How to Highlight Hair at Home, Getting salon-quality hair highlights at home is easy with the right tools and techniques. This guide will show you how to color your hair at home. You’ll learn how to get perfect highlights without spending a lot.
Our expert, who’s been highlighting her hair at home for nearly 8 years, started as a broke grad-student. She wanted to keep her cool blonde highlights affordable. With professional-grade products and the right tools, you can do the same at home.
To succeed, mix equal parts of a 20 and 30 developer, or use a 25 developer if you have it. You’ll also need a high-quality bleach and toner. You’ll need a highlighting comb, foils cut in half, and clips. Section your hair, apply the bleach mixture, and let it process for about 45 minutes to get the right shade.
After rinsing the bleach, wash your hair with regular shampoo and use purple shampoo once a week. This keeps your highlights looking ashy. Finish with conditioner to keep your hair healthy and vibrant. With the right products and techniques, you can get professional-looking highlights without the salon cost.
Key Takeaways
- Use professional-grade bleaching products and toners for optimal results
- Mix equal parts of a 20 and 30 developer, or use a 25 developer
- Invest in essential tools like a highlighting comb, foils, and clips
- Section hair properly and allow the bleach to process for about 45 minutes
- Maintain highlights with regular shampoo, purple shampoo, and conditioner
Understanding Different Highlighting Techniques
When you want to bleach your hair at home, you have many options. Each method gives different results. You can go for soft, sun-kissed highlights or bold, dramatic ones.
Foil Highlights
Foil highlights involve wrapping thin hair sections in bleach or lightener. The foils are then wrapped around the hair. This method gives a precise, uniform highlight.
“Foil highlights are a classic technique that can add dimension and brightness to your hair.” – Professional Hair Colorist
Balayage
Balayage means “to sweep” in French. It’s a freehand painting method from the 1970s. This easy hair highlighting method paints lightener directly on the hair, giving a natural look. It’s great for those who want a gradual lightening from roots to tips.
Ombre
Ombre hair has a color gradient, with darker roots and lighter tips. You can use various colors for this look. It’s perfect for a dramatic, two-toned style. Sombre is a softer version for a more natural look.
When thinking about temporary hair highlights, pick a base color that matches your highlighting style. A Hair Color Virtual Try-On tool can show you how different colors will look together. It helps match your skin tone and haircut.
Preparing for Your Hair Highlighting Process
Before starting your at-home hair highlighting, make sure you have everything you need. Choose the right shade to match your natural hair color. This preparation is key to getting salon-quality results at home.
Gather Essential Supplies
To start your hair highlighting, you’ll need some basic items. These include bleach, developer, toner, gloves, a color brush and bowl, clips, a weaving comb, and aluminum foil. Highlight kits may come with tools, but using them might take some practice.
Think about what your hair needs when picking supplies. There are many kits available, like bleach kits for bold changes or balayage kits for a natural look. Pick a kit that fits your desired look and skill level.
Choose the Right Shade
Picking the right shade for your highlights is important. Aim for a color one to two shades lighter than your base color. If you have dark hair, match the box shade to your natural color for best results. Remember, bleach only works on previously dyed hair; henna or vegetable dyes won’t lighten.
Do a strand test before coloring your whole head. This lets you see the final result and make changes if needed. Consider your skin tone when choosing highlights. Warm skin tones look good with cooler highlights, and cool skin tones with warmer ones.
With the right supplies and a chosen shade, you’re ready for stunning results at home. Proper preparation and attention to detail will help you achieve a fresh, updated look that highlights your natural beauty.
Step-by-Step Guide to Highlighting Hair
Highlighting your hair at home can be fun and save money. With the right tools and techniques, you can get amazing results. This guide will show you how to hair sectioning techniques and applying hair bleach for a DIY highlight job.
Sectioning the Hair
Start by dividing your hair into four sections: top, sides, and back. Use hair clips to keep each section apart. This makes it easier to apply the bleach evenly.
For horizontal rows, aim for 1-1.5cm thickness. For classic highlights, each weave should be no thicker than 1/2 cm.
If you want a casual look, start highlights a few centimeters off the scalp. Use 1/4 – 1/2 cm thick highlights. Work fast to avoid over-processing your hair.
Applying the Dye
Mix the bleach and developer as the kit says. To avoid weakening your hair, mix half first and apply to one side. Then, mix a fresh batch for the other side.
Use a color brush to apply the bleach to thin, woven sections. Start from the middle and work towards the ends.
Blend the bleach well to avoid harsh lines and create a natural-looking gradient.
Wrap each section in foil to keep the bleach moist. The bleaching process takes 15-20 minutes, depending on your hair. Check on it often to get the right highlight.
After rinsing, apply a toner to the highlighted strands for about 6 minutes. This will give you your desired tone, like ashy, neutral, gold, warm, or with a hint of red. With patience and care, you can get beautiful, subtle highlights at home.
