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Created as a source of advise education knowledge skill experience:

Blonde hair – Highlighting techniques.

The art of hair colouring is a passion to me. As it is with so many hair colour technician’s. True professionals know that having both technical/theory and practical skills are key to being a successful hair colourist.With so many different products and techniques available to us staying current has never been more important but also challenging.

Understanding of any given products chemistry helps us when coming up with the right formulation to achieve desired style and  finished look.

I would like to try and cover some points that relate to high lighting, with the various products available to us! It seems as I monitor key search words that the most searched topic’s that come up are always relating to issues around blonde hair highlights bleach and tone.

The other key search being searches on all topic’s related to the colour wheel the law’s of colour controlling pigment shade and tone. It is my hope that although a topic written on many times this is of help and pushes some buttons regarding process and techniques.

In am fortunate that I get to meet so many salons and so to meet some very talent stylist and colour technicians. I like to watch techniques hang out with technician chatting about techniques and products. Always trying to discover a stylist’s favourite what is the current chosen product.

The majority of stylists and technicians use foils some use easy mesh a few still use a cap! I use a waxed paper that does not need to be folded and will not allow bleeding as much as some other products might during the process time and as the product expands. A thing that can happen with foil easy mesh or many of the products available to us, especially if to much product applied and or if heat is introduced.

One of the biggest thing I observe with highlight is the neatness of sections the folding of the foils the care taken attention to detail. Those being foil placement formulation application.The patients of many really good colourist is to be admired. But we also have to consider the evenness of the weave desired thick fine ect. The cleanness of section.The application of product. Oh and  key always is chosen formulation.

We have to remember that when taking section we are not working on a flat surface it’s curved so we have to structure out sectioning pattern to accommodate this plain or natural curve to get as close to the scalp as possible without causing banding bleeding or blobs!

However there are always the slack untidy get them in get them out jobs to! consider all the curves as indicated below.

Lets take some time to reflect and review on sectioning and placement :

My question is on sectioning it’s hard to write about I wish I had a way to draw on screen any way here goes. I have in past blogs articles made reference to not being able to cut a straight line on a curved surface the same is so of highlighting sections! All pic’s are of the same model !

When we work up the side of the head in nice neat sections we are working on a curve! So it follows if we pull the foil in tight to the section the middle will be right into the root leaving distance from root at either end! If we pull one end in the other will move out ! its the curve. The same can be said for working a T section if we start at the hair line and work toward the crown we are working on another curve so the same applies as we pull the foil in as close as possible only a small part will pull right in a space will be at each end.

The below although for cutting indicates well the sections and angles discussed. who ever produced this little diagram did a great job so thank you!

How do we get round this? By working in sections from the hairline in always sectioning to create a flat plain and by brick laying sections staggering them if you do this you will always get to the roots.Take your time think about that curve adjust your sections it will make the work of difference to you!

Look at those roots that re-growth consider formulation how you are going to run your colour to deal with root issue.Try not to over lap any bleach! Decide on your weave pattern. Discuss with your client the look they want  share your vision.

Highlights thick streaks fine weave high light and low lights final goal! Do you need to use  bleach and then tone? Can you use High- lift Blonde formulation. I have been using recently Alterego Italy professional hair colour Pure diamond lift Be Blonde is a great high lift product offering great pigment control natural shades and tones.

 

 

How do your Highlights stack up ! Maybe you should take a little more time with placement sectioning foil placement! take the time to consider where the hair breaks and will fall in relation to your placement.Think about your formulation the shade and tones you want to create!

 

I speak from experience I used to book highlights back to back i could weave full head in just over half an hour. Would I do this now ‘No’ it’s not the way to work to do things or get the best results.

Of course still consider re growth application colour balance and formulation but take the time to work on those sections it all about angles as you understand these  section you find you will naturally start to apply them to cutting sections as well it will give you over time greater understanding of shape and weight distribution.

If you are interested in the waxed high light papers here is some contact information for you.

Find them follow them on face book. W.R Rayson Face book 

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