How to Highlight Grey Hair
Nothing looks quite as regal as grey hair, but grey hair can age the face and some hair colors, such as brown, can look mousy when grey strands begin to appear. Highlighting grey hair is a wonderful solution: it brightens and lifts the face, often taking years or even decades off. Highlights at a salon can be expensive and time consuming. There's no reason you can't do it at home for substantially less money while exerting complete control over the process. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Box of hair dye for highlighting
- Shampoo
- Old button-down shirt
- 6 to 16 Metal clips
- Petroleum jelly
- 6 to 16 square pieces of aluminum foil
- Hair color paintbrush
- Deep conditioner
Instructions
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1
Select a box of dye that is one to three shades lighter than your natural hair color. Make sure you select a type of dye that is specifically designed for highlighting. Do a patch test. Dab a dime-sized amount of the dye to the nape of your neck and wait 24 hours. If your skin does not redden, itch or break out in a rash, then you are not allergic to the product.
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Shampoo your hair the day before you plan on dying it. This will remove any build-up your hair has from products or the environment and will allow the color to absorb better into the hair.
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3
Put on an old button-down shirt that you don't wear anymore. Using the metal hair clips, section off the pieces of your hair that you would like to lighten. For grey hair, chunky striking highlights are most efficient in brightening and thus making the face look younger. Spend a lot of time deciding on the strands that frame your face as they are the ones that people see immediately and most often. Don't forget to section off strands by the nape of your neck.
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4
Add a thin border of petroleum jelly to the perimeter of your hairline. Some dye is bound to travel there and the jelly will allow you to easily wipe off the dye once you're finished. Put on the latex gloves included with the box of dye.
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Place a piece of foil underneath the root of the first section of hair you'd like to lighten. Using your brush, generously cover that section of hair with dye and then fold the foil over and around the strands, as if you're folding a burrito. Be sure to cover the strands of hair completely. Repeat this process with the rest of the strands that you have sectioned off.
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Leave the dye on your hair for approximately 30 minutes. The box of dye you purchased will tell you specifically how many minutes the dye should be on for the shade that you desire. Follow those instructions exactly. Rinse the dye out of the hair, shampoo and rinse again.
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Add a deep conditioner and let it sit on your hair for at least 20 minutes. Rinse out the conditioner and wipe the petroleum jelly off your hairline.
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Tips & Warnings
Your clothing is likely to become stained with dye at some point during the process, so be sure to wear a shirt that can be discarded.
