Affiliate Disclaimer
Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we find useful to our readers
Do you dream about brush strokes of chestnut brown to stay classy? or some cherry red brush strokes to get dainty? What’s the color on your mind. Most importantly, if your kind of hair coloring is with brush strokes then what kind of strokes would you like? highlights and low lights? Is it too much of questioning? Well – this is exactly what’s running through your mind too!
If you want to go high with brown highlights or low with red lowlights, you need to know what makes the two of them different from the other and only then will it make sense for you to visualize the best about highlights vs lowlights to get them done on your hair.
Keep all your low and high imagination aside and peep into this article to know the differences between highlights and lowlights, their independent benefits and the different styles of highlights and lowlights.
Read: Balayage Vs Ombre Vs Sombre Vs Flamboyage – Learn Every Detail!
What are Highlights in Hair
When you apply the hair color on random segments of your hair strands instead of applying it entirely on the hair, it is termed as highlighting the hair.
Stroking random sections of your hair color is to add a unique style in your hair and that goes without saying, right?
The attraction and glow, the light shade on parts of your hair and the unique look is what will make highlights look different on your natural hair.
Your highlights will always be a shade lighter when compared to the color of your natural hair.
You will just need to be watchful about the shade you pick and the number of times you are lightening the hair color. Naturally, highlights are supposed to be light, by going too deep and lightening it more than needed, you might not be able to achieve the desired look.
Benefits of Highlights On Your Hair
If you are already happy about knowing a little about highlights in the hair, you will be delighted to know that there is more to its boons and here are the benefits of highlighting your hair!
- You look prettier.
- Your hair looks glamarous when looked at closely.
- Your hair shines and looks brighter when the sun rays evenly spread through the highlights.
- It looks lovely on your pretty skintone and vibrant dress.
- Highlights give you a natural look.
- It is less damaging on the hair when compared to completely bleaching.
Isn’t it wonderful to get highlights done? You get shiny hair! Your skin looks vibrant! You look stylish! and take a deep breath, you are much more safe with highlights when compared to bleaching.
Read: 10 Pretty Pink Hair Color Products To Bring On A Funky Style
What are Lowlights in Hair?
While the nature of lowlights doesn’t seem to compliment the term ‘low’ it is quite the opposite.
Lowlights in the hair is picking up a few sections of your hair and applying a shade that is deep and darker than your natural hair color.
Lowlights can be done on gray hair, however, when it fades, the gray hair is visible. If your end goal is to give your hair a deep look, you should apply lowlights.
Benefits of Lowlights On Your Hair
If you go gaga over seeing a deep and dark hair color shade, you can enjoy all the perks by applying lowlights in your hair. Excited to know more? Here are all the benefits of applying lowlights to your hair
- Deepens the natural color on your hair
- Makes your hair look vibrant and rich
- The color is not bleached, it is depostied into your hair, it doesn’t cause much of a stress on your hair
- You need not worry about the color staying for too long on your hair. Having said, you can always get rid of the lowlights after a few washes. This happens quicker when you adopt to the semi-permanent method of applying color to your hair.
- You are at an advantage of darkening the hair color on sections of your hair. In other words, you can overhighlight your hair if you wish to.
What is the Difference Between Highlights and Lowlights?
Finally you can make your choice of lowlights or highlights and stroke the shade on your hair strands.
For now, you need to read through the listed out differences between lowlights and highlights in the hair.
You may assume that the final look of highlights and lowlights on the hair is almost similar, that’s not the case, there is immense difference in the two. Get to know it all!
Difference No 1 – Highlights or Lowlights, what should be Your Natural Hair Color?
If all hair colors were meant to suit our natural hair color, why wouldn’t we try them all and make a rainbow style on our hair?
The idea is cool! But it wouldn’t look great on the hair. Likewise, we need to guage and analyse the difference in what suits lowlights and highlights.
Read: 3 Excellent Ways To Get Blue Black Hair Color – Drown In The Shade!
Here is What You Need to know.
Highlights – Highlights is to make the hair color look subtle. Since highlights are a lighter shade, they are suitable on women who have dark natural hair color such as deep brown or black.
Lowlights – Lowlights is to make the hair look deep. Since lowlights are a darker shade, they are suitable on women who have light natural hair color such as blonde or the lightese brown.
Read: 10 Best Steam Flat Irons To Moisturize And Straighten Your Hair!
Difference No 2 – How Much of Hair Color is Needed for Lowlights and Highlights?
The method of applying hair color helps give a productive result. What do you think would be the difference in the application of lowlights and highlights? Here is what you need to know!
Highlights- Application of highlights involves applying hair color that is two or three shades lighter than the natural hair color.
Lowlights- Application of lowlights involves applying hair color that is two or three shades darker than the natural hair color.
Read: 15 Best Bonnet Hair Dryer: Top Picks For 2020
Difference No 3 – What is the Result of Applying Lowlights and Highlights?
No one would apply a hair color just for the sake of it, would you? In the end, we are all looking at how will the color finally look on the hair. Yes?
So, it is important to understand the result you are looking for in a hair color. Take a look at the difference in the final result between applying lowlights and highlights in your hair.
Highlights- When you apply highlights, your hair gets a wave of a light shade, this evenly spreads through your hair.It looks out of the world when you go out in sunlight.
Lowlights- When you apply lowlights, your hair gets a deep look, whether it is a dark chocolate shade or a deep red shade. It looks bold and stunning when you are out in the moonlight and looks equally beautiful in sunlight too.
