Full Highlight Aftercare: 48-Hour Do’s, Weekly Care & Sunsafe Tips for Permanent Makeup-Level Pop

The first 24 to 48 hours: keep your toner clean and your hair calm

Right after your Full Highlight, we want you protecting two things: your tone and your strength. We’re going for maximum brightness, and this is when little habits make a big difference.

We’re right off Marion Road near 57th Street South, so a lot of our Sioux Falls clients squeeze appointments into real life. If you know you’re heading into a busy 48 hours, tell us. We’ll talk through a plan that keeps your highlights bright without making your schedule harder.

Days 3 to 7: the Sioux Falls sun, sweat, and water tips that keep you happy

A lot of people tell us they “always leave happy” after color. Keeping that feeling for weeks comes down to how you treat highlighted hair once you’re back in your routine. Your goal this week is steady moisture, gentle cleansing, and keeping your tone from turning brassy.

Water temperature and shampoo matter more than you think

Stick with cool-to-lukewarm water. Hot showers lift the cuticle and fade tone. Use a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo, and don’t over-scrub your lengths. Shampoo your scalp, then let the suds rinse through the ends.

Purple shampoo is a tool, not a daily habit

If you see brassiness, purple shampoo helps. If you don’t see brassiness, don’t force it. Overdoing it can make hair look flat or a little smoky. Use it once a week or less, and let us know what you’re seeing so we can guide you.

Swimming: wait 72 hours, then protect before you jump in

Chlorine and salt water are rough on fresh highlights. Give it at least 72 hours. After that, wet your hair with clean water first, apply a protective leave-in, then rinse immediately after swimming. Summer in Sioux Falls is great. Green-tinged blonde is not.

Weekly routine for brighter dimension: mask, protect, and keep ends shiny

Full Highlights are a total brightness service. That means your weekly routine needs to support what we did in the chair, especially if you heat style or deal with winter dryness here in South Sioux Falls.

• Mask or bond support: We often like bond-building because it helps keep highlighted hair feeling strong between visits.
• Heat protectant: Don’t skip it. It’s the difference between glossy blonde and dry-looking blonde.
• End oil: A drop or two is enough. If your hair looks greasy, you used too much or you put it too high.

Toner or gloss every 4 to 8 weeks: the easiest way to control brassiness

If you’ve ever loved your highlights on day two, then felt like they got “off” a few weeks later, that’s usually tone shifting. A toner or gloss refresh every 4 to 8 weeks is the simplest way to keep your blonde clean and your dimension looking intentional.

Timing depends on how bright you went, how often you shampoo, and what your water and styling routine look like. It also depends on your hair goals. We do a lot of work helping people blend and transition, including those working through gray while keeping natural brown in the mix. Keeping your tone updated makes that blend look smooth, not stripey.

If you want a deeper breakdown before your first appointment, read what to expect from a Full Highlight. If you’re chasing brightness and pop, our guide on Full Highlight benefits for brighter dimension lays out why this service makes such a visible change.

When to reach out to our team (and when it’s totally normal)

We keep things friendly and clear in the chair, and we keep that same energy after you leave. People tell us they appreciate how we explain what we’re doing, and that’s exactly how we handle aftercare questions too.

"I love the way she explains every process to whatever it is she is doing for me. She has brought my hair back from the dead."

One of our long-time clients

Normal things

• A little dryness the first week while your hair adjusts to the lightening process.
• Tone looking slightly different in different lighting. Indoor warm bulbs can make blonde read warmer.
• A few baby flyaways if you’ve been avoiding hot tools, which is the right call early on.

Reach out if you notice this

• Your blonde is turning brassy fast, especially if it’s within the first two weeks.
• You’re seeing unusual breakage or roughness that isn’t improving with gentle care.
• You’re unsure which shampoo, mask, or toning step to use. Bring what you have, and we’ll help you sort it out.

Want us to double-check your routine after your Full Highlight? Send us a note with what you’re using now and what you’re noticing. We’ll point you in the right direction so you stay bright, healthy, and happy with your hair.