Highlighting

Now is the busiest time of year for highlights, since many people will want to streak their hair before the sun does. Highlights are more popular today than ever, and it's a trend that shows no sign of letting up.

There are two common ways to highlight the hair. The most common method, called cap highlights, involves pulling strands of hair through a cap with a hook. This method has been around for decades, and is still my first choice for adding subtle, natural-looking highlights on short to medium length hair. The drawback of using a cap is that after three or four touch-up visits, the overall appearance of the entire head of hair is lighter. This method is a good way to go blonde gradually.

The second method is known as foiling, and it involves placing hair in foil packets. This is usually the more expensive of the two, and I believe most of the same results can be achieved using a cap. Advocates of the foiling method claim that you can get thicker, chunkier-looking highlights by foiling. This is true, foils are good for obtaining heavier highlights, but what these stylists fail to tell you is that they can give you the same results in less time and for less money with the cap.

My main objection to the business of hairstyling is that many stylists are out for the money, and why should they charge $45.00 for cap highlights when they can charge you $80.00 for foils?

Foiling does have some specific benefits though. When the highlighs need touched up, foiling enables you to lighten at the root area without touching the non-highlighted hair. Once you put the cap on someone, it is impossible to weave out only the hair that had been previously highlighted.

I believe each method has its own unique applications, and I believe an informed client is a happier client, so don't be afraid to ask questions when you're sitting in the chair. After all, it is your hair, and the stylists are basically working for you.

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