Lowlights vs Highlights: The Ultimate Guide to Dimensional Hair Color
Discover the differences between lowlights and highlights, how they add dimension, and expert tips for getting your best hair color yet.
Deciding between lowlights and highlights can be overwhelming if you’re not familiar with the techniques. Whether you want more dimension, to disguise grays, or simply crave a new look, understanding the difference (and how they work together) is essential for your next salon appointment.
What Are Lowlights and Highlights?
Despite similar-sounding names, lowlights and highlights are distinctly different in approach and outcome:
- Highlights: These are sections of hair that are dyed or bleached to be lighter than your natural or base hair color. Think sun-kissed streaks or face-framing blonde accents.
- Lowlights: In contrast, lowlights are sections dyed a shade or two darker than your natural or current color. Imagine chocolate-brown streaks on chestnut hair or dark-blonde pieces woven through a sandy base.
“Lowlights add dimension to your hair color, especially for toning down overly blonde or highlighted hair,” explains Meri Kate O’Connor, colorist at Tabb & Sparks Salon in Santa Monica.
How Do Lowlights and Highlights Work?
Both techniques uses strategic sectioning, but achieve opposite effects:
| Technique | Main Effect | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|
| Highlights | Brightens and adds light; creates contrast and depth | Can require more upkeep (root touch-ups, toning) |
| Lowlights | Adds darker pieces; enhances texture, movement, and a natural look | Lower maintenance; grows out subtly |
Lowlights and highlights can also be blended for a softer, multi-dimensional finish. In most cases, colorists will combine both to avoid streaky, high-contrast results.
Why Choose Lowlights?
- Adds Dimension: Lowlights create layers, bringing subtle volume and movement to otherwise flat hair.
- Tones Down Overly Light Hair: If highlights left you feeling too blonde or washed out, lowlights restore depth and natural contrast.
- Disguises Gray Strands: Darker lowlights can help camouflage gray hairs without coloring your entire head.
- Low-Risk Trend: Lowlights are typically well blended and natural, so any regret can easily grow out or be adjusted.
- Low Maintenance: Lowlights don’t show roots as dramatically as highlights, reducing frequent salon visits.
When to Get Highlights and Lowlights Together
Most clients get both highlights and lowlights during a service—unless you really want chunky, high-contrast streaks. By mixing, your stylist can customize placement for volume, texture, and a natural finish. For example:
- Root Volume: Lowlights woven at the roots add body and prevent a flat look.
- Texture All Over: Alternating lowlights and highlights throughout the hair gives the creamy, blended look seen on celebrities like Margot Robbie and Sofia Richie.
This combo is popular for achieving the “lived-in blonde” or “bronde” effect—neither entirely light nor dark, but perfectly balanced.
Are Lowlights Suitable for All Hair Colors?
Good news: Lowlights work for every hair color. The trick is a tailored formula:
- Blondes: Try sandy or caramel lowlights to cut brassiness or tone down summery platinum looks for winter.
- Brunettes: Go for deep chestnut or espresso lowlights to enhance shine and body.
- Redheads: Auburn or burgundy lowlights bring warmth and avoid a faded finish.
- Unnatural Colors: Even blue, purple, and pastel bases can be deepened with darker streaks for a fashion-forward effect.
“As long as lowlights are formulated correctly, they can be done on anyone with any hair color,” O’Connor says.
Expert Tips Before Booking Your Salon Appointment
- Pick the Right Colorist: Hair color is art—choose a stylist whose aesthetic matches your vision. Ask to see their portfolio (Instagram is great), and bring plenty of inspiration photos to your consultation.
- Don’t DIY: Home lowlighting is risky without experience. Professional colorists understand how to blend shades and avoid patchiness or an unnatural finish.
- Communicate Clearly: Discuss your goals—do you want dramatic contrast, subtle blending, or a seasonal refresh? Mention maintenance preferences and desired longevity.
- Maintenance Matters: While lowlights are lower maintenance, ask how to care for your color between visits (products, touch-up schedule, toning shampoos).
What others are reading
If you’re researching a new colorist or salon, check for reviews and first-hand client photos. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about technique, formulas used, and previous experience with your hair type.
Seasonal Color: Why Lowlights Are Hot for Fall and Winter
Winter is the perfect time to deepen your hue with lowlights. After months of sun-bleached highlights, many clients opt for a slightly darker shade to add richness and warmth without losing all evidence of brightness.
- Transition Shades: Adding lowlights to highlighted summer hair helps you hang onto some lighter pieces and avoids total color shock.
- Less Damage: Incorporating more lowlights over time means fewer bleaching sessions, which supports hair health in cold, drying conditions.
- Subtle Change: Going just one shade darker delivers noticeable change that’s easy to reverse come summer.
Comparing Lowlights and Highlights
| Aspect | Lowlights | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Main Goal | Add depth and richness by darkening strands | Brighten and lighten sections for contrast |
| Typical Colors | Darker than base | Lighter than base |
| Effect on Texture | More movement; illusion of volume | Creates definition; makes hair appear lighter overall |
| Maintenance | Lower; roots blend subtly | Higher; roots show and need touch-ups |
| Risk | Low; grows out naturally | Moderate to high; visible lines if not maintained |
How Are Lowlights Applied?
Your colorist will:
- Section off strands as they would for highlights, but select slightly thicker or less frequent pieces.
- Apply a dye one to two shades darker than your base color.
- Process, rinse, and blend with the rest of your hair using toners or glazes as needed.
Lowlights rarely involve bleach, so they’re gentler on the hair shaft.
Benefits of Lowlights
- Healthy Hair: Less damage than highlights since bleach is typically avoided.
- Natural Appearance: Easy blending and soft regrowth transition.
- Versatile: Works on all types, textures, and colors.
- Customizable: Can balance excess lightness, add seasonal depth, or disguise aging grays issue-free.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s the key difference between lowlights and highlights?
Lowlights darken selected strands for depth; highlights lighten strands for brightness and contrast.
Can I get lowlights if I have very dark hair?
Yes. Lowlights can still enhance dimension on black or deep brunette hair by using even darker tones or shades of similar depth with subtle shifts.
Will lowlights look natural or chunky?
Properly applied lowlights are natural and blended. Chunkiness occurs if they’re too thick or contrast isn’t calibrated.
How often should lowlights be refreshed?
Most lowlights last 8 to 12 weeks before fading; their natural grow-out helps minimize demarcation lines.
Can lowlights help with transitioning gray hair?
Absolutely. Lowlights are regularly used to blend and disguise incoming grays without permanent all-over color.
Should I choose lowlights or highlights for a subtle change?
Lowlights deliver a gentle shift; highlights offer a brighter and more dramatic effect. Many people blend both for personalized results.
Final Thoughts: Why Lowlights Might Be Your Best Move
If you seek dimension, naturalness, and easy maintenance, lowlights are an excellent choice. Consult your colorist for a formula that flatters your aesthetic and hair goals. With the right approach, you’ll love your subtly transformed and healthy look. Book that appointment and embrace the trend!
References
- https://www.cosmopolitanme.com/beauty/hair-colouring-techniques-explained
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/beauty-hair/hair/g4768/winter-hair-inspiration/
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a30553400/hair-lowlights/
- https://www.cosmopolitanme.com/beauty/the-difference-between-lowlights-and-highlights
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29LNveQo15Q
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