Cap Technique for Highlighting Hair

Creating a hairstyle of subtle or dramatic dimension is as easy as adding highlights. Highlights can be professionally applied in a salon or at home with a highlighting kit. Once the cap technique for highlighting hair is learned, it's easy to carry out at home.

Preparations

As long as your hair is short or medium length, the cap method will suffice. If you have long hair, the cap is not a viable option. Shop for a highlighting kit: Read box labels and choose one that will give the desired results according to hair color.

Open the kit and read through the instructions carefully and completely. Put on the gloves and perform a strand test. This is done by mixing the highlighting solution according to product instructions and applying it to an inconspicuous strand of your hair. Wait a few minutes to make sure you have no adverse reactions. If all is well, proceed with highlighting.

Put on the Cap

Brush your dry hair into its usual style. Put the cap on your head and tie it under your chin snugly. Use the hook to pull small bunches of hair through the holes in the cap. Try to pull a uniform amount each time. Most highlighting caps indicate which holes to use to achieve different highlighting effects. To frame your face with highlights, pull hair only through the holes around your face. To create a subtle highlight effect, pull hair through the holes in a random, spaced way over the entire head. To create a more dramatic highlight effect, pull hair through every single hole in the cap over the entire head. Be careful not to pull too much hair through the holes.

Apply the Highlighting Solution

Use the tool provided to apply the highlighting solution to the hair that was pulled through the holes in the cap. Be careful not to drip the highlighting solution on clothing or anywhere else because it could bleach whatever it touches. Apply the solution evenly to all of the hair pulled through the cap. Place the plastic hood over the hair and set a timer according to package directions.

Rinsing

Check the hair as the minutes pass. When you have the desired effect (or when the timer goes off), rinse the highlighted hair with warm water with the cap on. After the majority of the highlighting solution has rinsed away, remove the cap and continue rinsing until the water runs clear and all of the highlighting solution is out. Apply a conditioner to the hair and rinse again. Style the hair as usual.

References

• How to Highlight Hair