Haircolor

Hair Highlight Types Explained: From Balayage to Ombre and Beyond

Redken Updated On Apr 24

We all appreciate the wonders that makeup does to one’s face. For example, contour is used to enhance your features and add depth to the overall look. Similarly, hair highlights are like “contours” of the hair styling world. When done right, they can lift your features and add a depth that flat color may not be able to touch. But with so many types of hair color highlights, it becomes overwhelming to choose the right one for yourself. Do you want the soft, hand-painted sweep of a balayage, or the precision and punch of traditional foils?

Selecting the right type of hair color highlights requires a bit of a roadmap. Today, we are going to break down some of the most loved types of hair highlights. After reading this blog, you will be able to confidently walk into the salon with the right vocabulary, knowing exactly what you want.

Table of Contents

Exploring the Different Types Of Hair Color Highlights
Frequently Asked Questions

Quick overview of types of hair color highlights:

Explore the most popular types of hair highlights, including global, ombre, balayage, babylights, and peekaboo.
Each type of hair color highlight differs in technique, placement, and visual impact.
Compare styles that create bold contrast with those that add soft, natural dimension for a balanced look.
Evaluating the maintenance needs of different hair highlights before choosing one is important.
Hair texture and styling also influence the outcome of each highlight technique.
Choose the right hair highlights based on your aesthetic goals and lifestyle.

Exploring The Different Types of Hair Color Highlights

1. Global Highlights

Global highlights is one of the most popular hair color styles that involves lightening sections of hair in a uniform pattern. This method creates an overall lighter appearance, unlike other selective or partial highlight techniques.

Since global highlights cover a large chunk of the hair, they provide a dramatic change and are ideal for anyone who wants to significantly brighten up their base color. However, regrowth becomes visible relatively quickly, making regular touch-ups essential for maintaining a polished look.

2. Ombré Highlights

Ombré highlights create a gradual transition from darker roots to lighter ends. The shift between colors is intentional and evident. In this type of hair color highlight, the contrast of the colors is a defining factor rather than something that you try to blend out.

This technique focuses on the lengths instead of the roots, which means you do not have to worry about revisiting the salon for touch-ups for at least a few weeks. Due to its aesthetic appearance, ombré hair color styles are popular among those who want a dramatic but easy-to-wear highlight effect.

3. Balayage Highlights

Balayage is a type of freehand highlighting technique where color is applied on the surface of the hair, focusing on areas where light would naturally hit the hair. What makes balayage unique is that it is adaptable; it can be subtle or bold, depending on the placement of the color and the saturation.

The outcome of balayage type of hair color highlight is a soft, sun-kissed glow with effortless and seamless transitions between shades. Since the roots are left more natural, the highlights grow out naturally and require very little maintenance.

4. Babylights

Babylights are very fine highlights that are intended to mimic the natural sun-kissed color of a baby’s hair. They’re applied in delicate, closely spaced sections, which adds brightness without making your hair look like it's filled with streaks of white or blonde.

Instead of lightening up the entire head, babylights boost shine and dimension, making them the perfect option for people who want subtle enhancements rather than a makeover.

5. Peakaboo Highlights

Peekaboo highlights are placed beneath the top layer of hair and concealed, so they become visible only when the hair moves or is styled in a certain way. These types of hair highlights often use bright or contrasting colors to add to the element of mystery and surprise.

This technique allows for creative expression without overwhelming the overall look. It is a popular choice among people who want to experiment with colors but also wish to carry a demure look whenever needed.

6. Chunky Highlights

Chunky highlights use thick, clearly defined sections to create a strong contrast against the base color. This style is unapologetically bold, and the placement of the highlight is bound to get noticed by everyone. While chunky highlights are visually striking, they require consistent maintenance to keep the look polished and balanced.

7. Partial Highlights

Partial highlights, as the name suggests, lighten a specific area of the hair, for example, the crown or front layers. They are certainly less bold than the global highlights, but they do add a touch of visually pleasing dimension. This type of hair highlight is perfect for people who are trying highlights for the first time, as the results are subtle yet refreshing.

8. Face-framing Highlights

Face-framing highlights are strategically placed around the front sections of the hair to accentuate facial features. They add brightness near the face, often creating a soft, lifting effect. This type works well on its own or as a complement to other highlighting techniques. Face-framing hair highlights, when done right, can help brighten up the complexion.

9. Lowlights/Reverse Highlights

Reverse highlighting is the process of applying a hair color that is a couple of shades darker than your natural color. This innovative styling technique adds beautiful depth and contrast to previously lightened hair. This type of hair highlight is based on the concept of deepening and enriching, instead of lightening. Lowlights are commonly used to balance existing highlights or transition toward a darker look.

Now that you know all there is to know about types of hair highlights, you can start exploring different hair coloring products and experiment with a few shades. Redken India is a hair brand, loved by professionals across the globe, that offers a range of hair coloring solutions. From a plethora of ammonia-free color gels to coloring essentials and post-color haircare products, Redken has it all. Explore more of our expert hair-coloring tips before settling on a shade that's just for you!