Professional Recommended What You Should and Shouldn’t Do With Your Highlights

November 21, 2023 By Thea Off

Looking to take your locks lighter. Your bone structure can be brought out by highlights for hair. Also, highlights can make your hair look shimmer in the sunlight. But, your look may turn brassy and stripy very fast if you go the wrong path. We consulted hair expert Kyle White of Oscar Blandi Salon in NY to tell us what we should and shouldn’t do with our highlights.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 16: Actress Ashley Greene attends the premiere of DirecTV's 'Rogue' on March 16, 2016 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by JB Lacroix/WireImage)

Here are his tips:

1. You should have dimension and depth.

White said that over highlighted hair which reads like one color is too simple and it looks flat. He said that highlights should not overpower your base color but they should accent it and that they should differ in lightness and size. He says „Speaking of base color, you should match highlights with your hair’s tone.“ He recommended choosing a warm highlight if you have a warm base and beige or sandy highlights if you have a cool base. Your highlights should be either cool or warm if you have a neutral base color.

2. You should adjust your highlights with the seasons.

White said that in the winter the earth is farther away from the sun, casting a bluer light and she recommended deeper and more golden highlights. He explained that in the winter the earth is closer to the sun, casting a more yellow light and we spend more time out and she recommended brighter and paler highlights.

3. You should frame your face.

Placement is the key when it comes to the highlights. White recommended that you should always place the fattest and brightest highlights around the frame of your face. He said that highlights should be lighter at the tips and sparser and darker at the root – like ombre but much more subtile. White added that you should make them the same way as the sun would lighten your hair naturally.

4. You shouldn’t add too many different colors.

White explained that in spite of the fact that dimension is nice, too many different colors can look strange. You should apply only three shades in your hair – a low light, a highlight and a base – or else the color of your hair may look unnatural.

5. You shouldn’t go too light.

White said that you mustn’t match your highlights with your skin tone so don’t do your highlights too light. You should always contrast between the color of your hair and the color of your skin, otherwise you will make your look washed out. He also explained that you shouldn’t make too much of a contrast between your highlights and your base color. He recommended that you shouldn’t have your highlights more than three levels lighter than the base color, otherwise they may look stripy.

6. You should take care for your highlights.

You should treat your spectacular, golden highlights the same way you treat any other precious possession because they are an investment. You should read White’s advices for maintenance. He advised that you shouldn’t wash your hair too often and that you should use a moisturizing, low-sulphate, color-safe conditioner and shampoo. You should use a dry shampoo, like Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray because it is the best for your highlights. You should also use a thermal protector, like Infusium 23 Leave-In Treatment to prep your hair before you style it with heat.

He also recommended that you should deep condition your hair with coconut oil on a weekly basis. To prepare this treatment, you should put a teaspoon of the coconut oil in a microwave and leave it there for a couple of seconds. After that, you should apply the oil to damp hair, leave it for about 15 minutes and then wash out.

Finally, if you want to be in the sun you should use UV protective products and wear a scarf or hat. White explained that the sunlight can fade the color of your hair. Also, chlorinated pool and salt water can be harmful to your highlights. You should use a protective oil to coat your hair before swimming. He recommended Phyto Plage Protective Beach Spray as a barrier for your hair. Once you are out of water rinse off your hairs thoroughly using fresh water.