How to Apply Highlight and Lowlight Foils to Hair
Pick your lowlight colors., Pick your highlight colors., Divide your hair into five sections., Use the end of a tail comb to section off a piece of hair., Protect yourself and your surroundings from stains., Put on your dyeing gloves., Apply your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pick your lowlight colors.
Choose hair colors one to two shades darker than natural color for natural results.
For more dramatic results, go for shades two to four shades darker.
If this is your first time dyeing your hair, you may want to try using temporary or semi-permanent dye rather than permanent dye.
Temporary dyes tend to diminish after 6 to 12 shampoos.
Semi-permanent dyes will wash out after 20 to 26 shampoos.
Permanent dyes last longer and will generally remain in your hair for six to eight weeks, but can sometimes remain longer. -
Step 2: Pick your highlight colors.
Highlights are essentially the opposite of lowlights.
Highlight colors should be one to two shades lighter than your natural hair color.
For more dramatic results, go for shades three to four shades darker.
You may need to bleach your hair to highlight it, which is best done in a salon. , Make sure your five sections are roughly even.
There should be one section on the top of your head.
Then, on either side of your head, separate the hair into two sections.
When you're done, you should be left with one section of hair on top and four sections on the sides.
Use rubber bands or hair clips to secure your hair., Let down one of the sections.
Starting at the top of the section, insert the end of your comb through your hair.
Only a very thin section of hair should be on top of the end of the comb.
For highlight and lowlights, you apply dye to very thin chunks of hair., Wrap a towel you are comfortable getting dye on around your shoulders.
The towel will catch any dye drips and you can use it to dry your hair after the rinsing phase of the dyeing process.
Secure the towel in place in front of your neck with a clip or safety pin. , Dyeing kits generally come with gloves, but if yours doesn’t come with gloves, you can just wear normal latex or rubber gloves.
Wearing gloves ensures that you don’t dye your fingers and nails along with your hair., Take a piece of foil.
Slide it underneath the section you just secured.
Let the hair rest on top of the foil.
The foil should create a barrier between the strand you pulled out using the comb and the rest of the hair in the section you're working with., You will apply your highlights and lowlights in a consistent pattern throughout your head.
You can start with one highlight, and then move to two lowlights, and repeat this pattern throughout the section, for example.
Choose whatever pattern you prefer depending on the ratio of highlights to lowlights you want.Highlighting means coloring strands lighter than your natural hair color while low lighting means coloring strands darker than your natural color. , Use the brush that came with your dye kit.
Dip your brush in a small amount of the highlight dye.
Then, brush down the hair above the foil in the dye so it's covered from root to tip in dye.
As you brush, the hair should become plastered to your foil.You can leave the hair for now as you continue to apply foils/dye.
You will fold up the foils when you're done with the section. , Repeat the same process you did with the tail comb before, moving downward through the section of hair.
Just below the hair you just died, slip the end of the comb under a small strand of hair.
Place a piece of foil under that strand to create a barrier between this new strand and the remaining hair in the section., You should add your lowlight dye to this section to create variation.
This is the exact same process as before.
Gently paint the dye on the hair using the brush that came with your kit, moving from root to tip.
Again, the hair will become plastered to the foil., Keep moving from your highlight and lowlight shades, using the ratio you want.
Continue the pattern until the entire section is dyed and separated by foils., Gently fold the pieces of foil around each section of hair.
Do not press too hard to avoid getting a folded crease in your dye.
The ends of the foil should be near the roots of your hair when you're done.
Folding the foil helps it stay in place while you dye the remaining sections., For every section, repeat the exact same pattern to highlight or lowlight your hair.
Separate your hair into small strands, using the foil as a barrier, and then paint dye on each strand.
Vary between your highlight and lowlight shade.
Once every strand is dyed, wrap the foil around the strands.Remember, you may have to bleach your hair first in the sections you're highlighting.
This is usually best done at a salon and should be done before you start the highlight/lowlight process. , Refer to the instructions on your dye to figure how long to let it sit in.
Times will vary depending on the type of dye you're using.
Do not leave the dye in longer than recommended, as this can damage your hair., Remove the foils from the bottom to the top.
Use cool water to rinse out the excess dye.
Continue to rinse your hair until the water coming off your head runs clear.
It is totally natural to have a whole lot of color run in the shower.
Do not panic if this happens.
It does not mean your hair did not dye properly.
It's a normal part of the process. , Your kit should come with this conditioner, but if it did not, you can purchase conditioner made for dyed hair at a drugstore.
Do not wash your hair with shampoo or normal conditioner.
You should avoid washing your hair with these things for 24 to 48 hours so that the dye has time to really into your hair shaft. -
Step 3: Divide your hair into five sections.
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Step 4: Use the end of a tail comb to section off a piece of hair.
-
Step 5: Protect yourself and your surroundings from stains.
-
Step 6: Put on your dyeing gloves.
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Step 7: Apply your foil underneath the hair.
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Step 8: Decide on the pattern you're following.
