Many women find themselves in a hair color dilemma. They want to change up their look but are hesitant to commit to a new shade. Or, they’re ready for something new but don’t want to deal with the maintenance of overall color.
Enter highlights and root touch up. This hair color technique is perfect for women who want a little bit of change without going too drastic. Plus, it’s low-maintenance and can be done in-between full-color appointments.
In this blog post, we will explore how to combine highlights and root touch up to create a beautiful, natural look that is perfect for any season. We will also discuss how to care for your new hair color.
What are Highlights and Root Touch Up?
If you’re looking to add some dimension to your hair but don’t want to commit to full coloring, highlights are the perfect solution. But what if your roots are starting to show and you need a touch up? You can still get the look you want by combining highlights with a root touch up.
A highlight refers to the strands of your hair that are lighter than your natural hair color. A lightener is often used to lift the brightness of that hair color. A root touch up on the other hand is done to create a seamless blend on your hair.
How to Combine Highlights and a Root Touch Up?
When it comes to hair color, many women find themselves in a quandary. They want to keep their natural color at the roots, but they also want to add some dimension and interest with highlights. And, they don’t want the two colors to clash.
If this describes your dilemma, then read on for some helpful tips on how to combine highlights and root touch up.
1. Keep Your Hair in Place
Start with clean, dry hair. If your hair is already colored, make sure that it’s been at least two weeks since your last treatment.
2. Section Off Your Hairline
Section your hair into four quadrants. Starting in the back, take small subsections of hair and apply the highlight color. Work in 1-inch increments and be sure to saturate each section well.
3. Choose a Highlight Color
Choose a highlighting shade that will complement your natural color. If you have dark hair, go for a lighter highlight shade. If you have light hair, you can choose a deeper highlight shade.
Another thing to consider when choosing a highlight is your skin tone and undertone. Skin tones can be warm, cool, or neutral. Pick a highlight shade accordingly. Once you’ve selected your shade, it’s time to apply the color.
4. Your Highlight Technique
If you’re getting a hair highlight and touch up from a professional hair stylist then this is pretty much sorted. However, if you decide to DIY at home, here are some popular highlight techniques to try out:
Foil Technique
Foiling is perhaps the most popular highlight technique. In foiling, the highlights are applied to all the hair sections. The aluminum foils are then wrapped around the highlights to trap heat.
This aids in a faster coloration process. Foiling ensures the dye doesn’t splotch into the unfoiled areas of the hair. The end product is a sharp and precise highlight.
Colour Melting
This technique involves the fine blend of three or more colors to create a smooth highlight. All colors are overlapped in a way that creates a seamless look.
It puts the focus on blending highlights with the base color of your hair. When done correctly, it can make your highlights appear very natural.
Balayage
This is a freehand technique that involves brushing a highlight color along the surface of your hair. This method, however, does not saturate your hair as a foiling technique would.
Balayage requires a high level of skill, it is mostly done by a pro hairstylist. But it can be learned as a DIY home hack if you put your mind to learning it.
5. Follow With a Root Touch Up
Once the highlights are done, it’s time for the root touch up. Again, be sure to follow the instructions carefully so that you don’t end up with an unnatural color. A good touch up powder helps to keep the hair fresh by eliminating excess oil at the roots.
There is no doubt that for a healthy hair root, a touch up powder is a quick way to increase the fullness of your hair. Start by applying the root touch up powder at the roots and working your way down. Be sure to evenly distribute the touch up powder throughout your hair so that all of your roots are covered.
6. Your Root Touch Up Technique
Root smudging is a popular technique when it comes to fixing grown-out hair color. It works by blending your natural color in new highlights. This technique eliminates the harsh lines between the hair roots and highlights. A hair stylist can help you with this.
For a home makeover, there are other types of root touch up techniques if you decide on a DIY. Some of these are:
Use a Box Dye
If you are coloring at home for the first time, make sure you are not allergic in any form. A box dye is heavily pigmented, unlike professional colors. Check to be sure you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients listed in the box. The easiest way to know is by performing a skin sensitivity test.
To begin coloring your hair, experiment with a few strands to see how you react to the pigment. If clear, continue the application but apply to the roots only.
Use a Root Touch Up Spray
A root touch up spray is mostly temporary and easy to manage. If you have thin root hair, a touch up spray can help give your hair a fuller look.
Simply tie your hair and part it in sections. Cover the rest of your hair with a tissue and spray. Hold the spray can a few inches from you before spraying. The closer the spray, the darker your roots get.
7. Do not Leave for Too Long
If you’re doing highlights at home, be sure to follow the instructions carefully. It’s important not to leave the color on for too long, as this can result in an unnatural-looking result. When applying highlights, be sure to start at the roots and work your way down.
8. Rinse Out
Once both the highlights and the root touch up are done, you can allow the colors to process according to their instructions. Rinse out the colors and style as usual.
If you’re worried about touching the highlights, wrap yours in the shape of a bun. Keep your head up underwater as you run some of it into your scalp. Rub your fingers around your scalp to make sure most of the mix comes off.
Why Combine Highlights and a Root Touch Up?
There are several reasons for this trend. For one, it’s a low-maintenance way to change up your look. Root touch up need to be done every few weeks, so combining them with highlights means you only have to visit the salon every few months.
Another reason is that this combo can be customized to suit your style. If you want a more natural look, stick with highlights that are close to your natural hair color. If you’re looking for something more dramatic, go for contrasting colors or even pastels.
Finally, this trend is flattering to everyone. It is perfect for anyone who wants to add some pizzazz to their look without going overboard. When it comes to hair color, there are endless possibilities. Whether you have short or long hair or straight or curly locks, this look will work for you.
The Benefits of Combining Highlights and Root Touch Up
If you’re looking to freshen up your look without going for a full color, highlights and root touch ups are the way to go. Combining the two can give you the best of both worlds – a natural-looking dimension with low-maintenance upkeep.
Here are some benefits of combining highlights and root touch up:
1. Low-Maintenance Upkeep
If you’re looking to freshen up your look without going for a full color, highlights and root touch ups are the way to go. Combining the two can give you the best of both worlds – a natural-looking dimension with low-maintenance upkeep.
Here are some benefits of combining highlights and root touch up:
2. Natural-Looking Dimension
When done correctly, highlights and root touch up can look very natural. It is a good option for a subtle change of style. It not only adds vibrancy but gives your hair an added dimension. Highlights are good for carving out depths in the hair while touch up can make the hair voluminous.
3. Style Versatility
Highlights and root touch up offer a lot of versatility when it comes to styles and colors. If you have dark hair, you can try out a blonde root touch up to give you a different look. Natural blondes can also play around with a dark root touch up spray. You can experiment with different looks until you find one that you love.
4. It Hides Premature Grays
We do not expect young ladies to experience grayish hairlines. But, in the case of a premature gray development, highlights are perfect for disguising grays. It blends the harsh lines between grays and your current hair color.
5. Frame Your Facial Features
Highlights and root touch up not only make your hair appear thicker, but they also put a glow on your face. If you find the right blend of highlights it can enhance your facial features.
Conclusion
Highlights and root touch up are two popular hair coloring options. Oftentimes, people will choose one or the other, but you can combine the two for a more natural look.
When done correctly, highlights and root touch up can complement each other and give you a stunning head of hair. If you’re not sure how to combine them, consult with a professional stylist who can help you figure out the best way to achieve your desired look.