How to Highlight Dark Brown Hair Without the Brassiness

Highlights give hair a sun-kissed look.

Highlighting your dark brown hair can give you a glowing sun-kissed look. Using at-home highlight and streaking kits help you create compliment-worthy hair. Brassiness occurs when using these kits because they contain bleach. Bleach strips hair and leaves it with unnatural yellow and orange tones. Using a toner with a purple or blue base after highlighting will counteract these tones and leave hair with a natural shade.

Things You'll Need

• Old towel
• Highlighting kit
• Toner
• 20 volume developer
• Small bowl
• Gloves
• Hair dye brush

Instructions

1. Wrap an old towel around your shoulders to protect your clothing and skin. Empty the color powder and developer into the included mixing tray and mix it completely with the spatula. Add in the cream lightener and stir well.

2. Dip the included brush into the mix and apply it to the hair starting in the front using long downward strokes. Highlight each strand anywhere from 1/4 inch to 1 inch thick, depending on how you would like them. Apply at least 1/4 inch away from the scalp to prevent irritation. Cover the strand completely, using a bit more on the ends of the hair.

3. Repeat this process for each highlight, separating them by at least 1 or 2 inches so they are not too close together. Do this only on the top layer of hair for more effect. Leave it on for up to 90 minutes for extra blonding. Check your progress after 30 minutes for the desired color.

4. Rinse the dye out after the required time with warm water. Use a color-safe shampoo to wash the dye out. Then apply the included conditioner an leave it on for three to five minutes. Rinse it out and towel-dry the hair.

5. Mix one part toner to two parts 20 volume developer. Most toners come in 1.5 oz. bottles; mix it with 3 oz. developer in a small bowl. These items are available in beauty supply stores.

6. Dip a hair dye brush into the toner and apply it carefully to the highlighted portions of your damp hair. Use the tip of the brush to make long downward strokes to cover the highlighted hair completely. Toner shouldn't affect the darker portions of your hair because it is deposit-only and does not lift color.

7. Leave the toner on for up to 10 minutes, checking progress after five. Rinse it out with warm water and then apply more conditioner. Leave it on for three minutes and then rinse it out.

Tips & Warnings

• Always do a strand and allergy test before applying any dye. Do not apply dye to a scalp that has lacerations or cuts. If dye comes in contact with eyes, flush them out immediately.

References

• Clairol; Nice N' Easy Highlighting
• Stylelist; Highlighting Hair: How to Highlight Your Hair at Home; Julie Redfern Davis; March,2010