Contemplating highlights

CalamityM

Hey guys!

I am contemplating getting highlights done at the Curly Hair Institute. I want something natural, so it adds visual interest to my hair. When I was younger I got highlights done at a cheap salon in the mall, and they put in a really light blonde colour. It basically looked like I had pale worms all over my head. I definitly want to avoid this. I don't want it so natural that I can't tell it's done though.


Is it worth the added expense? I have dark brown hair, and I want something that blends well but makes my curls stand out. I think they mentioned caramel coloured highlights, when I asked them over the phone what would work for me.

How long do highlights last for? Will I need to get them re-done at each haircut (every three months) or could they last for longer? A haircut ($100) and highlights ($130) is a lot of money, so I want to see how long I can stretch this out for!

P.S.

Does anyone know where I can find some before and after pictures of highlighted hair, especially brunettes? I want to get an idea about what I should ask for.

Thanks!

CalamityM

I can't believe no one has opinions on highlights! I thought I'd get a bunch of responses from people gushing about how awesome their hair looked after highlights. I'm worried now!

RedCatWaves

I don't like the look of highlights on dark hair. It never seems to look right. Your hair is gorgeous just like it is.

sonny

you look like you already have natural highlights.

lachicacurly

your hair is beautiful the way it is, maybe it's just me, i think that highlights are played out

Riot Crrl

I agree. I'm not really much of a highlight fan. And your curls look plenty dimensional to me already.

rymorg2

I agree too, your hair looks very multi-dimensional anyway. But let me add my .02 as a wavy haired hairdresser.

I have some highlighting and I regret it. Not that it looks bad or anything, and it's only in the top, but every time I get a wild hair up my butt and decide to highlight it makes the wave in the canopy relax, and I need all the help I can get as it is. Because the chemicals are removing color from the hair, my theory is that it also breaks down the bonds in the hair and the wave becomes lessened. But your hair is MUCH curlier than my own. So who knows if it would do that to yours. You have beautiful hair and I'm partial to dark hair too, admittedly, since I have it LOL.

CalamityM

Cool! Thanks for the interesting opinions. I've read so much about "special" highlighting techniques for curly hair, I thought it was the next step towards having amazing hair. It's certainly cheaper to just go in for a plain old haircut, and not have to factor in $130 for highlights.

I have things to think about now, and money to save!

followmesky

I too think you have great hair and color!
Its funny, because once I saw you're post that is what I have been thinking. Basically, after I read it I didn't think of posting my same question.
I've read that highlights add dimension to curly hair especially dark hair. My hair is dark brown now is uneven due to new hair growth and 5 months of no dye. Highlights are expensive and high maintenance that I have even thought of henna but that would elimanate the highlights? totally confused here..

Riot Crrl

followmesky wrote: »

I too think you have great hair and color!
Its funny, because once I saw you're post that is what I have been thinking. Basically, after I read it I didn't think of posting my same question.
I've read that highlights add dimension to curly hair especially dark hair. My hair is dark brown now is uneven due to new hair growth and 5 months of no dye. Highlights are expensive and high maintenance that I have even thought of henna but that would elimanate the highlights? totally confused here..

Well... it will probably not eliminate highlights you already have. It will dye them red. It will not create new highlights. It is a red translucent dye that goes over whatever you already have.

It is permanent. Really permanent. If you ever decide you want to lift it out, there is every likelihood you will not be able to.

CalamityM

I never though of myself as having natural highlights. I guess we see ourselves with a more critical eye. I guess I wanted some peices of hair that stood out more, so that you'd see the curl in a nicer fashion. The flash always makes your hair shiner than it looks, and my hair doesn't look like this unless I'm standing outside in the sun! (The last picture on the right is without any flash).

EVERYONE whos opinion I have asked about highlights in my hair has not been enthusiastic, so I'm going to listen. I decided to pass on highlights. I called my salon and told them I'd just be in for a cut. I thought about what my goal is with my hair, and I want it to look healthy above all else. I don't want to worry about dry bits, and I'd be devestated if the highlighted part didn't curl as nicely. Maybe I'll see if I can find some curly clip in kind instead.

hadtochangemyname

I guess I'm a bit late to the party, but I have med brown hair with blonde highlights and I like them. In fact, I hate having curly hair without highlights, it looks so dull otherwise on me.

