How to Do Chunky Lowlights
If the summer sun or chemical bleaches have left your hair with a washed-out look, adding in a few lowlights, or darker hair colors, can give you a more natural look. If you are going for an even more dramatic look, use larger sections of hair to lowlight. This special coloring effect is called chunking and is achieved just like adding highlights, but with a darker color. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Permanent hair color
- Salon comb with long, narrow end
- Foil
- Washcloth
- Towel
- Clip
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Timer
Instructions
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1
Place a protective bath towel around your shoulders, using a clip or pin to secure at the front neck area.
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2
Set out foil pieces that are cut into 5-inch-wide pieces, one for each chunk of hair you will color. Each foil section should be as long as your hair in length. Put in a stack to your right if you are right-handed -- reverse if left-handed.
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3
Combine the hair color and the developer, and shake lightly to blend.
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4
Weave large chunks of hair one at a time with an up and under motion using the longer, slimmer end of the comb opposite the teeth. Start at the top front with the narrow end of the comb. Hair that is left on top of the comb will be lowlighted. With the hair piece in the left hand, take one foil piece and place it under the hair next to the scalp.
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Apply small amount of hair color, enough to saturate the hair piece. Since hair color is thinner than bleach for highlights, rub the color in with your hand. Take the foil piece and fold it up, starting at the bottom, leaving a small piece visible only at the scalp area. Resume weaving to get the next piece of hair to be colored.
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6
Set the timer for the suggested duration. When the timer goes off, partially take off the foil of the top front area on one of the highlighted strands, removing a small bit of color with the washcloth to make sure the desired color is achieved. If so, remove each of the foil pieces. Some hair may take an additional few minutes to process color. Be prepared to immediately wash your hair with color-protecting shampoo to avoid the dark color bleeding onto the lighter hair color. Follow with a conditioner.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want your lowlights to last, use only a permanent hair color.
Using a lowlight hair color as close to your own natural color as possible will look better when hair is growing out and requires fewer touch-ups.
Permanent hair color will leave a permanent stain on any material, such as towels and clothing. Do not use anything that you don't want ruined during the coloring process.
References
- Photo Credit Goodshoot RF/Goodshoot/Getty Images
