Highlights are fine sections of hair lightened in foil, from the root to the ends, to give your hair light and dimension. At Stil i Lund on Klostergatan 1, every highlights appointment starts with a consultation where we decide the shade, thickness and placement for your hair.
What highlights are
For highlights I take thin, even sections of hair, wrap them in foil and lighten them. Because the highlights start at the root, the lightness shows from the very start and the result is more even than a hand-painted balayage.
Highlights can be fine and dense for a soft, sun-kissed effect, or chunkier for more contrast. That choice is exactly what makes the technique so versatile.
How the visit works
We always start with a conversation. I look at your natural colour, at any previous colour in the lengths and at how you usually wear your hair. Then we decide how light to go, how close together the highlights should sit and where they do the most – often around the face and along the parting.
Once the highlights have developed, I rinse and tone the hair so the shade is exactly the one we agreed. Many clients finish with a cut in the same appointment.
Fine highlights, chunky highlights or a toner?
Fine highlights give a natural result where the light blends into your own colour. Chunkier highlights give more contrast and show more. If you only want to refresh an existing shade, or calm a brassy tone, a toner on its own may be enough.
If you are unsure whether to choose highlights or balayage, I have written about the difference between balayage and highlights.
How often do highlights need redoing?
Regrowth shows more with highlights than with balayage, because the lightness starts at the root. How quickly you notice it depends on how much lighter they are than your own colour and how closely they sit.
A good way to stretch the time between appointments is to keep the highlights a little softer at the root. We talk about that at your first visit.
Before your visit
Bring pictures of what you like – and of what you don't want. Tell me too about any home colour, bleaching or treatments in recent years, because old colour stays in the lengths for a long time.
There is no need to wash your hair beforehand. Come as you are.
How to make highlights last
Lightened hair needs more moisture than untreated hair. Don't wash it more often than you need to, use heat protection when you blow-dry or straighten, and give the lengths a treatment now and then. A purple shampoo once a week keeps brassy tones away.
All Oribe products are colour-safe, and in the salon I'll help you choose the ones that suit your hair. Find out more here: Oribe.
Frequently asked questions
How long do highlights take?
Allow a couple of hours, depending on the length of your hair and how much of it we highlight. If you add a cut, the appointment takes a little longer.
How often do highlights need redoing?
It depends on how much lighter they are than your own colour. Many clients come back after two to three months, but with softly placed highlights you can often wait longer.
Can I have highlights if my hair is coloured?
Usually yes, but previous colour affects how the hair lightens. Tell me what your hair has been through and I will assess what is possible at the consultation.