subject: Highlighting Hair at Home [print this page] If it's your first time highlighting then I highly recommend practicing with conditioner. Highlighting is not easy and you can really mess up someone's hair if it's not done correctly. So take a few minutes and really study where you want the foils to be placed. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Preparation:
Use a good clarifying shampoo and conditioner a few days before you highlight. This removes any traces of hair care products so your hair will take the highlight better.
Don't wash your hair a day or two before the highlighting process because a small amount of natural hair oil helps protect your hair from chemical damage.
Brush your hair thoroughly right before you highlight because tangles may make it difficult to apply highlights and might affect the outcomes.
It is also a good idea to do a test procedure with a thin piece of hair and a small amount of highlighting mixture. Wait a few minutes to check for any adverse effects or damage to your hair. If everything tests okay and you are happy with the color, then you can proceed with the highlighting process.
Lastly, a few application tips:
Start in the back of the head.
Leave out hair in between foils.
Don't over highlight the hair.
To speed up the process, you can heat the foils up with a hair dryer.
To prevent chemical damage, continually check the hair in the foils. Set a timer for every 3-5 minutes.
Highlights using a Cap:
Place the cap on your head and pull it down snugly.
Using the hook, puncture the designated holes in the cap starting as close to your front hair line as possible. Come in at a slight angle for best results.
For thin highlights that generally blend in, pull out thin sections of hair. Do this by not allowing the hook to penetrate your hair deeply. If you want thick bold highlights pull large sections by going deeper into your hair.
Continue to pull out the desired amount of strands of hair.
Once all the hair is pulled through the cap, using your protective gloves, prepare the highlighting mixture.
Coat all the pulled out sections thoroughly and use your fingers in a lathering motion to be sure no hair is missed.
Set timer for the designated processing time.
Once the time is up remove the cap and rinse your hair thoroughly. Avoid shampooing your hair as the cuticle of the hair is still slightly open. Washing may prematurely remove or fade your new hair highlights. Instead rinse very well and apply a conditioner to seal the cuticle and moisturize the hair shaft.
