How to Choose the Right Highlights for Your Hair

Balayage highlights are hand-painted for a gradual dark-to-light “wave” of color (like an ombré effect) or for a few highlights around the face. The applicator brush gives the colorist flexibility to control the width, color intensity and placement. Balayage is more expensive and takes longer to do (it may add an extra hour to the color portion of your appointment), but it stretches the time between touch-ups — anywhere from eight to 12 weeks — which can offset the cost. Choose balayage if you want a more natural-looking color boost (colorists/stylists describe balayage as “lived-in” highlights), want to blend in your gray rather than cover it, or just prefer a gradual, graceful grow-out. Finding a colorist who offers balayage is not easy; not every salon has one. That’s important, since unlike foils, the entire result lies in artistic skill rather than a tried-and-true, structured method.

(From left) Multi-tonal highlights make Wendie Malick, Fergie and Jennifer Aniston’s hair appear even thicker.

From left: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images; Lizeth Ramirez/Getty Images; Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic/Getty Images

3. Go multitone for thicker-looking hair.

Some women are reluctant to add highlights. Whether they use drugstore “box” color or go to a salon for a one-color single-process color, the ease, speed and lower cost make them hesitate to do more. Other women overdo their highlights in volume and frequency, resulting in a one-color look. Here’s where it gets tricky. A one-color look can be a dramatic style for some mature women, especially those with shorter hair like a pixie or a crop. But it can also look “wiggy” and harsh, especially on longer hair.

Breaking up solid color with lighter highlights and sometimes darker lowlights adds contrast. This makes your hair appear thicker. (Stylists and colorists always refer to this as “adding depth and dimension.”) It’s important to know that lowlights do not have to be brown. They are simply a darker shade of your base color that restores contrast when highlighted hair gets too light and bleached out. Think of how kids’ hair at the beach is darker on the underside and lighter on top. You don’t want an obvious, stripy, zebra effect. For example, you’ll often see highlights and lowlights on hair that’s “bronde,” or what used to be called “dirty blonde,” with a mix of blonde, brown and gray. Still on the fence? Go slow. You can always add more. Thinner, low-contrast highlights look sophisticated and are an easier entry-level choice than chunkier, brighter ones.

(From left) Brooke Shields, Penelope Cruz and Julia Roberts choose highlights that favor their skin tone.

From left: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images, Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

4. Get highlights that flatter your skin.

Ask any makeup artist about hair color, and they say, “Highlights always brighten the skin!” If you’ve been applying more blush or bronzer every day to look good, check your hair. Either your highlights are wrong or you need to add some. The right highlights will make tired, dull, sallow or ashy skin glow, make pigmented, sun-damaged skin look healthier, and soften the effects of dark circles, lines and wrinkles.

There are no rules about highlight colors, though experts suggest choosing a shade opposite to your skin tone. Warm skin tones with a yellow, peachy or golden undertone often benefit from cool highlights like sand, champagne, mocha, toffee or chocolate. In contrast, cool complexions with a rosy or ashy undertone often benefit from warmer highlights such as honey, butterscotch, caramel, copper, amber, strawberry and cinnamon. Some colorists mix warm and cool highlights for a very personalized effect on mature skin. You’ll know they did a good job when your skin still looks great without a spot of makeup!

(From left) Highlights let grays shine on Kristin Scott Thomas, Helen Mirren and Jodie Foster.

From left: Sebastien Courdji/WireImage/Getty Images, Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic/Getty Images, Aurore Marechal/Getty Images

5. Let highlights make going gray easy.

I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but adding highlights can make growing out your colored hair and embracing gray less anxiety-inducing. It can also improve the look of gray hair since not all gray has that luminous, creamy, silvery quality. Obviously, women with blonde or lighter brown hair have an easier time going gray. Highlights keep the blonde/brown/gray mix going while the proportion of gray increases until there’s minimal blonde/brown.

For those with darker hair, another go-gray strategy is to soften your base color and add highlights. This will diminish the contrast until you’re ready to start snipping off some length and old processed color. And remember, for those with steel gray hair who envy their gleaming platinum-streaked peers, a little assist with highlights isn’t “cheating,” it’s enhancing. And isn’t that the point?

6. Realize when enough is enough.

Too many highlights and too light a shade are the biggest mistakes. You’re in control here, and a good colorist will keep highlights within four shades of your base color. You wouldn’t want buttery blonde lights on rich brunette hair; hazelnut or chocolate highlights are enough. At the very lightest, brunettes should keep their highlights in the caramel, auburn and copper range and leave the lighter highlights to blondes and those with gray hair. The darkest brunettes can still stay brunette and have tonal highlights. Dark-hair highlights like espresso, chocolate and hazelnut add plenty of skin-flattering warmth to brunettes without changing the color too much.

The goal with highlights isn’t necessarily to go blonder or blonde-ish; it’s to improve your hair color so it flatters you more effectively. Also, highlights don’t have to be applied all over your head or even a so-called “half-head.” Sometimes just a few sparks around the face are enough to refresh and update your hair color, even the one you’ve had for decades and have no desire to give up.

(From left) Keep your style in mind when getting strategic highlights like Mary Steenburgen, Scarlett Johansson and Cate Blanchett.

From left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Jerod Harris/Getty Images, Neil Mockford/FilmMagic/Getty Images

7. Get highlights with your hairstyle in mind.

Do you have bangs? Part your hair on the left, right or slightly off-center? Do you pull your hair back in a ponytail often? Wear your hair sometimes blown smooth, other times air-dried and wavy? Are you considering going from long to a bob? All affect where your highlights go, as well as their density and color.

So here’s the problem: Most salons schedule color first thing. The colorist sees your hair as it is when you walk in, and often it’s been up in a ponytail, straight from the gym, pickleball or running errands. You’re not exactly “primped.” You get highlights, then go to get shampooed, cut or trimmed, and blown dry. In many cases, the colorist never sees your hair in a finished state or how it looks on days you blow-dry it sleek or air-dry it wavy. This is a problem if you and your stylist decide to snip in bangs, switch the part or cut layers after you’ve gotten highlights. Those carefully crafted highlights may have nothing to do with your hair!

My advice? Before getting highlights, always talk to your colorist about any hairstyle changes you plan to make. Loop in your stylist, too, for that chat. Keep a few celebrity photos on your phone as inspiration. They can help improve communication between you, your colorist and your stylist, and ensure your highlights and hair work as a team.