Read: 15 Best Hair Straightening Creams – Style With Nourishment!
Difference No 4 – Which is the Right Season For Applying Lowlights and Highlights?
Right from lifestyle to fashion, seasonal changes play a significant role and we need to catch up with the best hair color technique based on what the season demands.
Talking of which, you need to choose a hair coloring style for yourself based on the season. Not all colors look great in every season. Take a look at which season is best for highlights and which one is great for lowlights.
Highlights- As you know, your hair in highlights look ravishing in the sunlight and the fact that highlights look subtle on the hair, calls for you to highlight your hair in the summer.
Lowlights- As you know, your hair in lowlights looks bold and deep and the fact that this style of hair color looks dark on the hair, the best time to get it done is in the winter season. It will make you look attractive!
Summer for highlights! Winter for lowlights!
Read: 12 Best Color Depositing Conditioners For Every Hair Type
Difference No 5 – Is Lowlights more of a Maintenance or Highlights?
Understanding how much you will need to maintain your hairlights or lowlights is an equally essential aspect. So that you can look at your schedule and accordingly plan on which one will suit your schedule the best.
Here is what you need to know about the maintenance of these two methods
Highlights- Trying highlights on your hair is high maintenance.
Lowlights- Trying lowlights on your hair is low maintenance.
Read: 12 Best Flat Irons For Fine Hair – Straighten The Right Way!
Difference No 6 – Is Lowlights or Highlights More Damaging?
Hair colors are all components of chemicals coming together on your hair so it is natural that it will certainly cause some sort of damage to your hair, do you agree?
It is all glamarous to watch these highligts and lowlights, but, they aren’t always healthy for your hair. That being said, take a look what technique is damaging to the hair, is it lowlights or highlights?
Highlights – The process of applying highlights on the hair is going deep and bleaching the hair. This method is more damaging.
Lowlights – The process of applying lowlights in the hair is just depositing the color in your hair. This method is less damaging.
Difference No 7 – Which of the Two Techniques is Safe on Dull Hair?
It is better to know some rules before choosing any style of hair coloring, irrespective of the desires you have, you cannot put the health of your hair at stake.
Highlights – You should never get it done if your hair is dull.
Lowlights – You can get it done if your hair is dull.
Difference No 8 – How long do Highlights and Lowlights Last?
Knowing how much time the two last, is a good to know information to have awareness.
Highlights – Since highlights are high maintenance, they last for six to eight weeks.
Lowlights – Since lowlights are low maintenace, they last between two to four months.
Read:10 Best Hot Air Brushes For Long Lasting Hair Curling And Styling
All in all, highlights and lowlights are pretty and great in their own ways. Keeping your desire in mind, choose the one you think is going to satisfy you.
Besides, you should know that highlights and lowlights can be done at the same time, one of them adds depth to your hair and the other evenly spreads the hair color.
Excellent Highlights Ideas
Look at these pretty styles of highlights and choose the one that attracts you!
Blonde Highlights
This golden blonde highlights are going to add grace you all your hair strands. Do your remember goldilocks? You will feel like her.
Read: Know Some of the Best Purple Shampoos for Blonde Hair
Balayage Highlights
If you have jet black hair and you are looking for highlights that can be a perfect light yellow and cream blonde mix, you should go for this balayage highlights.
Brown Highlights
Brown on dark hair looks so stylish! You might find it to be a common shade. However, when you go out in the bright, you will see the spark it gets into your hair. Try this brown highlights this summer!
Red Highlights
Magnificient and wonderful red highlights on the delicate strands of your hair looks trendy. Go for this cherry shade, it is rare and attractive!
Blue Highlights
Looking for a funky highlights shade? You should try this blue, it looks cool if you have to attend a beach party or go for a rock concert. This is the best when you don’t want to have the usual highlights on your hair.
Excellent Lowlights Ideas
Look at these pretty styles of lowlights and choose the one that attracts you!
Blonde lowlights
You will love this deep shade of blonde flashing across your hair, these lowlights are light and sharp.It shines and looks bright on the hair. You must try having it all across your hair. It looks perfect.
Light Brown Lowlights
This light brown lowlights will give your hair a modern and classy look. You should apply it alternatively on your hair strands. You can start right from the center of your head till the ends of your hair.
Copper Red Lowlights
Copper red lowlights look fashionable and catchy on your hair, it adds more dimension and depth when compared to subtle red highlights. If you want the red color to look deep and visible on your hair, you should try these lowlights.
Black Lowlights
If you want a silver look on your blonde hair, you should try black lowlights. This shade would give you that salt pepper look. Try the lowlights from the top until the ends of your hair.
Things To Know Before Getting Lowlights Or Highlights Done
Here are a few things you must pay attention to about low lights and highlights!
- Whether you are getting low lights or highlights done, see to it that you don’t do it on your hair more than 4 times.
- If you are in love with low lights or highlights and you want them to look lovely on your hair, you will need to grow your hair long as they don’t look gorgeous on short hair, it looks odd.
- The low lights or highlights on straight hair looks deep and bright.
- The low lights or highlights on curly hair looks bright, bouncy and spread out well.
Conclusion
Highlights vs low lights! Now you know which one is the best for you! Consider all the factors such as your natural hair color, the health of your hair, the safest option, think if you are in a position to maintain the highlights or low lights and get an idea of the highlight and lowlight styles so that you have enough time to decide the best one for yourself.
