Are you standing at a crossroads feeling zero emotions about your flat-looking hair? You may want to add some pizazz to your mane. Maybe you are thinking of coloring your hair at home. Think again.
We have the solution: lowlights or some highlights. But what is the difference? Both are small sections of light and dark hair placed all over your head.
But is there a difference between lowlights and highlights, and which one is better? Let’s find out.
What Are Lowlights?
Lowlights give more contrast as dark pieces are woven into your hair. They are an excellent fix when you have an over-highlighting solid hair color.
Still, if you have few highlights, adding lowlights can help add dimension as it shifts your tone. The technique is excellent as your natural-looking hair can be darker than your lightest part but not darker than the natural base’s darkest part.
Yet, one thing to remember is that it is meant to be subtle compared to streaks. So, the darker color will be spread evenly throughout the hair compared to doing well-defined sections.
You can even enhance your look with balayage, which gives you more freedom to paint on the color than using the foil technique. Furthermore, lowlights can also help gradually remove highlights.
What Are Highlights?
The highlighting technique involves sections of hair that are lighter than the natural hair color, with darker lowlights.
Highlighting lifts the natural base by using a lightener or a hair color to lighten the hair. A fact is that you find different highlight techniques that include ombre, balayage, and more.
What is The Difference Between Lowlights and Highlights?
With the lowlight technique, we bring out dimension in your hair by adding shades with a deeper hue, while highlights will lighten your hair.
So, it adds contrast using many shades within your hair. Here, we think of a dirty blonde, a mix of brunette and blonde.
The lighter pieces are the highlights, while the darker pieces are the lowlights, adding a deep dimension.
Can You Mix Highlights And Lowlights?
The answer is yes. Depending on your natural hair color, you can mix them. When you visit us at Haste Haire, we suggest adding some lowlights with highlights to complement your base color.
Hence, you can get a blended natural look, and it is best used when you want a natural growing-out process. With a delicate, soft weave, you can go for several weeks without needing touchups.
Still, a worthy note is that even when introducing the hair color technique for immediate contrast, they face fast during summer, and you can end up with hair that looks brassy.
You need to keep this in mind with damaged hair as it means you will need to have it re-highlight your highlighted hair, which can lead to further breakage.
Yet, another massive benefit of lowlights is that it can also help you transition to gray hair if you want to embrace your natural color.
Will Lowlights Work on Dark Hair?
The fantastic thing about lowlights is that they work on all hair colors, but you need an experienced stylist to formulate them correctly. It becomes tricky for people with over-processed blonde or light brown hair as a natural base.
For this reason, we provide an in-depth consultation to discuss your short—and long-term results. Furthermore, to achieve the best lowlights, you need not always make it darker than your hair base color.
The coloring does not always have to be dark; it can also be very light to medium blonde. Therefore, if you want an optimal lowlight shade that works for you, make an appointment with us today to get help.
We will look at what color best fits your skin tone and eye color to enhance your facial features.
How to Avoid The Biggest Lowlight Mistake
One of the biggest mistakes you must avoid is creating too much contrast between your darkest and lightest hair color, as it will look strippy.
We recommend sticking to lowlight and highlighting colors at least 3 to 4 shades apart for a cohesive blended look to get a flattering lowlight.
Furthermore, if you start with a blonde, we advise against using lowlights along the hairline and keeping them more towards your mid-length ends. Now, the big question is, will it damage your hair?
The truth is that coloring does not cause much damage compared to highlighting your hair. Lowlights are done with a demi-permanent or permanent color, causing less damage. Yet, no matter your coloring method, it weakens your hair.
The important thing is to give your hair tender, loving care before scheduling a lowlight appointment. We recommend keeping heat styling to a minimum and applying an extra hair mask.
This is because damaged hair can absorb color and moisture easily and pick up too much unwanted color or muddy shade during low lighting. To keep your hair looking great, we recommend a pro fiber treatment.
This will help your color remain at its best. You should also invest in a home hair care system with the right shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask.
Lowlights vs Babylights
When comparing babylights with lowlights, it is between highlights and lowlights. Babylights are a technique for giving you a bright, sun-kissed shine.
The babylights are brighter than the standard color and more subtle than when you have full highlights done to add some oomph.
Furthermore, when applying highlights or lowlights, we will use the balayage or foil method to give it a natural look.
Wrap-Up: Are Lowlights For You Or Highlights?
While you might not need lowlights, we recommend trying them, especially if your hair color needs to match your expectations or look thin.
Another good reason to opt for this coloring technique is to help make your hair color wearable. For instance, if you love the icy platinum color but are concerned that the shade washes out, having lowlights will help make it look less dramatic.
The best part is that you can mix up your all-over hair color, highlights, and lowlights. Still, if you have light hair and want several darker shades, you might be better off choosing an all-over hair color.
But if you are a die-hard highlighter, add some lowlights during the winter to add warmth. Discuss your hair concerns with us today so we can help you choose a style that best suits your needs.
FAQ
What is better, highlighting or lowlighting?
Neither is better, and it depends on what you are looking for. If you want dimension, a lowlight is better, as your strands are darker through the base color. For brightness, choose highlights, as they lighten your hair, but you can combine both to add brightness and depth.
How do you choose a lowlight shade?
We recommend choosing a shade three to four times darker than your natural base color.
Do lowlights last long?
When set right, lowlights can last up to six weeks.
How often should you touch up lowlights?
Lowlights need to be touched up every six to eight weeks, but they become less frequent when hair grows out, as they need to look as natural as possible.
