But alas, touch it up, we must; even if it takes half a day in in the artist’s chair (kind of kidding) to get a color that’s hardly discernible from your natural sunstreaks, it still needs a healthy amount of upkeep. Depending on how much regrowth you allowed between touchups, there are also different ways to spruce up an ombré to leave your color just a tad better, especially now that party season is around the corner. Read on:

How to Upgrade Your Ombré Hair Color for the Holidays

1. Tighten up the roots.

If your ombré hair color is more of a sombré, your sins are most probably the least offensive of them all. Your roots have maybe grown in a couple of inches, and depending on your base color, now adds an extra layer of a darker shade into your overall color—kinda pretty, if you’re going for a really grown-out look. However, if you want to keep your look salon-fresh, you need to ask your stylist to do re-do your root area, as well as ribbon in some higher highlights to maintain your ombré. She will most probably do a balayage (or a foil, if your highlights are quite light) higher on the head, and suggest a slight trim of your ends.

2. Go for a gloss.

A lot of ombré hair color shades feature ash blonde tones, which tend to brass out over time. If your issue is simply one of having highlights that have gone flat, a glossing treatment is your best bet. It helps tone out any yellow-orange pigments and restores your highlights into their former state, as well as freshen up your base color as well. Bonus: That sheen!

3. Cut it out.

If your ombré hair color is more of the dip-dyed variety (or were literally growing out an old dye job, in which case, redemption is nigh!), cutting off your ends can offer a complete and total color refresh. The ends are the most damaged parts of the hair strand, and a lot of women who have bleached tips suffer from fraying and split ends somewhere down the line. For a true revamp—and if you’ve got the length to spare—ask your stylist to snip off your old color and, as it is with hair, you can just start over. Want some ombré hair color inspiration? Check out more ombré trends we’ve spotted this season.

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