Tips for Achieving Natural-Looking Highlights
To get natural-looking highlights at home, blend colors smoothly. Mix light and dark tones for a sun-kissed look. Allure’s guide to highlighting your own shows how to avoid bold stripes. Make sure the transition between dark and light hair is smooth.
- Weave thin sections of hair when applying the bleach for a subtle contrast.
- Use a spoolie brush or an old toothbrush to soften the transition between dark and light hair.
- Choose a highlighting kit that matches your natural hair color, like the Madison Reed Light Works Balayage Highlighting Kit.
Balancing Light and Dark Tones
When highlighting, spread the lighter tones evenly. This balance creates a natural look. Start with the bottom layers and work up, keeping light and dark consistent.
“The key to achieving natural-looking highlights is to blend the colors seamlessly, creating a sun-kissed effect that looks effortless and stunning.”
Avoiding Bold Stripes
A common mistake is bold, unnatural-looking stripes. To avoid this, weave thin hair sections and blend well. Use a spoolie brush or an old toothbrush for a natural look.
By blending your highlights carefully, you can get beautiful, natural-looking hair. This enhances your look without looking processed or artificial.
Maintaining Your Highlights After Application
Congratulations on your stunning new highlights! Now, it’s crucial to maintain your gorgeous color with proper care and attention. By following these simple tips and using the right color-safe hair products, you can keep your highlights looking fresh and vibrant between salon visits.
To start, consider the frequency of your highlight touch-ups. For dark and light brown hair, maintenance is typically required every two to three months. Blond highlights may need a bit more attention, with purple shampoo applications every two to three weeks. Red highlights should be a bit darker and richer for longevity, while black hair may require toning between highlight visits.
Recommended Hair Products
Investing in the right hair products is key to successful hair highlight maintenance. Look for shampoos and conditioners formulated for color-treated hair, such as the ColorMotion+ Shampoo or INVIGO Cool Blonde Color Refreshing Shampoo for neutralizing tones. These products help resist fading and create a protective barrier on your highlighted strands.
Regular use of heat protectant spray before heat styling tools can help maintain highlight vibrancy.
Also, incorporate weekly treatments like the No3 Hair Stabilizer Mask. Use heat protectants like EIMI Thermal Image mist and INVIGO Sun UV Protection Spray to safeguard your hair from damage.
Frequency of Touch-Ups
To maintain the appearance of your highlights, schedule regular salon touch-ups every six to eight weeks. This ensures that your color remains fresh and any new growth is seamlessly blended. Between appointments, consider a glossing service like Koleston Perfect Pure Glossing for added shine.
Remember, maintaining highlights requires extra attention and effort, but the result is worth it – gorgeous, sun-kissed strands that light up your look!
Troubleshooting Common Highlighting Issues
Highlighting your hair at home can be fun and save money. But, you might run into problems like overprocessing and uneven color. These are common issues people face.
Overprocessing the Hair
Overprocessing happens when you leave bleach or dye on too long. This can dry out and break your hair. It makes your hair look unhealthy. To avoid this, follow the recommended times and watch your hair closely.
“Waiting two weeks after highlighting your hair before using more bleach or dye is essential to avoid damaging your hair further.”
If your hair is overprocessed, don’t worry. You can fix it with deep conditioning or a protein mask. Also, avoid heat styling and chemical treatments while it heals.
Uneven Color Distribution
Uneven color is another common problem. It can happen if the bleach or dye isn’t applied right. This leads to patchy or stripy highlights. To avoid this, take your time and make sure each section is well saturated.
To fix uneven highlights, you can use a toner or color-depositing conditioner. This helps blend the colors. You can also apply a semi-permanent or demi-permanent dye close to your natural color. This can hide stark contrasts.
Remember, getting good at highlighting at home takes practice. Don’t get discouraged by problems. With patience and persistence, you’ll get those beautiful highlights soon!
Safety Tips for DIY Hair Highlighting
When you think about DIY hair highlighting at home, safety is key. It helps avoid damage and gets the look you want. Be careful, as bleach can be harsh. Follow two important steps: do a patch test and protect your skin and clothes.
Conducting a Patch Test
Always do a patch test before highlighting. It checks if you’re allergic to the bleach or products. This step prevents skin irritation or worse. Apply a small amount to a hidden skin area like behind your ear or inner elbow. Wait 24 to 48 hours for any signs of trouble. If you don’t react, you can start highlighting safely.
Protecting Your Skin and Clothes
Bleach and hair products are strong and can irritate your skin or ruin your clothes. Wear gloves to protect your hands. Also, use a cape or old towel to cover your shoulders. This stops bleach from reaching your skin or clothes. If bleach does get on your skin, rinse it with cool water right away.
DIY hair highlighting is fun and saves money, but safety comes first. Do a patch test and protect your skin and clothes. This way, you can safely get the highlights you want and enjoy the look.