Professional Hair Color FAQs: How to Go Lighter for Summer!

Summer has arrived, and it’s the perfect time to get back outdoors after winter and spring. Natural sunlight has a way of making people feel healthy and beautiful, but that same sun-kissed hairstyle can be achieved with a few professional hair color highlighting techniques.

Balayage highlighting technique results in a natural-looking blend of lighter tones in a person’s existing hair color. To get this technique, a colorist paints lightener as if painting a picture in “W & V” shapes. For those with lighter hair color, a darker dye may be used to bring out contrast between the natural color and the lightener. However, the lightener does not saturate the hair to the end. This creates a subtle shimmer to the person’s hair color.

Ombre coloring techniques draw out darker roots into lighter tones in hair-color with dramatic contrast. For example, brunette roots fades into blonde length and tips. This creates a natural, sun-kissed look and a shine near the hair’s end. This styling is achieved by weaving the lightener through the hair and drawing it out. For some with lighter existing hair-color, coloring to a darker tone may be necessary first. This will create the most natural, sun-loving look possible. Alternatively, those with lighter hair colors may consider sombre highlights for summer.

There is a reason sombre and ombre highlighting techniques are close in spelling. Sombre is a softer version of the ombre highlighting technique. A colorist uses the same method to create the look, but the contrast between the roots and the ends is less prominent. This creates a sun-kissed appearance like the midday sun, creating a natural shine throughout the hair. As a result, this style may be more appropriate for those with light hair colors wanting the look of ombre highlights without going darker first.