How to Achieve Subtle Gold Highlights
Applying highlights draws attention to your face without forcing you to commit to a new color all around. Hiring a professional stylist to apply subtle golden highlights is a potentially expensive venture, and there are no guarantees you’ll be satisfied with the results. Save yourself a trip to the salon by creating subtle golden highlights at home. You don’t need a cosmetology degree to achieve salon highlights that add dimension and give your hair a sun-kissed glow. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Head to a beauty supply store or your local drug store to find the ideal hair highlighting kit. Depending on your existing color, look on the box to find a product to achieve the desired shade. For instance, use a darker blond color to achieve golden highlights on blond or brown hair. For black hair, use a lighter blond color to ensure the hair is lightened enough to be noticeable. Choose a product that also features a hook, rubber gloves, a moisturizing conditioner and a highlighting cap, which slips onto your head and provides a guide to apply the highlights.
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Brush your hair with a natural-bristled hairbrush or wide-toothed comb to remove any snarls or tangles.
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Slip the highlighting cap onto your head. Using the hook provided in the kit, pull out two to three strands of hair through every third or fourth hole to achieve subtle highlights throughout your hair. To achieve face-framing highlights only, pull the strands from the front third of the cap. Do not pull out any more than three strands through each hole to prevent achieving heavy or chunky highlights.
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Don the rubber gloves provided in the kit and mix the highlighter according to the package directions. Using a small paintbrush, apply a quarter-sized amount of the highlighting mixture to the exposed strands of hair. Use more highlighting mixture if your hair is longer or thicker.
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Allow the mixture to remain for 10 minutes before wiping away a small amount of highlighting cream from one of the hair strands. If you have reached the desired color, remove the cap and wash out the highlighter according to the package directions. This generally involves rinsing the highlighter from your hair until the water runs clear and applying the moisturizing conditioner provided in the kit. Otherwise, move on to the next step.
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Continue to check your hair color every five minutes until you achieve the desired shade. Once again, remove the cap and wash and condition your hair according to the package directions.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid allowing the highlighting product to remain on your hair longer than suggested by the manufacturer.
Avoid shampooing your hair 12 hours before applying the highlighting solution to prevent washing away your scalp’s essential oils that protect it from the chemical dye.
Perform a strand test 12 to 24 hours before applying the highlighting solution. If the product is unsuccessful or if you have an allergic reaction to the product, contact a stylist or use a different brand. To perform the test, cut four to five stands of hair from the back of your head and cover them with the product. Allow the highlighter to process for 20 to 30 minutes and if there is no undesired reaction, proceed with the application to the rest of your hair.
