Can You Get Highlights on Permed Hair? Here's What Actually Decides It
Updated: 6 days ago
Yes, you can get highlights on permed hair. That's not the hard part.
The hard part is knowing whether your hair, specifically, is in a place where it can take another chemical process without paying for it later. A perm has already reshaped the hair from the inside, and highlights add a second chemical layer on top of that. Whether that's a good idea this month or a bad one depends on how your hair is actually holding up, not on a blanket rule that applies to everyone.
Why Permed Hair Changes the Colour Conversation
A perm doesn't just change your curl pattern, it changes the structure of the hair shaft to get there. The cuticle has already been opened and reset once.
Bleach and lightener work by getting into that same layer, so you're not starting from a clean slate, you're building on a foundation that's already been altered. That doesn't mean highlights are off the table. It means the conversation has to start with what condition the hair is in right now, not what the client wants the end result to look like.
What We Check Before Saying Yes
Before we say yes to highlights on permed hair, we're checking three things.
First, whether the permed hair is still in good shape. That means it's not tangling easily, there are no visible splits, and the shafts don't feel rough to the touch. Second, what result you're going for. A soft lift to a lighter brown or a deeper tone is usually realistic. Getting to something like platinum blonde or silver, level 10 territory, asks for a kind of intense bleaching that permed hair often can't take. Third, whether you understand what you're walking into, and what your hair will need afterward, before we start.
If the hair's integrity holds up, lightening it three to five levels is usually fine.
What Goes Wrong When This Step Gets Skipped
Hair that's already chemically altered is more porous, which means it can grab colour unevenly or lift faster than expected in some sections and barely move in others. That's where patchiness and breakage usually come from, not from highlights themselves, but from applying them without knowing how compromised the hair already is.
It's the same logic behind N15's policy of never recommending a service that could damage a client's hair, even if it's requested.
How Miyo Approached This at N15 Sheppard
Catch Miyo highlighting permed hair in this video
The client came in with a perm already in her hair, exactly the kind of history that makes the checks above matter. The video walks through Miyo's process from start to finish. It's not a breakdown of every check along the way, it's proof that permed hair and highlights aren't mutually exclusive when the process is right.
Toronto & N15
N15 has three hair locations in Toronto: College & Bay, Dundas & Bay, and Sheppard & Yonge. Founded in November 2015 by Hiroki Sugita, who trained as a master stylist for 20 years in Tokyo, Japan. Every bleach service at N15 includes a toner and an Olaplex treatment, and colour products are largely sourced directly from Japan through the Milbon line.
Who This Is Actually For
If you've had a perm and you're the kind of person who reads the fine print before booking anything else on your hair, this is for you. You're not looking for someone to just say yes. You want someone to look at your actual hair and say plainly what it can handle right now, and what might need to wait. That's a harder answer than a flat yes or no, and it's the one that protects the hair you already have.
Local Relevance
N15 has been doing colour work in Toronto since November 2015, across College & Bay, Dundas & Bay, and Sheppard & Yonge. Highlight and bleach services here include an Olaplex treatment as standard, not an upsell. Hiroki Sugita, N15's founder, trained for 20 years as a master stylist in Tokyo, Japan, and the colour team he's built brings its own range of backgrounds and training traditions to sessions like this one.
FAQ
Can I get highlights right after a perm?
It depends on the hair's current condition, not a fixed number of weeks. That's exactly what a consultation is for.
Will highlights damage my permed hair further?
They can if the hair isn't ready for another chemical process. A strand test and porosity check before booking tells us whether it's ready or needs time first.
How much do highlights cost at N15?
Partial head or face-framing highlights start at $150. Half head starts at $250, full head starts at $300. All three include an Olaplex treatment and blow-dry styling.
What if my hair is too damaged for highlights right now?
If your hair tangles easily, has visible splits, or feels rough to the touch, we'll recommend a haircut first. That stops things from getting worse before we do anything else. If the condition isn't that far gone, we have tools that can still help. Olaplex, K18, and our Milbon treatments can lift the hair a little lighter without leaving it lifeless. An in-salon consultation is the only real way to know what your specific hair can handle.
Where can I get highlights on permed hair in Toronto?
N15 offers highlight and colour services at its College & Bay, Dundas & Bay, and Sheppard & Yonge locations.
If your hair has a perm in its recent history, a consultation will tell you what's actually possible before any colour touches it. Book at n15salon.com/book-now.
Comments