You know when hairdressers do highlights, you know how the kinda back comb the roots, of the section they are about to bleach, surely that must really really damage the hair?

[LovelyYellowLabrador]

Tempted to go for highlights as hair getting so grey/white being brunette is high maintenance !!

I get highlights and haven't noticed this! Mine kind of wiggles a thin metal end of a comb through to pick out the sections to colour?

But wouldn't the damage done by colouring your hair is much greater than a bit of backcombing?

Well
yeH guess the bleach will cause more damage then back coming ! Fair point !

Back combing has to be done very often before it will cause damage

Mine doesn't do this,I thought that was just for balyage ? (sp)

Isn’t it so there’s no strong demarcation line

surely there’s a better way to avoid that

mind you maybe back coming isn't all that bad

Never had any back combing done and haven't had bleach used for my highlights for years. A decent hairdresser will be with the times.

They don't back comb for standard highlights

Surely they have to use bleach to lift the hair ?

I've had my (short) hair bleached entirely white blonde for about...15 years now. Before that, I had highlights My hairdresser has always used the pointy end of her comb to "wiggle" the roots of my hair up to be bleached - a good hairdresser won't damage your hair (and agree with PP, backcombing has to be done consistently over a sustained period of time to damage your hair!)

Do you mean when they do the zig zag thing with the comb? If so that isn't backcombing.

Gosh I haven’t had it done like that for many years. Probably since the 90s. Nowadays they snake the comb in and out to lift out sections and then they paint the highlights randomly so that you don’t have a harsh line

I regularly get highlights. Last time it was back combed for the first time. I don't like stripy lines so might be for that. I usually ask for baby highlights and they do the wiggle thing.

My hairdresser wiggles the pointy handle bit of her come through my hair for highlights. She’s never back combed it when doing highlights

She back combed it when I had a balayage once - I hated it so didn’t do it again.

Sounds like they are doing a root strech. Backcombing will be fine

@LovelyYellowLabrador No, the developer will lift a certain level of colour, bleach just increases that lift. I think 20 volume lifts 1-2 levels, 30 volume lifts 3-4 levels 40 volume 5-6 levels. Bleach increases that lift. You want the product on the hair for as short time as possible. Hence the higher volumes used.

My roots are a 9 mixed with 20 volume. A lot of hairdressers don't need to backcomb as they turn the brush. Mine starts with the wide part of the brush against my hair in the foil, then turns it sideways to do the top part, easier to control the deposit of product with the side of the brush. I have roots, then roots plus halo then full highlights done.

I am not a hairdresser but have my hair done religiously.

I have a highlight tint, I ditched the bleach a couple of years back and my hair has never been so healthy!

Sorry should say highlift tint