alayage, ombre, sombre, highlights, lowlights, babylights…AAAAAAHHH! Sometimes it does feel like the hair coloring industry is trying to drive us all crazy churning out new and trendy coloring techniques every other day. Add to that the fact their names don’t give any sort of indication to what they actually look like, and you’re left all the more confused.
A big misconception that people seem to believe is that highlights and lowlights are the same as streaks. That could not be further from the truth.
# HighlightsHighlights are sections or strands of hair that are dyed a few shades lighter than your base color. The main purpose of adding highlights to your hair is to brighten up the overall color of your hair and add softness and dimension to it. The shade of your highlights is determined based on the base/natural color of your hair and your complexion. No matter what the base color of your hair, you should never go more than 3 shades lighter than it. For example, if you have jet black hair, your highlights should be a shade of dark brown, brunettes should go for copper or caramel hues, and blondes should opt for a lighter shade of blonde. Go lighter than 3 shades and you run the risk of looking like a skunk. Or a zebra! I know, yikes.
# LowlightsIf highlights are lighter sections of hair dyed into your hair, lowlights go in completely the opposite direction. They involve picking up a few thin or thick sections of hair and coloring them in a shade or two darker than your base color. Lowlights aim to add depth and dimension to your hair look. They also work wonders at making your hair look thicker and generally more voluminous. People usually go in for lowlights after they have highlighted their hair a few times and want to add some of the color back to their overly lightened strands.