What is a Hair Highlighting?
Hair highlights are a coloring technique used to add lighter or darker shades to specific strands of hair. This creates a contrast against the natural base color of the hair and adds dimension and texture to the hairstyle. Furthermore, highlights can be applied to any hair type, color, and length. However, there are different types of highlights, such as balayage, foils, and chunking, each with its own unique method and effect. The final result of highlight your hair at home can range from subtle, natural-looking highlights to bold, dramatic streaks of color.
Crucial Steps to Know Highlight your Hair at Home
Before start dying at home there are important steps to know so that you can the perfect salon-like highlights without creating a mess in your hair.
1) Choose your Hair Highlight:
The first thing to do is what color you will have in highlights, then bleach or dye your hair one or two shades lighter color than your base color. Moreover, if you for too light a color then your highlight will appear unnatural and sharp.
Another important point to notice is to understand your skin tone and undertone while choosing the highlight color for your face. Consider the surface tone and undertone of your skin they can be cool, warm, and undertone after determining this only you can select the perfect highlight color for yourself.
2) Proper Technique of Hair Highlights:
There are a lot of techniques available for highlighting. However, some of the famous techniques are here
A) Foil Technique
B) Balayage
C) Color melting
Foil technique:
In this process, we color the portion of hair, which is then folded in foils. It gives you better control over the hair sections, and different colors can be used simultaneously.
Balayage
This hair-highlighting technique involves sweeping a highlight color with the surface. The surface and in freehand style, unlike the foil technique this will not saturate entire sections of hair and will give your hair a natural look.
Color Melting
The color melting technique uses different colors to highlight it primarily focuses on blending the highlights of your hair to avoid the harsh different lines among the base and highlights.
Procedure to Highlight your Hair at Home
No matter which colors you opt for the highlight. Bleaching your hair should be the first step to following your desired result. However, while highlighting make sure you are using the right kind of bleach in the right proportion. There are multiple options available for highlighting kits in the market. Here we discuss four available ways to highlight your hair.
1) Foil Highlight:
The most famous and commonly used technique for highlighting is foil highlighting. In foil highlighting you have to cover the highlighted areas covered with aluminum foils when they are being dyed. Furthermore, this traps the heat and helps color hold up the hair fast, and also prevents its spreading in the surrounding.
Tools you’ll need:
⦁ Highlighting kit
⦁ Hairbrush
⦁ Rubber gloves
⦁ Sectioning clip
⦁ Aluminum foil
⦁ Rat tail comb
⦁ Color-safe shampoo and conditioner
Steps to follow:
1. Prepare the hair dye by following the instruction on the box.
2. Brush up your tangled hair.
3. Put your gloves on
4. Cut out the strips that are 4 inches wider and inches longer than the length of the hair.
5. Divide your hair into sections
6. Place a foil from the roots of the hair till the end.
7. Apply hair color from the root to the end.
8. Now fold the foil in half.
9. After that repeat this process in all the hair.
10. Let it set as per the instruction over the box.
11. At last, wash the color with safe shampoo and conditioner.
2) Frosted Highlights
The frosted highlights are done with the help of the special cap. It has a lot of small holes in it, which makes it easy to wear. Moreover, it gives a super fine texture.
Tools you’ll need:
1. Highlighting kit (containing highlight and cap)
2. Rubber gloves
3. Hair tinting brush
4. Color-safe shampoo and conditioner such as Tresemme Revitalize Color Conditioner.
Steps to follow:
1. Mix the dye as per the instruction.
2. Put on your gloves and highlighting cap.
3. Start pulling out the hair from the cap holes.
4. However, if you have irritation, scars, and other issues make sure to avoid chemical interaction with the skin.
5. Apply the dye till the duration guided on the chemical box.
6. Quickly remove the cap and wash off your head.
3. Hair Chunking:
This look is suitable for ladies who want to go for a funkier look. They’ve done the same way as highlights however they cover the larger area of the hair section.
Tools you’ll need:
1) Highlighting kit
2) Hairbrush
3) Rubber gloves
4) Sectioning clips
5) Hair tinting brush
6) Aluminum foil
7) Color-safe shampoo and conditioner
Steps to follow:
1. Prepare your dye by following the instruction.
2. Now just follow the instruction similar to the foil highlighter without slicing them into sections.
3. Wash off the dye after the processing time is up.
How to Highlight Your Hair Without a Kit
Highlighting hair at home is time and money-saving. If you don’t have a kit there is still a way to highlight your hair.
Tools you need to highlight hair at home:
1. Gloves
2. Bleach
3. Aluminum foil
4. Mixing bowl
5. Tinted brush
6. Mirror
Preparation before highlighting:
1) Brush your hair properly
2) Wear an old shirt
3) Mix bleach and color as per the instruction mentioned on the box.
Steps to highlight at home:
1) Prepare your dye by following the instructions
2) Put on your gloves
3) Section and clip up the upper section of the hair
4) Coat your hair by using a tinted hair brush.
5) Keep taking color in the brush and keep it running into the hair to cover the entire section properly.
6) Unclip the top section and follow the same procedure.
7) Let it rest until the time mentioned in the highlighting box.
8) Wash off all the colors safely with the help of shampoo and conditioner.
What Color Should you Expect After Highlighting your Hair?
Hair color varies from person to person and depends upon skin and face tone as well.
1) Medium brown may appear light brown with a golden hue.
2) Dark brown may appear in an orange tone.
3) Red hair may turn blonde or orange.
4) Dark blonde turns light blonde.
While highlighting keep it in mind to cover the hair strands accordingly. Moreover, if you are having irritation while applying the color then avoid it immediately and consult a dermatologist .