How to Do Highlights From a Box

You can spruce up your tresses with highlights.

When your roots start to show, or you want a quick change of highlights, you may want to consider using box color. Many women prefer box color to professional color treatment because it allows you to play around with lighter and darker colors for only a few dollars versus expensive salon hair color. Most box color comes with a color, toner and conditioning treatment.

Things You'll Need

• Comb

Instructions

1. Skip washing your hair for 24 hours before you dye it with a box color. The color will absorb better if it is slightly dirty and contains no hair product.

2. Open the box of color and read the entire directions. Each manufacturer has different directions and time allowance for hair dye. Most highlight kits include a color, toner, mixing dish, application brush, plastic gloves, cap, hook and conditioner. Put on the gloves and mix the dye according to the directions. Set the conditioner to the side.

3. Comb through your hair to remove tangles. Once you put the cap on your head, your hair should be smooth and ready to highlight. You cannot pull tangled hair through the cap. Pull the cap onto your head and tie it under your neck.

4. Look at the cap and determine where you want the highlights. The cap contains predetermined areas for you to decide where you want highlights. Notice lines on the cap, which show you sections to pull from for highlights on the side, crown, back or all over. You can choose to use the suggestions or you can pull randomly from different areas.

5. Insert the hook into one hole and push through the interior lining. The interior lining will protect the hair that you do not want to highlight. No hair color will seep into the hole unless you punch through the interior lining. Once the hook is touching your hair or scalp, swirl the hook carefully and pull it out of the hole. A strand of hair will come out with the hook. This is the hair that will be highlighted. Work around the cap pushing through holes and pulling out hair until all the areas you want to highlight are out of the cap.

6. Comb the hair on top of the cap. If there are any snagged strands, the comb will catch them and pull them all the way out. Set the comb aside when complete.

7. Apply the highlighting color directly to the cap with the application brush. Sweep the color directly on top of the cap because, unless the inner lining is broken, the color will not seep through. Work the color onto each strand.

8. Place a shower cap on your head or wrap your hair in plastic wrap. The heat from your head combined with the wrap speeds the highlighting process. Wait the allotted time, typically 20 minutes.

9. Remove the plastic and highlighting cap. Rinse your hair with lukewarm water until it runs clear. Apply the conditioner as directed by the directions. Rinse and style as normal.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid taking hair from dark to light with a box color. Darker hair needs to be dyed gradually to prevent yellowing, turning orange or creating a brassy color.

• Wear old clothing to prevent your clothes from getting dye on them.

• Clean dye off your hairline with a specially formulated dye remover.

References

• Good Housekeeping: What the Hair-Color Box Won't Tell You
• Cosmopolitan: Home Highlighting
• Marie Claire: Step-by-Step Tips for Flawless At-Home Hair Color