Are you missing your hairdresser? The team at Alchemy & I are missing you too!
During this time apart, we’ve all been considering how we can freshen and restyle our look. If you’re thinking of a post-lockdown restyle, have you considered lowlights?
What Are Lowlights?
Lowlights involves dying strands of hair in a darker shade than the rest of your hair. They add dimension to your hair and closely emulate your original colour, which means that it looks pretty natural while breaking up blocks of colour.
Lowlights are different from highlights (as you may be able to tell already!) because it involves taking the colour down a few shades instead of lightening it. However, they’re both pretty similar in application – lowlights are applied using foils or painted on by hand.
Are Lowlights Bad for My Hair?
Lowlights are no more damaging to your hair than any other type of dying process. There are a few things you can do to protect your dyed hair, including covering your hair with a swimming cap while swimming, using colour-protecting shampoos and conditioners, and doing regular hair treatments like deep conditioning masks.
Can I Get Lowlights and Highlights at the Same Time?
Yes, you can! You can ask your hairstylist to combine the two. This can create a very subtle, natural look. In fact, if you’ve wanted highlights for a long time but felt unsure about it, combining them with lowlights can feel a bit less drastic.
Who Will Suit Lowlights?
Lowlights suit pretty much everyone! If you have poker-straight hair, lowlights can add a bit of depth, but it also works for those with curly hair. You can go for a bolder effect if you want to by going a few shades darker, or you can stick closely to your usual shade for a more natural look. It works really well for those with blonde hair, as you can clearly see the results, but it is effective on brunette hair too.
A lowlight and highlight combination can frame your face beautifully as the highlights to be placed strategically on the strands of hair nearest to your face.
Finally, if you’ve been wanting to switch up your colour for a while but feel a bit unsure, lowlights are an excellent way to test if a certain colour will suit you without committing fully to that one colour!
What Options Do I Have?
There are lots of colour options out there, including:
- Ash blondes – light blonde hair with lowlights can add depth and texture for ash blondes.
- Brunette – blonde highlights and brunette lowlights can create a soft, pretty look that is flattering for many skin tones.
- Caramel – caramel blonde highlights with slightly darker lowlights creates a glamorous, pretty look.
- Silvery brunette – metallic hair is beautiful, but hard to maintain. Using silvery highlights on a brunette base can create a pretty, ethereal look that isn’t as high maintenance as fully silver hair.
- Toffee – blonde highlights can be hard to pull off whilst still looking natural. Toffee highlights with lowlights a few shades darker can create a warm, flattering finish to your hair.