found a blue/purple one that slightly cooled down the brassiness of the old highlights. Didn’t erase the root line, but maybe made the transition look a tiny bit softer, less yellow against my dark roots. Every little bit helped, I figured.
Where I’m At Now
So, several months down the line, the highlights are now much further down my hair length. It looks more like an intentional dip-dye or a very grown-out balayage now, which is way less jarring than that initial root stage. It’s not perfect, but it’s way more manageable.
Honestly, I’m kind of liking the lower-maintenance vibe. Might get some subtle lowlights added eventually to blend it even more, or maybe just cut the highlighted ends off when I go for my next trim. Haven’t decided yet. But going through this whole grow-out thing definitely made me appreciate my natural hair color more and think twice about high-contrast highlights again! It’s a real commitment, more than I realised when I first sat in that salon chair.