What the most low maintenance way to highlight hair? My 18 year-old wants highlights

[Freedomseeker2025]

But concerned about the upkeep

Its naturally mousey msyve darling blonde with a few natural highlights

Balayage… then it doesn’t matter about roots and blends in more

So excuse my ignorance but is balayage highlights ?

John Frieda highlights activating or go blonder shampoo and conditioner. 3 for 2 in Tesco.
Also don’t wash hair first 24 hours if you can make it 36 hours it’s even better.
Don’t use clarifying shampoo or special dermatologist shampoo, unless you really really need it of course.

google it and you’ll see the difference.

Balayage is technically just hand painting sections. Usually it seems hairdressers paint a section with either a v or w shape towards the head.

This means there isn’t one harsh root line as the line between lightened and natural hair isn’t one straight block, it’s already blended between lightened and dark, so in theory as the natural hair grows out it should look more ‘lived in’/natural.

Maybe try googling the difference between highlights and balayage.

I'd recommend Balayage too, especially as she has mousy hair. They are hand painted highlights placed away from the root to create a more natural, beachy kind of look. I moved to having this after covid and young DC. I now go for hair appointments every 12 weeks rather than every 6 but my hair looks fine for them to grow out. I went 6 months between appointments after my second DC.

Thanks will google difference between highlights and balayage.

She's after that summer looks as she does have some natural highlights I'll try and upload a pic

Is mousey a good base colour ?

I'd say after any hair colour that it's best to wait as long as you can before washing hair again.

I’d be tempted to just let her have some individual micro extensions carefully placed. It’s more of an initial outlay because you’d pay for the hair but then you’d only be paying for them to be tightened and there would be less damage to her hair than bleaching it.

I think it works best on this hair colour as this hair colour often naturally develops lighter through the ends during summer. So it looks natural.

I’m just trying to upload a photo now

Here

Sorry finally got it up

See what I mean ?

I have balayage on naturally mousy hair as I'm totally blunt with my hairdresser who knows I go 6 months between appointments but the skill is and the beauty of balyage is the regrowth looks part of it.

I have this colour hair.

it naturally gets blonder in the summer anyway.

i used to get half a head of highlights (no point doing underneath) and it would be split in three.

one third stayed original colour. One third straight up blonde. One third colour half way between the two.

it looked very much like natural sun blonding but lifted the whole colour.

because it was in thirds as it grew out there weren’t obvious roots.

i used to get it done twice a year,

haven’t bothered since covid.

Yes her hair does go blonder in summer, it does have natural highlights
can you see how the current variations in her hair ?
atm it’s virgin hair
not permed or processed at all

I would very strongly suggest John Frieda go blonder spray. It's saved me hundreds of pounds and I wish I'd found it 20 years ago.

Bear in mind nothing happens the first 2-3 times, then hair goes gradually lighter and it looks so natural. Also doesn't seem drying at all.

I'd recommend it to everyone.

My hair is naturally dark but a large amount has gone grey - not evenly, in blocks. So I have highlights - 4 different colours in the blond range - blends in with the rest and root growth is far less obvious. I only have it done twice a year - in between I touch up / cover it with a blond semi permanent tone my hairdresser recommended. It tones down the lighter blond (i don't like it when it gets too light which it does gradually), covers the greys but leaves the darker colours as they are. Apart from the cost, I hate spending hours on my day off at the salon.

Balayage not highlights, not baby lights or any other kind of lights. Use a good conditioning mask and oil like kerastase or Lush and don't bleach the granny out of it straight away. She can always add more lightness later but needs to watch the condition.

But hear me out, chamomile tea rinse in the sun then leave overnight. Vinegar too but I'm happy to pong a bit while it dries. Works over time so she could do both. Sorry it's not the nicest reason but I've tried it following cancer treatment as I don't want to bleach my regrowth. You know what? It's made a subtle but noticeable difference. I'm dark blonde and it's now quite golden! Don't use new white sheets if you do give it a go!!

@SGBK4862what toner does your hairdresser recommend? That sounds good!

That scares me as I remember Sun in, in the 90s
I appreciate it maybe totally different now

Not to me but Fanola is a good no nonsense toner. Rather drying so use a I'd serum or similar but really takes the brassiness out. My hairdresser recommended it.

Sorry to hear about the cancer treatment, I actually have some chamomile tea from when I was having sleep problems