Nowadays there are plenty of options to experiment with your look. Changing the hair color is one of the most popular of them. A modern hair salon can offer you a variety of techniques to give your hair the right color and effect.
The single color process is often replaced with some techniques that give the colored hair a more natural look. As you might notice, natural hair often has lighter and darker strands. If you look through your Pinterest or insta looking for the inspiration for your change you may notice that a lot of celebrities have some highlighted of lowlighted strands in their hair. It gives the hair shine and volume.
If you prefer natural-looking coloring or want to add some texture to your natural hair color you may go for the double process coloring.
What to choose if you want a natural looking color?
With modern techniques and materials, it is possible to use several shades of one color to create depth and shine. In opposite to the all-over coloring, there are some processes that allow putting the hair dye on separate strands. It works perfectly for natural hair.
If you want to mix your color with some shades your stylist may recommend the following techniques:
- Foiling
Foiling is the technique used to color separate hair strands with lighter or darker color. Each strand is covered with color and wrapped in aluminum foil. Works well to cover the strands from the roots.
- Balayage
A technique that allows adding some highlights painting on the hair without using foil. It creates an effect of naturally highlighted hair, as you may get after spending some time under the sun. The dye is applied directly to hair with thin strands.
These coloring processes are hard to do by yourself. If you want to have more natural coloring with some highlights and lowlights it is better to go to the hair salon.
What are lowlights for?
While highlights are used to add some shine lowlights are created to add the coloring some depth. If you have naturally light or light brown hair lowlights may work brilliantly to give the hair sun-kissed look and to add texture. You may get your hair a bit darker by adding lowlights all over the hair or just give some depth to the bottom of the hair. Lowlights look good on long and semi-long hair.
Lowlights may be used also on the solid color base. Adding some strands of the darker shade may be a perfect solution to make the coloring looking more natural. They work well on natural color tones and bright ones as well.
Dark hair color is not a good base for lowlights. It’s better to find another decision with your stylist if you want to give some fresh look to your dark hair.
Lowlights may be used also to frame your face or make the skin look warmer.
Lowlights mixed with highlights will look impressive and totally natural if the coloring is made by the professional colorist. The strands are usually very thin, imitating the natural hair way of mixing the shades. If for some reason you can’t go to the hair salon for the change, we will recommend you to try some more simple techniques at home.
Painting lowlights over bleached hair
Bleaching is an important process if you want to radically change the hair color. To get the lighter tone is often possible only after bleaching. Bleaching is also used to remove the color from hair to make it possible to get another color. If you have already removed your previous color, find out how to do lowlights on bleached hair.
If the hair was bleached to a very light tone you can color it applying some lowlights along with the main color. Foiling technique or balayage allows adding to the main color a few lighter and darker shades.
So if you’ve made a cool blonde, for example, you may add few darker and warmer strokes to create this natural, sun-kissed look and to define the contour of your face.
The Best Blonde Hair with Lowlights
Here are some best blonde hair options with lowlights:
Icy Blonde with Brunette Lowlights
If want a dramatic hair color, you should try icy blonde hair with brunette lowlights! This contrasting combo makes both colors pop, creating a head-turning look that’s sure to impress.
Platinum Blonde with Charcoal Lowlights
Want a platinum blonde look without the high maintenance? Add charcoal lowlights to your hair! This combo gives your hair dimension and makes growing out your color a breeze. Plus, it’s a great way to add some edge to your look.
Platinum Blonde with Ash Lowlights
Want to try the ash blonde trend without committing to it fully? Add ash lowlights to your platinum blonde hair! This low-maintenance option lets you dip your toes in the trend without changing your entire color. You’ll get a stylish, on-trend look without the hassle.
Cover Gray Hair with Lowlights
looking to cover up some gray hairs? Well, lowlights are a fantastic option! By adding some lowlights that match your natural hair color, you can blend those grays away and achieve a more youthful look. Plus, it’s a great way to add some dimension to your hair color without going for a full-on dye job. And the best part? Lowlights are way gentler on your hair than harsh dyes, so you can feel good about what you’re putting on your locks.
