6 Ways to Grow Out Colored Hair

The best way to grow out colored hair without it looking unkempt is to do two things at once: keep the color you already have healthy so it fades softly, and blend the line where new growth meets old color. In practice that means color-safe products, regular trims, low-maintenance color like balayage, less heat, and smart use of protective styles and accessories. Most people can transition comfortably over a few months. If you want a professional to guide the process, the student salon at David Pressley School of Cosmetology can help, and if you love this kind of work, it is exactly what students learn to do in our cosmetology program.

Why is growing out colored hair so tricky?

Two things make a grow-out look rough: the old color fading unevenly, and a hard line where your natural regrowth meets the dyed length. Fix both and the transition looks intentional instead of neglected.

The good news is that none of the six steps below require a dramatic chop or a single expensive salon day. They are habits and choices that, stacked together, carry you from colored to natural while keeping your hair healthy the whole way.

What are the 6 ways to grow out colored hair?

Work these into your routine and the grow-out gets easier month by month.

1. Use quality, color-safe products. Choose shampoos and conditioners made for color-treated hair, ideally sulfate-free with hydrating ingredients like argan oil or keratin. Sulfates strip color faster and leave hair looking dull, so the right products slow fading and keep your length looking healthy as it grows.
2. Trim every 6 to 8 weeks. Regular trims remove the split ends and breakage that make grown-out color look ragged. You are not speeding up growth, you are making sure the hair you keep stays in good shape so the transition looks clean.
3. Choose low-maintenance color. If you still want to color while you transition, balayage and ombre paint color onto the surface of the hair so regrowth blends in. They need far fewer touch-ups than traditional foil highlights, which means a softer grow-out line and fewer trips to the salon.
4. Protect hair from heat. Limit hot tools and always apply a heat protectant before styling. Excess heat speeds fading and causes damage, both of which make a grow-out harder, so lower temperatures and air-drying when you can will pay off.
5. Lean on protective styles. Braids, twists, buns, and updos hide the regrowth line and give your hair a break from daily styling. They are an easy way to buy time while your natural color grows in.
6. Use accessories to your advantage. Headbands, scarves, and clips camouflage the grow-out line and let you lean into it as a style choice rather than something to hide.

How long does it take to grow out colored hair?

It depends on how different your color is from your natural shade and how fast your hair grows, but most people transition over several months. Hair grows roughly half an inch a month, so patience is part of the plan.

You can shorten how obvious the process feels by blending as you go with balayage or lowlights, and by trimming regularly so the ends always look fresh. The line moves down and out of sight faster than you expect once the ends are healthy.

When should you see a professional?

If you are going from a very dark dye back to a light natural shade, or the reverse, color removal and blending are worth handing to a trained set of hands. A professional can match your natural shade, add lowlights to soften the line, and protect your hair through the process.

The student salon at David Pressley School of Cosmetology offers services at student prices, so a guided grow-out is within reach. All services provided by students under the supervision of licensed professionals.

Want to learn how to do this yourself?

The techniques behind a smooth grow-out, color theory, balayage, blending, and keeping hair healthy, are core skills for a hairstylist. If this is the kind of work you find yourself drawn to, it may be a sign the beauty industry is worth exploring as an education.

At David Pressley School of Cosmetology, students learn these skills hands-on at campuses in Royal Oak and Taylor. Our cosmetology program teaches color and cutting alongside the science of healthy hair, so you graduate ready to guide clients through exactly this kind of transition. Financial Aid is available to those who qualify.

What mistakes make a grow-out look worse?

A few common habits undo the six steps above. If your grow-out is looking rough, check for these:

• Skipping trims: letting damaged ends linger makes the whole length look dull and draws the eye to the grow-out line.
• Overwashing: washing every day strips color and moisture faster, so the fade looks patchy. Two or three washes a week is gentler.
• Hot water and high heat: both open the cuticle and speed fading, so lukewarm rinses and lower tool temperatures help the color last.
• Boxed color to “fix” it: an at-home dye over already-colored hair often deepens the line or turns brassy, which makes the eventual transition harder.
• Ignoring the line entirely: a little blending with balayage or lowlights goes a long way, so leaving a hard line untouched is what reads as unkempt.

Avoid these and the natural steps above do their job, so the grow-out looks deliberate the whole way through.

Does growing out colored hair damage it?

Growing out color does not damage your hair on its own. In fact, it usually improves your hair’s health over time, because you stop applying new color and give previously processed hair a chance to grow out and be trimmed away.

The exception is when you try to rush the process with bleach or heavy color correction at home. Lightening is where damage happens, so if you are going from dark to light, that is the step to hand to a professional. Otherwise, a patient grow-out supported by trims, gentle products, and less heat leaves you with healthier hair at the end than when you started.

That is really the whole philosophy of a good grow-out: protect what you have, blend the line, and let time do the rest. Slow and steady is not just easier on your schedule, it is easier on your hair.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to grow out colored hair?

It varies by how different your color is from your natural shade, but most people transition over several months. Regular trims and blended color like balayage make the grow-out faster and less noticeable.

What products help grow out colored hair?

Sulfate-free, color-safe shampoos and conditioners with hydrating ingredients such as argan oil or keratin help preserve color and keep hair healthy as it grows.

Should I cut my hair to grow out color faster?

Trimming every 6 to 8 weeks will not speed growth, but it removes damaged ends so the grown-out color looks healthier and more even.

Can a salon help me grow out my color?

Yes. A professional can match your natural shade, add lowlights to blend the line, and protect your hair through any color removal. The David Pressley student salon offers this at student prices, with all services provided by students under the supervision of licensed professionals.