How to Apply Highlights

Highlights give your hair a natural, healthy look. When you apply highlights where the sun kisses your hair, you get the dimensions and color variations you had as a child when you played outdoors for endless hours. Highlights provide the same look in minutes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Perform the strand test to determine how long you need to leave the highlight mixture on in order to achieve the color of your choice.
2. Fill the highlighting tool with the coloring mixture. Usually, this tool is a brush or comb included with your kit.
3. Begin coloring underneath your hair. Place the comb close to your scalp and pull it through that section of hair, thus applying the highlighting mixture. Do this in one smooth motion.
4. Select another section of hair, and leave a gap between the new section and the previously highlighted section. Reload your highlighting brush or comb and continue. As a general rule of thumb, you should leave a minimum of 1 inch between highlights. Continue coloring until the underside of your hair is highlighted as you desire.
5. Begin the same process on the top layers of your hair. Make your first sections the area that the sun is most likely to hit your hair and where the highlights will add the most to your look, such as the bangs around your face.
6. Allow the highlighting formula to stay on your hair for the amount of time determined by the test strand. Then rinse thoroughly. Condition according to your kit's directions.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to add highlights to the back of your head as well. You can enlist the help of a friend to reach the desired areas.
• Do not go over a section of your hair twice when applying color, as you'll end up removing the formula rather than adding more. This creates an uneven look.