Doing lowlights at home
Double color processes are very complex. To be sure you will get the exact gorgeous effect you’ve seen on the photos on Pinterest it is better to go to a professional colorist. The colorist knows exactly if you need to bleach your hair to get the desired look, or it is enough to cover the color you have with another tone.
He knows what color is the safest for you and how to mix the colors to get the exact shade. It may be not easy as it seems because the color and the technique depends on the color you currently have and all the previous dyeing you’ve had. The color that remains in your hair may react with the new color giving you an unexpected result.
In the foiling process or balayage, the color is applied with really thin strokes and it may be uncomfortable for you to do this right as you may don’t have enough practice and it is hard to apply the color on the hair at the back of your head properly.
So, if you decide to do complex coloring like hair lowlights at home you may mess it up and have spots on your hair or some unexpected color. You may also burn your hair with bleach.
We recommend to talk to your hairstylist or use some more simple techniques for home dyeing.
Related: How to get hair dye off the sink
Tips for hair with complex coloring
- Make sure it is been more than a month since your last coloring or other chemical treatment.
- Tell your stylist about previous experiences with coloring
- Don’t use a hair dryer or flat iron a couple of days before the treatment
- Moisturize your hair deeply the day before the coloring
- Don’t shampoo your hair the day you go to the salon
- Ask your colorist about extra treatment you may use in the process to ease the stress for your hair
- Follow the stylist recommendations for the hair care after the treatment to keep the effect last long and your hair to be healthy
Read Next: What Color To Dye Over Green Hair When it’s Time For Changes?
I did bleaching several times, and now it’s difficult to apply the dye since the pigment doesn’t sit properly. Why won’t my bleached hair hold color?
I guess it’s because bleaching removed too much protein and natural pigment from your hair so now the color can’t attach. Your hair needs oil treatment and cleansing prior to coloring it again.
I had bleached hair for 2 years by now, but I’d like to change the color. What Color will go over bleached hair? Can you advise me something?
I would say it depends on the bleached shade you have. If it’s warm or yellowish, then opt for golden blonde or golden brown color, even chestnut or chocolate will work. But if the bleached shade was cool blonde, then use a cool-shade toner.
How do I get my hair back to its natural color after bleaching it? Is that possible at all?
Yeah, that’s possible. I guess the quickest way is to re-dye them into the color that’s the closest to your natural tone. As an option, grow the roots for a couple of inches and cut the hair the shortest possible. Like that, you won’t have to grow them off too long and the initial color will appear sooner.
I had my hair bleached a month ago but now I’d like to do lowlights. Can you put lowlights over bleached hair?
You can if the hair was bleached to the very light tone, I know because I did that. But I don’t know how it’ll work on the darker tones.
Hi! I’m new to coloring hair and I have a question: can I use blonde dye after bleaching? Will it damage my hair too much?
Hi! Yes, this procedure can be pretty harmful if done right after discoloring. However, applying blonde is possible, you only need to wait to let the hair adjust.
Can I put color over bleached hair? Are there any nuances about it?
Color can be applied but I’d recommend using a temporary dye first to check whether the porosity in hair is even. Because if it’s not, then the dye will be applied unevenly.
i have white hair and I thought I was putting on a temporary toner but it turned out that is was a permanent toner. I used a clarifying shampoo with bleach combination to take off the color now I have areas of what looks like strawberry blonde. I want to put low lights to make it blend better. I look washed out with the blonde ….white. and the area that was growing out and I did the bleach/clarifying shampoo is not the shade as my nature white hair. I just look horrible. what can I do
I had same problem, brown lowlights, turned it to nice dirty blonde, she also put some caramel lowlights. Think 123, 1 or 3 shades darker, 2 caramel or honey, coppery, and 3 , 3 shades darker brown. Came out beautiful, do the temp color see if you like. It really made my hair look natural. Have her do a smudge root with darkest color. Hope this helps ☺️.
my hair is colored brown over my gray hair with salon formula of Clarol semi permanent dye. How can I go back to my natural color?
My hair is bleached platinum and is very short but not a pixie. I’d like to add light to medium blue but I don’t know where to put them. Can you help?
Maybe something like short-hair balayage?