What Should You Know Before Getting Highlights Hair For The First Time?
Getting highlights can be both exciting and refreshing. It’s key to know what to expect before your first time. Whether you’re a blonde, brunette, or redhead, highlights can give you a new look. From soft and subtle to bold and dramatic, there’s a style for everyone.
In this article, we’ll cover the main things to think about before getting highlights for the first time. This way, you’ll end up with a hair color you’re happy with.
Key Takeaways :Highlights Hair
- Understand the different types of highlights, such as standard color, babylights, balayage, foil-ayage, ombre, and lowlights, to determine the best option for your desired look.
- Consider how highlights can frame your face and enhance your natural features.
- Avoid adding too many color levels to maintain the health and integrity of your hair.
- Prepare for the maintenance required to keep your highlights looking their best, including using specialized shampoos and deep conditioning treatments.
- Consult with a professional hair color specialist to ensure your highlights are applied safely and effectively.
Decide Which Highlights You Want to Try
There are many hair highlight options available. You can choose from classic blonde highlights to bold ombré and eye-catching balayage. Each technique suits different hair types and styles. It’s key to pick the right one that matches your hair and style.
Standard Hair Colour Highlights
Traditional highlights use foils or a cap to lighten specific hair strands. It’s perfect for adding brightness and dimension to blonde, brown, or red hair. The look can be subtle or dramatic, based on the color and highlight placement.
Babylights
Babylights give a soft, sun-kissed effect with fine, delicate strands of lighter color woven through the hair. This technique creates a natural look that mimics sun exposure. It’s ideal for those wanting a subtle, multi-dimensional effect.
Balayage
With balayage, lighter strands are painted onto the hair for a soft, natural color gradient. It blends from root to tip seamlessly. This technique suits various hair colors, from dark to light blonde.
Foil-Ayage
Foil-ayage mixes traditional foil highlights with balayage’s blended look. It uses foils to paint lighter color on the hair. This creates a multi-dimensional effect that’s both bold and natural.
Ombre
Ombre highlights fade from dark to light from the roots to the ends. It lightens the lower hair sections for a seamless blend. This look is perfect for those wanting a gradient of color.
Low Lights
Lowlights add depth by placing darker colors in the hair. They’re great for adding warmth and richness, especially to light hair. This technique can give a more natural, sun-kissed appearance.
Money Piece
The “money piece” highlights the hairline and forehead. It brightens the face and draws attention to the eyes. These highlights can be subtle or bold, depending on your preference.
When choosing highlights, think about your hair color, skin tone, and style. A professional hair color specialist can help you find the perfect look.
Aim to Frame Your Face with Hair Colour Highlights
When it comes to hair highlights, where you place the color matters a lot. Putting the brightest face-framing highlights around your face can really brighten and transform your look.
It’s all about creating a look that’s full of depth. Focus on highlights around your face, and keep the roots a bit darker. This makes your features stand out and adds depth to your style.
Here are some tips for the perfect hair highlights to frame your face:
- Highlight the hair around your face, like at the hairline, temples, and cheekbones.
- Don’t put too many highlights on the crown or back, as it can look unbalanced.
- Choose a light, subtle highlight around the face, with a deeper color towards the back.
- Think about babylights or balayage for a soft, natural look that frames your face.
By planning where to put your hair highlights, you can get a look that’s both flattering and dimensional. This can really bring out your best features and transforms your look.
Avoid Adding Too Many Hair Colour Levels
When playing with hair color and highlights, it’s easy to get carried away. But, using too many hair color levels at once can make your hair look unnatural. Stick to a main color, with highlights and lowlights, for a look that’s both balanced and natural-looking.
Finding the right mix of color and highlights is key to a great look. Too many different hair color levels can make your hair look messy and unattractive. This can ruin the style and beauty of your hair.
| Hair Color Levels | Recommended Approach |
|---|---|
| Base Color | Choose a single base color that complements your skin tone and natural hair hue. |
| Highlights | Opt for subtle, face-framing highlights to add dimension and brightness to your hair. |
| Lowlights | Incorporate lowlights to add depth and create a multi-dimensional effect. |
By sticking to this method, you can get a natural-looking and balanced hair color look. This will boost your features and how you look overall. Remember, sometimes, less is more with hair dye and highlights.
Contrast Between Your Skin Colour and Highlights Hair
Choosing the right hair color highlights is key. Make sure the color is not too light for your skin tone. This can make you look washed out. Aim to keep your hair color one to three shades lighter than your skin.
