Hair Coloring Techniques and Tips

By Lisa A Mason

Women and men of all ages color their hair for a number of different reasons. Some want to color gray hairs while others are simply looking for a change. Whatever your reason is for coloring your locks, there are several hair-coloring techniques available to consider. When you understand the benefits of each technique, you can make a better decision as to which one will suit you the best.

Here are some coloring techniques to consider:

· Highlights- Adding highlights will brighten up and add color to your natural color or to dyed hair. Shades of red, amber, gold and honey are the suggested colors to use with this technique. You have the option of applying highlights with a permanent hair color or use temporary dyes that will wash out.

· Veiling- This technique brightens old looking flat hair color and enhances the look with a semi-permanent glaze of a richer tone over a permanent shade of color.

· Lowlights- Lowlights add depth that will soften the look of extra light hair and add dimension to hair that appears flat by adding darker tones to the existing color. Adding highlights requires the use of a weave cap. By foiling chunks of the hair through the cap, you can create a stylish dramatic look. Weaving a few strands through the cap scattered throughout the hair will create a more subtle look.

· Twilighting- When you're looking for a subtle change by lightening or darkening the hair, consider twilighting. It's similar to lowlights by toning down bright hair colors but it will also brighten up color that is too dark.

· Chunking- Make a dramatic impact on your hair by adding bright trendy colors to your natural hair color by randomly infusing large sections of the hair with new color.

The process used in coloring hair will depend on the hair coloring technique used. Here are the three main options available.

· Foiling is the process of placing sections of the hair onto a rectangular sheet of foil. The foil is folded after the color or lightener is applied to keep each section separated and in place. This method gets closer to the roots than any other process.

· Weave caps are used when adding highlights or when lowlighting or twilighting hair. Stylist will pull small strands of hair through the cap and apply color, creating a subtle change to your hairstyle. It works great to camouflage roots that grow back after applying a permanent hair color.

· Baliage works best with wavy, naturally curly or textured hair. Specific areas of the hair are selected and hand painted with a specific color creating a unique and dramatic effect.

Before attempting the process of Baliage or any other technique, consider consulting a hair care professional. She can tell you if it's the right process for your particular type of hair and make suggestions for what would suit you the best.

About the Author:

There are many different hair coloring techniques. If you're getting your hair done, choose a professional salon that will do a great job.

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