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Step 9: Coat the hair above the foil in the highlight dye.
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Step 10: Section off another layer of hair.
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Step 11: Apply your lowlight dye.
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Step 12: Repeat this pattern until all the hair is dyed.
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Step 13: Fold your foil.
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Step 14: Repeat this pattern to dye the remaining sections.
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Step 15: Let the dye sit in for the recommended timeframe.
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Step 16: Rinse your hair in cold water.
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Step 17: Wash your hair with the post-dye conditioner found in your dyeing kit.
Detailed Guide
Choose hair colors one to two shades darker than natural color for natural results.
For more dramatic results, go for shades two to four shades darker.
If this is your first time dyeing your hair, you may want to try using temporary or semi-permanent dye rather than permanent dye.
Temporary dyes tend to diminish after 6 to 12 shampoos.
Semi-permanent dyes will wash out after 20 to 26 shampoos.
Permanent dyes last longer and will generally remain in your hair for six to eight weeks, but can sometimes remain longer.
Highlights are essentially the opposite of lowlights.
Highlight colors should be one to two shades lighter than your natural hair color.
For more dramatic results, go for shades three to four shades darker.
You may need to bleach your hair to highlight it, which is best done in a salon. , Make sure your five sections are roughly even.
There should be one section on the top of your head.
Then, on either side of your head, separate the hair into two sections.
When you're done, you should be left with one section of hair on top and four sections on the sides.
Use rubber bands or hair clips to secure your hair., Let down one of the sections.
Starting at the top of the section, insert the end of your comb through your hair.
Only a very thin section of hair should be on top of the end of the comb.
For highlight and lowlights, you apply dye to very thin chunks of hair., Wrap a towel you are comfortable getting dye on around your shoulders.
The towel will catch any dye drips and you can use it to dry your hair after the rinsing phase of the dyeing process.
Secure the towel in place in front of your neck with a clip or safety pin. , Dyeing kits generally come with gloves, but if yours doesn’t come with gloves, you can just wear normal latex or rubber gloves.
Wearing gloves ensures that you don’t dye your fingers and nails along with your hair., Take a piece of foil.
Slide it underneath the section you just secured.
Let the hair rest on top of the foil.
The foil should create a barrier between the strand you pulled out using the comb and the rest of the hair in the section you're working with., You will apply your highlights and lowlights in a consistent pattern throughout your head.
You can start with one highlight, and then move to two lowlights, and repeat this pattern throughout the section, for example.
Choose whatever pattern you prefer depending on the ratio of highlights to lowlights you want.Highlighting means coloring strands lighter than your natural hair color while low lighting means coloring strands darker than your natural color. , Use the brush that came with your dye kit.
Dip your brush in a small amount of the highlight dye.
Then, brush down the hair above the foil in the dye so it's covered from root to tip in dye.
As you brush, the hair should become plastered to your foil.You can leave the hair for now as you continue to apply foils/dye.
You will fold up the foils when you're done with the section. , Repeat the same process you did with the tail comb before, moving downward through the section of hair.
Just below the hair you just died, slip the end of the comb under a small strand of hair.
Place a piece of foil under that strand to create a barrier between this new strand and the remaining hair in the section., You should add your lowlight dye to this section to create variation.
This is the exact same process as before.
Gently paint the dye on the hair using the brush that came with your kit, moving from root to tip.
Again, the hair will become plastered to the foil., Keep moving from your highlight and lowlight shades, using the ratio you want.
Continue the pattern until the entire section is dyed and separated by foils., Gently fold the pieces of foil around each section of hair.
Do not press too hard to avoid getting a folded crease in your dye.
The ends of the foil should be near the roots of your hair when you're done.
Folding the foil helps it stay in place while you dye the remaining sections., For every section, repeat the exact same pattern to highlight or lowlight your hair.
Separate your hair into small strands, using the foil as a barrier, and then paint dye on each strand.
Vary between your highlight and lowlight shade.
Once every strand is dyed, wrap the foil around the strands.Remember, you may have to bleach your hair first in the sections you're highlighting.
This is usually best done at a salon and should be done before you start the highlight/lowlight process. , Refer to the instructions on your dye to figure how long to let it sit in.
Times will vary depending on the type of dye you're using.
Do not leave the dye in longer than recommended, as this can damage your hair., Remove the foils from the bottom to the top.
Use cool water to rinse out the excess dye.
Continue to rinse your hair until the water coming off your head runs clear.
It is totally natural to have a whole lot of color run in the shower.
Do not panic if this happens.
It does not mean your hair did not dye properly.
It's a normal part of the process. , Your kit should come with this conditioner, but if it did not, you can purchase conditioner made for dyed hair at a drugstore.
Do not wash your hair with shampoo or normal conditioner.
You should avoid washing your hair with these things for 24 to 48 hours so that the dye has time to really into your hair shaft.
About the Author
Bobby Mitchell
Bobby Mitchell specializes in non profit and has been creating helpful content for over 12 years. Bobby is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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