Lowlights Guide: What They Do and Who Should Get Them

Lowlights are strands of hair colored a shade or more deeper than your current color. They add depth, make hair look thicker, and bring life back to blonde that has gone solid from too many highlights. They're also a gentle way to shift toward richer fall tones without committing to all-over darker color.

What lowlights do

Highlights add light. Lowlights add shadow. That shadow is what gives hair shape and movement.

Lowlights can:

• Restore depth to hair that looks flat or one-tone
• Add the look of fullness, since darker pieces create contrast between lighter ones
• Break up over-highlighted blonde that has blended into a single shade
• Soften grow-out by bridging the gap between your natural root and your blonde
• Warm up or richen your color for fall and winter
• Blend gray in a softer way than full coverage

Because lowlights deposit color instead of lifting it, they don't lighten your hair. The process is usually gentler than lightening.

Lowlights vs. highlights

Many people need both. Dimensional color weaves lights and depth together in one service.

Signs you might want lowlights

• Your highlights have built up until your hair looks like one solid blonde
• Your hair looks thinner in photos than it feels in person
• Your blonde washes you out in winter
• You want to grow out highlights without a harsh line
• You're ready for a richer look but don't want to go fully darker
• Your gray is coming in and you want it to blend, not stand out

Over-highlighted blonde: the classic case

This is the most common reason people book lowlights. Each highlight visit adds more blonde. Over time the pieces of natural color between them disappear. The result can look flat, brassy or "too much."

Lowlights fix this by putting back what's missing. Your stylist weaves deeper pieces, often close to your natural shade or a warm honey, between the blonde. You stay blonde, but you get back movement and depth. It's one of the quickest ways to make a blonde look more expensive.

Note that lightened hair is porous. Deeper color can grab faster or fade faster on it. That's why stylists sometimes adjust the formula for pre-lightened hair and may suggest a test strand if your history is complicated. What is a test strand? explains when that helps.

The fall transition

Lowlights are a natural fit when the weather cools. Summer sun and pool days lighten and warm up color. By fall, many people want something richer without losing their blonde.

Popular fall lowlight shades include:

• Honey and golden beige
• Caramel
• Soft mocha
• Light chocolate
• Copper tones, for a warmer shift

For more ideas, see fall and winter hair color ideas. Come spring, you can let lowlights fade or add brightness back with a few highlights.

Partial vs. full lowlights

There are two options on the current menu.

Lowlights (Partial) is $120 and takes about 2 hours. Lowlights go through the top, crown and around the face. It's ideal if you want a subtle change or mostly wear your hair down.

Lowlights (Full) is $165 and takes about 2 hours 30 minutes. Lowlights are woven through the whole head, including the back and underneath. Choose this if you wear your hair up often, have very thick hair, or want a noticeable shift toward richer color.

Lowlights are shorter appointments than lightening services because there's no lifting time.

Choosing the right shade

The right lowlight shade depends on your skin tone, eye color and current blonde. A few general rules:

• Stay close. Lowlights usually look best one to three shades deeper than your lightest pieces. Too dark can look stripy.
• Match warmth to your skin. Warmer skin often pairs well with honey and caramel. Cooler skin often suits beige and soft ash brown.
• Think about the season. Deeper and warmer in fall and winter, softer as you head toward summer.

Bring photos to your consultation. Show what you like and what feels too dark.

Maintenance

Lowlights are low maintenance compared with highlights. Since they're close to your natural color, regrowth blends in. The main thing to watch is fade. Deposited color on lightened hair can fade faster, especially with hot water, sun and frequent washing.

To keep lowlights rich:

• Wash with a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo
• Rinse with cool water
• Wash less often when you can
• Use heat protectant before styling
• Go easy on purple shampoo, which can dull warm lowlight tones
• Use a chelating shampoo occasionally if you're on hard Johnson County tap water

A toner or gloss between visits can refresh the tone of both your blonde and your lowlights. Gloss vs. toner explained covers the difference.

What to ask your stylist

• How many shades deeper should my lowlights be?
• Partial or full for the look I want?
• How will lowlights fade on my lightened hair?
• When should I add brightness back?
• Do I need a test strand first?

Get lowlights with Hoshika in Overland Park

I work one-on-one in a private studio inside Willow Salon & Suites on 135th Street in south Overland Park. If your blonde has gone flat or you're ready for a richer season, we'll find the right shade and placement together. The 15-minute consultation is free. Book your lowlights or see the full services menu.

Frequently asked questions