Highlighting on dark hair: pros and cons of dyeing
Expert says
Highlighting on dark hair - what are the advantages and disadvantages of this technique? And is it a good idea to do classic highlights on very dark hair? Let's figure it out.
Tatyana Solomonova , colorist, technologist TM BES, champion of Ukraine (2016, 2019)
Highlighting on dark hair is a rather controversial and complex technical procedure. Whether it is needed or not is up to the client and the artist to decide. However, let's look at the pros and cons of this type of coloring.
What are the benefits of coloring for clients?
- If the client has thin and sparse hair, then highlighting will give the hair visual volume.
- If there is a large amount of gray hair, this technique will help hide (dilute) the gray hair, and when it grows, unpigmented hair will not stand out from the crowd and attract attention.
- Highlighting looks most advantageous on hair of the same length.
- In dyeing, you can achieve the most light result, but at the same time leave most of the natural hair.
What are the disadvantages of this technique?
- Very fine highlighting may give the impression that the hair is gray.
- Classic separation gives a “watermelon” effect.
- If the original hair color is very dark, and the highlighted hair is white, then the result may look dissonant due to the large contrast of dark and light hair.
- Damage to the hair structure is probably a classic disadvantage.
- The background lightening may be insufficient for very dark hair.
- Re-highlighting will need to be done more often than on lighter hair.
However, if you choose the right technique for lightening your hair, then everything will look harmonious and there will be no contrast when the roots grow. Again, highlighted hair does not have to be snow-white: it can be in warm tones, neutral and mid-tone shades. If highlighting is combined with some kind of coloring technique, the result will be more practical and trendy.