Finding the right balance is important. If you have cool skin, try ashy or beige highlights. For warm skin, golden or honey tones work better. The aim is to pick a hair color that flatters your skin tone and boosts your natural beauty.
| Skin Tone | Recommended Highlights Shade |
|---|---|
| Fair Skin | Champagne, Platinum, Ash Blonde |
| Medium Skin | Honey, Caramel, Butterscotch |
| Olive Skin | Warm Golden, Chestnut, Espresso |
| Dark Skin | Mocha, Cinnamon, Chocolate |
Finding the right hair color and highlights boosts your confidence. Try different shades of blonde until you find the hue that flatters your skin tone.
Prepare to Maintain Your Highlights Colour
Getting vibrant, eye-catching highlights is just the start. To keep your hair color looking great, you need a good maintenance routine. Use special shampoos and deep conditioning treatments to keep your highlights looking fresh.
Invest in Violet or Purple Shampoo
Highlights, especially blonde or light shades, can turn brassy over time. Use a violet or purple shampoo to fight this. These shampoos cancel out yellow or orange tones, keeping your highlights cool and icy.
Use Sulphate-Free Shampoo
Sulphates in many shampoos can harm colored hair, taking away its color and moisture. Choose a sulphate-free shampoo made for color-treated hair. These gentle cleansers keep your highlights vibrant and your hair healthy.
Deep Conditioning Treatments
Highlights can dry and damage your hair. So, add regular deep conditioning treatments to your routine. Find masks and treatments that are moisture-rich to bring back your hair’s natural shine and softness.
Heat Protectants
Always use a heat protectant when styling your highlighted hair. These products act as a shield between your hair and hot styling tools. They prevent damage and keep your highlights’ color and condition intact.
Follow these easy steps to keep your highlights vibrant, healthy, and beautiful. With the right care, you can maintain the stunning color and condition of your highlighted hair.
Get Professional Advice from Hair Colour Specialists
Getting the perfect hair color highlights means getting help from experts. These pros know how to pick the right colors for your hair and skin. They can guide you to the best highlighting techniques and shades for you.
Before you book a highlights appointment, think about a consultation at a trusted salon. A hair color specialist can tell you the best way to go with your hair. They consider your current color, texture, and hair health. Their advice helps you make smart choices for your look.
- Consult with a skilled hair color specialist to discuss your options and receive personalized recommendations.
- Trust the expertise of professionals who have extensive knowledge of hair color and highlighting techniques.
- Allow the hair specialist to assess your hair and skin tone to determine the most flattering highlights for your unique features.
Getting a pro consultation is a smart move. It helps you get the hair color you want and avoids mistakes. Working with a hair color specialist means you’re in good hands. You’ll be happy with your new highlights.
| Benefits of Consulting a Hair Color Specialist | What to Expect from a Consultation |
|---|---|
|
|
With a hair color specialist’s help, your highlights will match your look perfectly. They’ll guide you to the best hair color transformation. And they’ll keep your hair healthy and vibrant.
Prepare Your Hair Before Highlights Appointment
Before you start your hair highlighting journey, make sure to prepare your hair well. This step helps your hair get ready for the color and makes sure you get the look you want. Let’s look at two important steps to prepare your hair for the salon.
Use a Clarifying Shampoo
Using a clarifying shampoo is a key step before highlights. This special shampoo cleanses your hair deeply, removing all buildup, residues, or dirt. Starting with clean hair means the color will apply better and your highlights will look natural. Use a clarifying shampoo a few days before your salon visit for the best effect.
Avoid Product Buildup
It’s also important to avoid using too many styling products before your highlights. Don’t use heavy oils, conditioners, or styling products. These can block the color from getting into your hair evenly. Keeping your hair as natural as possible helps the highlights work better and last longer.
By doing these simple steps, you make sure your hair is ready for highlights. This sets the stage for a great color change and beautiful results.
Post-Highlights Hair Care Routine
After getting highlights, taking good care of your hair is key to keeping it looking great. Here are some important steps for your hair care routine:
Wait Before Shampooing
Wait a few days before washing your hair after highlights. This lets the color set and your hair’s cuticle close. This helps your highlights last longer and stay bright. While waiting, rinse your hair with cool water to get rid of any extra product.
