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Fabulous Hair Highlights To Change Your Look

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If you are looking to hit refresh with your hair, then highlights are the best option for that. Making a change to your hair is the easiest way to revive your look, read ahead to know more about highlights.
Fabulous Hair Highlights To Change Your Look

Raise your hands and say aye if, for every dramatic change in your life, you’ve inadvertently leaned on hair colour as part of your reinvention. After all, whether you choose to go all the way in or simply stick to a few streaks, the fresh hues put an undeniable spin on your usual look.

So, if you’re ready to turn heads and open up to a whole new world of possibilities, there’s no better way to show that than to give your crowning glory a new lease of life. For the cautious hearts out there who are yet to fully commit and would just like to dip their toes instead, there are the hair highlights.

What Are Hair Highlights

In hair highlights, sections of your hair are dyed a shade darker or lighter than your natural hair colour to improve the overall appearance of your hair. This changes the brightness level of hair strands. Of course, strategic placements of highlights can also help improve your complexion and draw attention towards or away from certain facial features.

7 Different Types of Hair Highlights

There are different types of hair colour highlights that one can get depending on the way you want your hair to look. From minimal colouring to going all out, there are around 7 types of hair colour styles you can choose from.

  1. Classic: In this type of highlight you cover only the top portion of the cap around the roots or individual strands of hair to add definition to your overall hair.
  2. Balayage: This is a more freehand approach as compared to the classic style that cherry-picks hair strands and colours it. This type of highlight just takes a bunch of hair at the end and blends it with the rest of the shaft.
  3. Baby: This is a very soft highlight with a natural finish, one that mimics the highlights seen on children’s hair.
  4. Ombre: Similar to balayage, a larger chunk of the hair is coloured, but using multiple colours, usually darker to lighter than your original hair colour. This offers a seamless gradient look.
  5. Lowlights: As opposed to highlights, low lights add a darker colour to some strands to add a deeper look with some extra dimension to make it look voluminous.
  6. Face-Framing: Here only the hair that frames the face is highlighted with either a contrasting colour or a different shade of the original colour to brighten the face area and highlight the top features of the face.
  7. Peekaboo: These types of highlights are hidden under your whole head of hair and only visible when your hair is in a ponytail or a bun. As the name suggests the highlights are usually covered with your regular hair.

Hair Highlights For Women

Here’s a lowdown on the best hair highlight ideas to derive your hair inspo from and schedule that next appointment with your stylist.

1. Blue Hair Highlights

Blue Hair Highlights

The most badass of the lot – blue – makes for a subtle wash of coolness. The aqua blue hue, fainter along the lengths and dominant at the ends makes for the perfect juxtaposition of feminine and masculine. If aqua is not your jam, you can opt for navy blue, royal blue and sky blue. Also, did you know blue is associated with stability? Well, in that case giving your mane a shot of blue is your only chance at stability when life ain’t playing fair, you know.

Nykaa recommends:

Kin Cosmetics Candy Colors Hair Color - Blue Gummy
Kin Cosmetics Candy Colors Hair Color - Blue Gummy
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2. Blonde Highlights

Blonde Highlights

All about that glow? A scattering of blonde highlights will brighten your complexion like none other, especially when the sun hits ‘em tresses. Blonde streaks look best when there are naturally darker highlights sewn throughout for an enviable contrast. In other words, a natural face illuminator, if you will.

Nykaa recommends:

Streax Hair Colour Highlighting Kit - Vibrant Blonde
Streax Hair Colour Highlighting Kit - Vibrant Blonde
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3. Honey Blonde Highlights

Honey Blonde Highlights

Feeling nervous about going blonde? How about subtle honey-dripping hues on your tresses? The honey-blonde shade hits the sweet spot between dark and vibrant. Think of this hue as a non-committal way to play it up with blonde without going all the way in. Ladies with fair skin tones, take note of the fact that this shade will not wash out your complexion. Yay.

Nykaa recommends:

Paradyes Highlighting Kit - Honey Blonde
Paradyes Highlighting Kit - Honey Blonde
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4. Burgundy highlight

burgundy hair colour highlight

Burgundy is a versatile deep blend of brown and purple that lets you go bold without going overboard on vibrancy. It’s even more perfect if you are looking for a shade and intensity that seems just about right. If we had to put it in other words, we would describe burgundy as edgy yet calm. Oh and yes, it shimmers at the slightest hint of light so be rest assured of livening up your social media timeline while keeping it subtle.

Nykaa recommends:

L'Oreal Paris Excellence Creme Triple Care Hair Color - 4.25 Aishwarya's Brown
L'Oreal Paris Excellence Creme Triple Care Hair Color - 4.25 Aishwarya's Brown
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5. Green Hair Highlights

Green Hair colour Highlights

The green highlights make for an unconventional pick that can be carried off by a woman who’s not afraid to be who she is. If this sounds like you, go full-throttle on the colour and bless your locks with a splash of this vibrant green. If you’ve got really dark hair, we’d advise starting with a pre-lightening pale base before you colour it with green hues for optimal results.

Nykaa recommends:

Anveya Colorisma Mermaid Green
Anveya Colorisma Mermaid Green
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6. Ombre Highlights

Ombre Highlights

Ombre hair colour involves a dramatic contrast with natural dark hair colour near the roots and a lighter colour at the tips. As your hair grows out, you can simply trim the coloured ends and hop onto a new shade. So, go for this two-tonal style if you are ready to bless the ends of your hair completely with a gorgeous new beginning.

