For those who are new to hair coloring and highlighting, there are two forms of streaking the hair :
- Highlights
- Lowlights
Many mistake these two terms to represent the position of the streak. Quite to the contrary they imply the type or depth of the streaks.
Lets first look at highlights. Basically, highlights are the bright shades. They can be contrasting shades too. For instance, one has dark brown hair and they get bright blonde streaks. This is highlighting. Like many stylists state – these are the glamorous-in-your-face streaks. Whether in a room not well lit or out in the sun, they produce the same effect. The shades for highlights are the bright blondes, platinum, gold, silver, etc.
The lowlights do not have an intense effect on the hair. They are lighter and can mainly be seen in a well-lit room or in the sunlight. They are camouflaging. Usually they are either a shade darker or lighter than the base color of the head. For instance, one has dark brown hair, then in the case of the lowlights they could be in shades such as copper, mahogany or honey, etc.
Many people ask if the choice of hair highlights and lowlights should be considered according to one’s age. Many stylists consider bright and vibrant highlights are best suited for teenagers and younger women; whereas the lowlights are better for elder women. Well, this is not true. There are more factors that come into play, which include one’s personality, preference, comfort level with experimenting, profession, etc.
Based on these factors can one actually come to decide what kind of hair streaking should be done. For instance, a young 28-year-old lady working for the banking industry should ideally get lowlights that bring a shine and difference in her hair. However, something bright and vibrant would be out of sync with her profession. It will not let her clients take her seriously.