Use Color-Safe Products
When you’re ready to wash your hair, use products made for highlighted or colored hair. These products are gentle and don’t have harsh sulfates. They keep your hair color from fading too fast. Use a deep conditioning treatment to keep your hair soft and easy to manage.
By following these easy steps, you can make sure your highlights look good for a long time. Your hair will stay healthy and vibrant, just like when you left the salon.
Adding highlights to your hair can transform your look and brighten your appearance. There are various types of highlights to choose from, such as light blonde, caramel, and honey blonde, each adding a unique dimension to your natural color. For those with a brown base, dark brown or medium brown hair, highlights can help bleach lighten and enhance your natural tones. Blonde balayage and face-framing highlights are popular choices that flatter different hair types and styles.
If you’re considering highlights for blonde hair, golden blonde highlights and blonde streaks can add a fun way to add a jolt of color. For a natural-looking effect, opt for warm blonde or cool blonde hues strawberry blonde.
Highlighting your hair at home is possible with products like John Frieda’s lightener and L’Oreal Paris Colorista, offering options for semi-permanent and permanent dye. For professional results, a stylist can help you achieve the perfect shade of blonde, brown, or red highlights.
Root touch-up hair powder, like the one from L’Oreal Paris Couleur Experte, is great for maintaining highlights and instantly covering greys. If you prefer a more permanent solution, consider ammonia-free permanent hair color to add highlights. Packaging may vary, but these products are designed to create thicker-looking hairlines and add depth to your hair.
Highlights in your hair can really help brighten your overall look. For a natural blonde look, try halo hair or blonde accents. Brown highlights and red highlights are also great ideas for every hair type, from dark blonde to light brown.
Mineral-infused powders and semi-permanent hair dyes offer flexibility and creativity in hair styling. With various shades like platinum blonde, cool blonde, and natural hair colors, you can find the perfect hue to transform your look and flatter your skin tone. Whether you choose to add highlights at home or visit a professional hair stylist, there are countless ways to add a touch of color and enhance your natural beauty.
Also Read : 2024 Trends: Latest Fashion Styles You Must Try
Conclusion
Starting your hair transformation with highlights requires careful thought and preparation. Whether you choose classic highlights, Babylights, Balayage, or Ombre, pick a method that suits your features and skin tone.
Keeping your highlighted hair vibrant and healthy is crucial. Use color-protecting shampoos, deep conditioning treatments, and heat protectants. These products will help keep your hair looking great and extend the life of your highlights. Don’t forget to get regular touchups from your hair color experts to keep your highlights looking perfect.
With the right advice and care, your first time with highlights can be exciting and rewarding. Follow the tips in this article to get the hair color you’ve always wanted. Enjoy the process, and get ready to make a statement with your stunning highlights.
FAQs
Q: What are highlights and how do they differ from all-over hair color?
A: Highlights involve coloring only sections of the hair to add dimension and create a contrast with the base hair color, while all-over hair color covers the entire head of hair with one consistent shade.
Q: What factors should I consider before getting highlights for the first time?
A: Before getting highlights, consider your natural hair color, desired highlight shade, maintenance requirements, budget, and whether you want a subtle or bold look.
Q: Can I get highlights if my hair is already colored or treated?
A: Yes, you can still get highlights on previously colored or treated hair, but it’s essential to consult with a professional to ensure the best outcome and prevent excessive damage.
Q: What are some popular highlight colors for different base hair colors?
A: For blonde hair, popular highlight colors include honey blonde, caramel, and light blonde. For brunettes, options like caramel, dark brown, and red highlights are common choices.
Q: How long do highlights typically last, and how can I maintain them?
A: Highlights can last anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks, depending on how quickly your hair grows. To maintain them, use color-safe products, avoid excessive heat styling, and consider touch-up appointments as needed.
Q: Can I do highlights at home, or should I always visit a salon?
A: While it’s possible to do highlights at home using DIY kits, achieving professional-looking results can be challenging. For the best outcome, especially for the first time, it’s recommended to visit a salon.
Q: What are the different types of highlights techniques available?
A: Some common highlight techniques include balayage, ombre, foil highlights, and babylights, each offering a unique way to add dimension and depth to the hair.
Source Links
- https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/2144879-Right-I-have-booked-highlights-for-the-first-time-ever-What-do-I-need-to-know
- https://hemispherehair.com.au/5-things-you-need-to-know-before-getting-hair-colour-highlights/
- https://hellosouthblog.com/how-to-prepare-for-your-salon-color-or-highlight/