Nykaa recommends:

Garnier Color Naturals Creme Hair Color - 5 Light Brown
Garnier Color Naturals Creme Hair Color - 5 Light Brown
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7. Pink Highlights

Pink Highlights

We’ve found you a reason to finally spice things up with your plain Jane tresses. A welcome break from the darker shades that are mostly dependent on light to reveal, the pink hue is a magnificent kind that will add dimension to your locks while keeping things pretty in tress town. Besides, the pink accents add a smooth finish to your locks that will make admirers want to shamelessly stare at your mane. P.S. Don’t shy away from hair flipping during the daylight.

Nykaa recommends:

Streax Professional Hold & Play Funky Hair Color - Groovy Pink
Streax Professional Hold & Play Funky Hair Color - Groovy Pink
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8. Grey highlight

Grey highlight

Positively electrifying, anyone? Opt for dark roots fading down to frosty ice-like grey tones that brighten your complexion. A fling with the soothing grey strikes the right balance between subtle and savage. Taking the plunge with grey would equate to defying stereotypical narratives while the resulting look will be sophisticated and continually lusted for. So, are you up for it?

Nykaa recommends:

Streax Professional Argan Secrets Hair Colourant Cream - Very Light Ash Blonde 9.1
Streax Professional Argan Secrets Hair Colourant Cream - Very Light Ash Blonde 9.1
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9. Copper Highlights

copper hair Highlights

The comforting copper might be one of the most sought-after and thus, common colours on the streets out there but that doesn’t make it any less interesting. Cooper highlights on dark hair create a stunning visual which is especially great for someone not looking to foray into the bold and edgy path. The best part? You can expect a longer wear from this hue.

Nykaa recommends:

BBlunt Salon Secret High Shine Creme Hair Colour - Copper Brown
BBlunt Salon Secret High Shine Creme Hair Colour - Copper Brown
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10. Scarlet Red Highlights

Scarlet Hair Highlights

Don’t hold yourself back when it comes to a bold colour for your highlights. A beautiful peekaboo or a balayage would look superb on anyone trying to freshen up their look. It elevates your appearance and shreds years of your age. If you haven’t tried red yet, what’s the wait for? It’ll always be the hair colour of the season because #RedHairDontCare

Nykaa recommends:

Streax Hair Colour Highlighting Kit - Scarlet Red
Streax Hair Colour Highlighting Kit - Scarlet Red
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11. Purple Highlights

Purple Highlights

This is a very trendy hair colour to go for if you are looking to keep up with the Gen-Z or even Gen-Alpha. Purple is the new It-girl colour that every student is flaunting on the way to college. A purple highlight on black hair offers an ethereal look that you can only experience once you get it. Purple highlights add depth and dimension to your hair for a new-generation princess look.

Nykaa recommends:

Paradyes Ammonia Free Semi-Permanent Hair Color Classic Colors- Comrii Purple
Paradyes Ammonia Free Semi-Permanent Hair Color Classic Colors- Comrii Purple
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12. Orange highlight

Orange highlight

I know this sounds controversial but there is a new and amazing trend going on IG and TikTok where people are using the orange lowlights at the tip of the hair for a fox-like look. This look makes your hair look like a foxtail and looks super cute with open hair or a ponytail. If you are in the mood to try an outrageous hair colour style give orange a try, this way if something goes bad, you can always chop off the tip of your hair and you will be left with a fresh canvas.

Nykaa recommends:

Streax Hair Colour Highlighting Kit - Pumpkin Orange
Streax Hair Colour Highlighting Kit - Pumpkin Orange
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Hair Color Highlights Tips

Here are a few factors to be considered to ensure you are not left with hair dye regrets.

  • If you would rather have highlights that appear natural, ensure they are at least two levels lighter than the base colour and belong to the same tonal family. For example, if the base is warm even the highlights should be warm and two-three times lighter than the base.
  • If you have a warm skin tone, opt for cool-toned highlights and vice versa.
  • For more contrast, place the streaks of highlights a bit farther than closer together. For an overall lighter look, you can go ahead and weave the highlights closer.
  • The lightest and thickest streaks should be closer to the face, framing it and accentuating your facial features.
  • For highlights that look great even when growing out, transition from a darker shade at your roots to a lighter tone at the ends.
  • If you’re looking to highlight specifically for an event, get the highlights done at least two weeks before to allow time for the colour to entirely settle.

FAQs On Hair Highlights

  1. How long before hair highlights for women start becoming less visible?

    Since everyone’s hair grows at a different pace, it’s safer to say that highlights can last for as long as four months and as short as two months. After your hair starts growing out, you will need to revisit the salon for a touch-up. However, it’s advisable to wait till your hair roots grow at least a few significant inches longer before you consider bleaching and colouring it again.

  2. I don’t like my hair colour highlights. How should I remove them?

    If you are patient enough, wait it out until your hair grows and then you can trim your hair. Another option is to bleach your hair to undo the colour although this treatment can be quite drying so ensure you follow it up with a hydrating hair care regime.

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  3. After how many washes do highlights start fading?

    According to a study, highlights generally wash out in 25 days or after 15–20 washes. This explains why the professionals recommend reducing the number of hair washes as soon as you get your hair coloured. If you wash your hair twice a week, dial it down to once a week so your highlights remain visible for a longer while.

  4. What are hair highlights and how often should I colour my hair?

    Hair highlights are small parts of your hair that are coloured for aesthetic effects. According to a study, you should not frequently colour your hair as hair colours have chemicals in them that can harm your hair with constant use. It can weaken your hair follicles and damage your strands.

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