5 Ways To Get Rid Of Hair Highlights You're Over
Changing your hair color is fun when you want a new hairstyle, but when it comes to switching up the highlights, it can be tricky. Since highlights involve bleaching the natural hair, it can take a long time to grow without having to dye it again. We can agree that grown-out highlights don't always look the best. There are lots of types of highlights, including balayage and ombré. Standard highlights involve foiling parts of the hair from root to end dyed, leaving the middle strands your natural hair color, adding dimension and depth. Balayage leaves the roots untouched, dyeing the mid-top to bottom without foils. Ombré highlights are multiple tones of colors that change from the top to the bottom of the hair.
Knowing the type of highlights you have makes deciding which way to cover them easier and faster. Of course, you might not want to eliminate your highlights altogether, and there are also ways to lower their intensity. We know having the same hairstyle for too long can get boring, so we rounded up five ways to eliminate hair highlights you're over.
Tone or gloss highlights
Trying a dark gloss or toner can help color correct the bleached parts if you want your highlights to be less bright and warmer. You might want to keep the length of your hair but change the way the color stands out. According to hairstyle blogger Love is in the Hair, using toners helps enhance the highlights, eliminate brassiness, and, instead, make it shine. It'll level out the overall look of the hairstyle without having to go back to the salon to redye it.
Since the toner will brighten up the highlights, you'll want to use a semi-permanent gloss to reduce the brightness and add warmth to the hair (via Love is in the Hair). There are different colors to choose from to fit your shade preference. You can DIY the process or go to a professional to ensure your hair keeps its dimension throughout the highlights. Even though the dark gloss won't eliminate your highlights completely, it's an excellent backup if you don't want to cut your hair.
Try a shadow root or color melt
Highlights are all about making your hair glow from root to end, but like the seasons, hair color also changes to match the feel of the weather. A great way to switch up your highlights is by shadow root, dyeing the roots of your hair a darker color but keeping the rest of the highlights as they are, per Luxury Hair. Think of it as a reverse-ombre hairstyle where the darker tones are at the top, and the lighter tones flow down to the tips of the hair. It has similar benefits to using toner or a dark gloss; you'll be able to grow out your hair without worrying about being able to see where the roots have grown out, and the highlights start.
Another method is color melting, which overlaps two to three colors to create a seamless blend. Like shadow roots, it blends the highlight colors with the roots without showing a distinct separation between the colors via Salt Society. Part of the highlights will peek through, so it won't be a permanent change, but the dark base will help to tone it down and add depth.
Add lowlights
We mentioned adding lowlights to your highlights to reduce their intensity. Lowlights are up to three shades darker than the color in your hair, whether natural or dyed, states Naturtint. They can add depth to your hair, so when lowlights are added to highlights, it creates a rich and dark look to the blonde. It doesn't eliminate the highlights but works to tone them down.
Mixing lowlights with highlights also helps contour and frame the face preventing it from looking flat (via Naturtint). In addition, the thickness of your hair can also benefit from lowlights. If you have finer, thinner hair, adding lowlights to your highlights will make it appear thicker. While if you have trouble making your thicker hair not look like a lion's mane, then the pops of highlights will help create space throughout the lowlights. This is a great place to start if you've been thinking of trying a darker hairstyle but don't want to commit and remove your highlights entirely.
Dye your hair a permanent color
One of the most straightforward solutions to completely removing your highlights without cutting your hair is by dyeing all your hair a permanent color. This lets you experiment with a new color you've never done before or wanted to try. In addition, permanent dyes last longer than toners and glosses. According to Coloured Hair Care, permanent dye lasts between six to eight weeks, while Redken claims dark gloss lasts between four and six weeks. Of course, the number of times you wash your hair will reduce the timeframe of how long it lasts, but the permanent dye will still last longer.
You won't have to touch up the roots every few weeks unless you go with lighter colors, such as red or blonde. But if you choose dark brown or black, you can hold off a few more weeks. However, if you want the highlights back, you'll have to wait for the permanent color to fade out or go back to the salon to have a professional break through the color. They'll have to bleach through the dye, which could cause more damage.
Cut off highlights
If you're over the highlights and never want to see them again, cutting them off might be the way to go. First, you'll want to set up a consultation with a professional to know how many haircut sessions you'll need so your hair doesn't end up above your ears. Growing out the highlights can be challenging and take some time. Bleach in the hair brittles and damages the hair, so no matter how many hair masks and trims you get, you'll want to wait a few months before cutting a large amount.
The more you cut, the less you'll have to cut by the end of the journey. It helps if your hair is longer and the highlights have started to grow out, but if you have short hair to begin with, then it might take longer than expected. However, your hair will get healthier throughout the sessions, and the proper moisturizing and hydrating shampoo and conditioner will make it look shiny.