I am attempting to have caramel and honey highlights (two tones) and keep my brunette as a base color, and will probably do that on purpose next time.

This time my base color started out light (spent some time in the sun), then I got highlights and the end result was all over too light (even looked--gasp--gray in some spots!)



so I had a friend of mine add what I thought would be brown lowlights here and there, but ended up just giving me brown hair with some highlights left over.



It was too ashy, so in the shower with my conditioner I added a red glaze (Clairol Nice & Easy Boosting Glaze) a few times until it warmed up to where I like it



I do wish I had snapped some pics with it curly while it was super-light when I first got it highlighted, it had a pretty beachy blonde curliness to it. But it was only like that for a week or so, and I was still straightening most of the time then.

As you can see, I have very fine/thin hair and so the color adds texture to my curls as well as interest to "draw the eye" away from my scalp, as my colorist told me.

SunshineGrrl

Highlights are okay. They do add depth especially to curly hair. I used to have like a 4 color weave in my hair and people always asked me if I just colored my hair when I wore it curly. But I had the same problem as rymorg2 where it was relaxing my curl. Since I've been hennaing and not coloring, my hair is more curly now.

Um, sorry, gonna guano now.

Oreosmakemehappy: how do you pin your hair up like that?! I know I posted about how to do updos last night on your thread, but I really, really, really like how you pull it back. My hair is slightly longer and I have more hair, but it's pretty similar. Please help me! It's too hot for me to wander around with my hair down!

End Guano.

hadtochangemyname

I start with the headband to get the springy-growing-out bangs off my face, then just pull back pieces of hair here and there on either side and bobby pin it back, leaving about 3-4 inches in the middle of the back where the curls "gather". Sometimes I pull the bottom pieces up and pin them too, but I didn't when those pics were taken.

It works for me better than a ponytail as a pony is too harsh and skinny on my head. I need more fullness going on.

That is pretty much how I do all 2nd and 3rd day hair lately (that pic is 3rd day--you can see a few bald spots and some frizz). I'm sort of tired of it, but at this length I don't feel like I have a lot of options (which is why I was looking for new ideas).

SunshineGrrl

oreosmakemehappy wrote: »

I start with the headband to get the springy-growing-out bangs off my face, then just pull back pieces of hair here and there on either side and bobby pin it back, leaving about 3-4 inches in the middle of the back where the curls "gather". Sometimes I pull the bottom pieces up and pin them too, but I didn't when those pics were taken.

It works for me better than a ponytail as a pony is too harsh and skinny on my head. I need more fullness going on.

That is pretty much how I do all 2nd and 3rd day hair lately (that pic is 3rd day--you can see a few bald spots and some frizz). I'm sort of tired of it, but at this length I don't feel like I have a lot of options (which is why I was looking for new ideas).

Well, it looks fabu. Thanks for replying!

Efrizzabeth

I'll never get highlights again. The bleach or peroxide was too damaging to my hair. Think of crispy dried, & holey, on a microscopic level, pieces. I'm still growing them out & having them cut off when the time comes after having them done in 2006.

LoloDSM

Your hair is so pretty, Calamity, I'm glad you cancelled the highlight appointmnet. I've had them off and on for several years. They look pretty initially, but REALLy dried out my hair. I noticed it much more when wearing my hair curly. Some of the hair just wouldn't cur and stuck out and the highlights broke the curls into smaller pieces. Ugh. Plus, since going to CG, I've noticed the color doesn't stay as true. The highlights turned brassy a lot quicker than they used to.

I had mine covered up a few weeks ago and can't wait until they're all grown out. :sad8:

ewenique

I have dark brown hair and never thought I'd get highlights - looks too unnatural on dark hair. Anyways, I did get some a couple months ago, but I'm also letting my grey hair grow in. The highlights help break up the color line. I'm not planning on having anymore put in. They were just the first step in going grey.