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Lowlights For Gray Hair Photos
Lowlights work best on gray hair when they consist of lighter shades. Foil highlights or balayage (hand-painting strands of light color) are excellent methods for lowlighting gray locks. Both techniques can work to blend grays, but balayage typically requires more frequent salon visits for natural-looking results.
Highlights and Lowlights
Gray hair can look beautiful when blended with a rich base color. For instance, if your natural base shade is dark brown or black, highlights and lowlights in darker hues may help conceal gray strands without making them stand out too much. Butterscotch, light auburn, or golden brown shades add brightness while intermingling with your base tone, making your gray locks less obvious.
Highlights and lowlights are ideal ways to add dimension and cover gray strands on any gray hair, giving it depth. You can choose from various techniques – traditional foil highlights fade quickly, so more frequent touch-ups may be necessary, while with balayage, the results last longer and need only occasional refreshes. Just ensure your locks stay hydrated with deep conditioning treatments to reduce dryness that could cause your highlights to fade quickly!
Mingle Your Grays
Instead of simply blending gray hair into a lighter base color, try highlighting and lowlighting it so it stands out more prominently. This adds dimension and creates a multi-tonal look, helping camouflage grays while making them seem natural.
If your base color is light blonde, brown, or red, opt for highlights that are one or two shades lighter than your natural shade and incorporate dark lowlights to add dimension and create depth. This style works particularly well when adding silver strands, as they will stand out less from brighter traditional highlights.
Root cover-up products like this one provide fuller coverage for your strands. Available from drugstores and beauty supply stores alike, these root cover-up products work like concealer for your roots – and don’t leave fried locks behind! Just be sure to work with an experienced stylist when using it; otherwise, the result could be damaged.
Darker Lowlights
Lowlights can add depth and dimension when transitioning from dyed hair to gray locks without taking the dark route too quickly. While highlights use bleach to lighten the color, lowlights dye your hair one or two shades darker than your base shade and can range from subtle and understated to bold and dramatic, depending on their shade choice.
Visiting a salon is usually the best solution for stunning, long-term lowlights. But DIY enthusiasts can use semi-permanent or demi-permanent dyes at home instead for added color effects. Start by shampooing your hair one to two days before dying it to give the strands time to absorb natural oils from their scalp, then protect your skin and surfaces (especially your counter and floor) by covering them with plastic wrap or newspaper. Finally, mix your dye according to product instructions before setting aside a highlighting cap or foil pieces.
Lighter Lowlights
Lowlights can help soften the look of transitioning to gray hair by unwinding silvery strands. A colorist may apply lowlights in combination with highlights or use this coloring technique solely to add brightness to existing blonde tones and add dimension by accentuating silver tones with other hues in your locks.
Lowlighting for natural-looking results means selecting one to two shades darker than your natural base color for best results. If you have blonde hair, light ash brown or medium blonde lowlights would work well; for brunette or black locks, try using rich chocolate shades as lowlights.
Before applying your lowlights, use a clarifying shampoo to cleanse out any impurities that might accelerate fading of the dye, and use a color-safe conditioner to maintain healthy and fresh locks. For best results, have lowlights done every four to eight weeks, depending on your hair’s needs and growth pattern.
