How Long Should I Wait After a Perm to Get Highlights?
It is advisable that a person wait at least 7 to 10 days after a perm to add any type of color treatment to hair. During this period, hair should be shampooed at least once to further rid it of chemicals.
Highlights involve peroxide, which is a permanent and potentially damaging method of dyeing hair, especially if it is being performed at home. A person should take great caution when perming and dyeing hair during a short time frame. It is best to always read the package instructions before beginning any type of permanent or hair color project.
Some highlighting kits may be semi-permanent and may not contain peroxide, so in this case, it may be acceptable to perm and highlight hair in a shorter period of time. Again, the package instructions must be read thoroughly to determine whether the highlighting kit is permanent or semi-permanent. Dyeing hair and perming it immediately, or doing this in the reverse order, may damage hair and cause it to fall out. If in doubt, a strand test should always be performed before any type of hair procedure. This will also let a person know if they are allergic to the dye or permanent.
