Highlighted hair is one of the best ways to improve your look. Highlights add dimension to your hair cut, they conceal or blend grey and they brighten up your complexion. You can learn how to highlight your hair at home using two simple ways: by pulling your hair through a cap or by using foils. You can determine which product you want to use by determining the end result that you desire, for an even and full head of highlights you should use a cap and for chunky or isolated highlights you should use foils.
Once you determine whether to use foil or a cap you will then need to select a color. For blond shades it is relatively easy to work with bleach or a whitening bleach kit. This can be purchased at a local beauty supply store. This product lightens the hair within minutes and so it may be best to use this with a cap or to apply it in sections with the foils so that all of the highlights are lightened to the same shade. Hair color stays on the hair for 25 to 30 minutes and can be easier to work with however it generally can not get the hair as light as hair bleach can.
Purchase the products that you need to highlight your hair at home: Cap and needle, or foils (you can also cut tin foil into 3x5 strips), color or bleach and peroxide, one application brush, a shoulder cape to cover your clothing, a medium tooth comb, a tail comb (this is for use with foils), and a pair of gloves.
Next you need to select an area of your home that is somewhat isolated, invite a friend to lend a helping hand if you would like, put on some old clothes that can stand to get a little color on them, and get started. Place everything that you will be using in an organized manner on the bathroom or kitchen counter. Using gloves is a little tricky with foils so be sure to select gloves that fit snuggly.
If you are using the cap to create the highlight begin by washing, conditioning and blow drying your hair thoroughly. Comb your hair with the medium tooth comb until there are no hindrances or knots. Pull the cap tightly onto your hair making sure that it is pulled snug on the top of your head. Begin pulling hair through the cap using the needle at the bang area and the crown, next move to the left side of the head and then the right moving from the edge of the crown to the ear, last work down the back of the head toward the neck. If your hair is cut short on the sides and in the back you probably won’t be able to pull it through the cap and you can simple focus on highlighting the long hair in the crown area.
Take time in between pulling the hair through the cap to gently comb the hair that is pulled through with the medium toothed comb. Be sure to mix the color as per the instructions on the box. Lastly, you will apply the color with the application brush, set your timer and wait for the results.
If you are creating highlights at home with foil, you will wash, condition, dry your hair and comb it with the medium toothed comb. Next you will section the entire head of hair using clips, separately section the top, the sides and the back of the hair. If you intend to only do a few large pieces of hair then section the hair so that you have access to those pieces, and if the back of your hair or your sides are cut short then just focus on highlighting the top. Follow the directions and mix your color. Have your application brush ready and lay your precut foils neatly next to the color.
You will start the highlights in the sectioned off bang area. Take a one inch section of your bangs out of the clip and use the tail comb to zigzag into that inch section. The zigzag parting will leave you with a mixture of mismatched hairs; these are the hairs that will be colored. Lay the foil flat to the head and lay the zigzagged separated hairs onto the foil. Paint the color or bleach mixture onto the hair. Fold the foil in half, lay the unused hair from that one inch section onto the folded foil and take a new one inch section and again zigzag out some hair and foil and color it. You will follow this pattern on the crown and then move to the sides and lastly the back. When working with foil you must move more quickly then working with the cap as the color is already working on the sections that you started. For more bold results take larger zigzag pieces and for a subtle look take finer zigzagged hairs.
After the designated time, as per the instructions on the color, is completed remove the foils and rinse and wash or if you used the cap you will wash and condition with the cap on and pull the cap off with conditioner still on the hair. Be sure to wash the hair thoroughly and blow dry to see your new look. This is a simple explanation on how to highlight your hair at home. You will love the results of your freshly highlighted hair. Highlights emphasize the cut so be sure to have your cut freshened up as well for an all over great new look.
