Known as “frosting” in hey days, highlighting mainly can be done with either highlight cap or foils. Both are different but have similar results. Most salons choose highlighting method for better distribution of color or bleach, add dimension to one color hair and less prone to breakage. Highlight cap is a plastic cap that has pre-defined holes all over it where you can pull strand through each hole to highlight. You can determine the size of each strand depending if you want fewer or more highlights. If you opt for more highlights, then you’ll have “all over color” look, while if you choose fewer highlights, then it will add some dimension to your hair. The more highlights, then almost all of the holes are used up, while the fewer highlights, then use every second hole of the cap. It’s suggested to use at least 1/4″ of strand to highlight but more can be used.

Foils are different from highlight caps, they are somewhat more technically advanced and they’re not same thing as aluminum foil you use in the kitchen. Most salons prefer foils to highlight cap because they’re better controlled and trap in moisture from bleach while adding heat. Foiling can be done in different ways such as weaving and slicing. You can obtain more information by going to SalonFoiltoGo and Robert Craig’s websites. They have detailed information on highlighting.

On the other hand, lowlighting is the opposite of highlighting. While most highlighting is mainly for lightening up strands of hair, lowlighting is for darkening hair strands in overly light hair. It can be done on any shade of blonde. For this reason, some people prefer to demontrate dimension in their hair, so lowlights are used, to prevent all over color and blandness. Lowlighting is used with a demi- or semi-permanent color that would coat the hair without “lift” and tend to last longer than permanent color. Lowlighting can be done on
red or brunette shades, such as darker brown lowlights on light brown hair or darker red on light brown or light red hair. Lowlights do bring out depth and illusion having shiny hair, just like highlights.

Contributing Pigment is the underlying warmth found under every Natural Level. It is exposed during lightening and effects the final color result. It can be either enhanced or neutralized. [ Clairol Pro Website ]

If you want to be the lightest blonde, look at the right column to achieve that level: Level 10 blonde = bleach to Pale Yellow, or you just want to go a dark blonde: Level 6 = bleach to Orange/Gold. This can be applied to either natural hair color or hair that’s already bleached. For bleached hair, use your bleached hair (without ANY color put in) as your “starting” hair color level, eg: if you lightened to orange, use this orange as your “starting color”.

	LEVEL:	CONTRIBUTING PIGMENT:
	10 – Lightest Blonde	Pale Yellow
	9 – Extra Light Blonde	Yellow
	8 – Light Blonde	Yellow – Gold
	7 – Medium Blonde	Gold
	6 – Dark Blonde	Orange – Gold
	5 – Lightest Brown	Orange
	4 – Light Brown	Orange – Red
	3 – Medium Brown	Red
	2 – Dark Brown	Red – Brown
	1 – Black	Dark Red – Brown

Courtesy of Clairol Professional

All color removers aren’t created equal. Labeled as color reducing agent, color stripper, color solvent, and so on, it is effective for most hair dye jobs. Depending on what kind of needs the person wants, color remover does the trick. For example, if a person, whose hair color is naturally blonde, dyed her/his hair black or brown in permanent color, a color remover can be used to strip the black or brown and return to blonde base. However, on a person whose hair is naturally dark (from black to light brown) the color remover merely strips the color and leaves it in altered state (namely, orange), it also applies to a dark haired person who dyed blonde and then dyed back dark. Later, she/he decides to go back to bleached blonde, then this color stripper is necessary to remove the tintback, usually lifts to orange or gold, depending how long it has been in the hair. If more than 3 or 4 months, it might only lift up to orange/red.

There are various color removers ranging from strongest to weak. Those that are used with water tend to be weak while those used with volume developer are stronger. There’s color removers for semi-permanent colors.

Permanent color remover tend to work with oxidative dyes while semi-permanent color remover tend to work with direct dyes. Both are different.

Few products work effectively. For one, ColorFix by Jheri Redding is an excellent color reducing agent without bleach or ammonia. It merely reduces color molecules of oxidative dye from permanent color so it ony strips top layer of artificial color. Igora Modulat is even better than ColorFix and more expensive and gentler. Can be used on all levels of hair and types. Most of the time the person will have to re-bleach to go past orange or gold stage to go lighter unless they aim for a dark blonde.

Effasol or Uncolor also work well but they contain bleach so they will remove artificial colors as well as lighten the hair. So it’s not good on hair that’s not in good condition. And not to be treated lightly. ColorZap also is in this category.

Here’s a link for further description of what color removers are and how they work in the name of hair science. Color Removers by Behind the Chair article.

To buy the One ‘n Only ColorFix, click on the link below.

By Asimiotissa & Sunburst Siren
You achieved that wonderful shade of blond after lightening up either at home or salon, you don’t like the way your dark eyebrows look next to your blond hair, and you want to do it yourself rather than at salon. You can do this safely at home.

A quick way to do this is:
- Buy Jolen Facial Bleach, available at any drugstore
- Buy Just For Men Hair and Beard or Grecian 5 formula and choose the shade you desire (Light Brown or Dark Blonde). They’re great ’cause they’re drip-free and in gel formula.

1.) Make sure you keep your eyebrows clean and dry.

2.) Apply Jolen facial bleach (or any other brands such as Sally Hansen) on your eyebrows with a Q-tip or thin brush.

3.) Wait up to 5 minutes to check if they have lighten but never leave it in longer than 8 minutes or you will get white eyebrows! Lighten your eyebrows to almost white or yellow if you want to achieve lighter shade. Re-apply if you only achieved orange.

4.) If they’re yellow or almost white, use beard dye and brush on the eyebrows. Wait at least 3 minutes and check if they have darken properly. It takes about 5-7 minutes in total to make it work.

Repeat this as often as you desire if your eyebrows grow in quickly.

NOTE: The dyes are very dangerous if anywhere near your eyes. You’re doing this at your own risk and Faux Blondes are not liable for any accident you may face. The dangers include blindness and allergic reactions. Do this safely and carefully.

For your convenience, you can purchase these products directly below.