American highlighting: features and technique

One of the most modern techniques that allows you to quickly change the image is the popular American highlighting. This method of coloring appeared relatively recently, but in a short time it has already gained a huge number of fans all over the world. Such highlighting is often confused with coloring or toning and do not even realize that many of the models that we see on the pages of glossy magazines resort to highlighting.

The main difference between American highlighting and classic highlighting is that here they use not one shade for coloring, but several - usually from 2 to 5. In this case, the tones are selected as close as possible to the native color, and the hair is dyed not with narrow strands, but with wide ones. The result of this method of applying paint is the effect of maximum naturalness and naturalness of the hairstyle.

American highlighting has many advantages:

• there are no age restrictions, the coloring looks good on both very young girls and women of elegant age;
• optimal for both straight and curly hair;
• adds pomp and volume to the hairstyle, gives the necessary density and at the same time lightness;
• does not affect the area near the roots, therefore, it is a safe and gentle technique;
• there is no need to regularly adjust the haircut - with hair regrowth, the border between the colored and native strands is almost invisible and not striking, so the need for correction arises no more than once every 3 months.

Coloring is optimal for:

• thick hair;
• hair dyed at least 2-3 months ago;
• natural color of the mop.

At the same time, there are features of the strands, in which it is better to turn to other methods of coloring, these include:

• split and damaged hair;
• allergic and skin diseases;
• hair dyed with basma or henna.

In addition, staining is not recommended during pregnancy and during breastfeeding, and you should also not do staining on the days of menstruation, when the result of using paint due to a hormonal surge in the body can be the most unpredictable.

American highlighting has several varieties, let's focus on the most popular ones.

2-3 shades are used, with the help of which the effect of natural overflows of color and glare on the hair is created. In accordance with the technology of execution, the lower areas on the back of the head are also painted first, then they smoothly move to the temporal areas and from there to the crown. In order not to confuse the strands with different colors, they are wrapped in foil of several shades. Such dyeing makes the hair more stylish, interesting and truly glossy, while the effect on the hair is quite soft and gentle, since only a small part of the curls is affected by dyeing.

Such coloring is used only for light brown hair, diluting them with honey, as well as wheat and nude shades. This is the best option for those girls who want to get on their hair the effect of a strand slightly burnt out in the hot sun with iridescent highlights on the curls. This technique is one of the most difficult, most often craftsmen use special paste-like paints based on natural wax, while the hair is not wrapped in foil. This is exactly the special "trick" - on contact with the main shock of hair, the colored strands allow you to create the appearance of the most smooth overflow of shades.

This highlighting is applicable for brunettes; in this case, the tint palette includes shades of brick, red, as well as bronze and red-brown. This method is ideal for revitalizing slightly dark dull hair, but without spoiling the curls with lightening.

This highlight is suitable for cheeky and creative girls who love beauty experiments and are always happy to try something new. Here they use the most daring bright colors, resort to contrasts and any other non-standard solutions. As a rule, such highlighting is based on the use of ammonia-free dyes, because coloring is short-lived and is washed out within about a month. This dyeing method is optimal for creating a play bow on vacation, as well as during art projects and other creative events.

To make American highlighting look the most harmonious, you need to correctly find the optimal shades for coloring, the recommendations of experienced craftsmen will come in handy. Owners of blond hair can use a wide variety of colors, here the choice depends solely on the original color of the curls:

• fairly light, almost white strands - ash, platinum, as well as pearl and caramel;
• light ash - here it is worth using wheat, golden honey and milky colors will be good;
• light brown - dark blond are appropriate here, as well as red in any possible variations and platinum tones.

For owners of black hair, it is worth stopping at red shades, women with a chocolate shock are better off using light blond tones, and girls with brown curls are better suited to matte colors and milky blond.Red-haired girls rarely resort to highlighting, because they look impressive and bright even without staining.

American highlighting is done only in beauty salons, since it is almost impossible to perform it at home. Experienced craftsmen carry out all the necessary manipulations according to the scheme below.

The application of the main tone, as a rule, begins with the temples and the back of the head, while individual strands are separated with a knitting needle or a separator on a comb. Each curl is smeared with a coloring compound and wrapped in foil. At the final stage, the agent is applied to the crown. The application of additional tones goes in the same order, from the back of the head to the very crown, the master applies all the remaining shades, alternating them.

The dye is kept on the hair in accordance with the time indicated in the instructions, usually up to 25-30 minutes. After the allotted time, the hairdresser removes the foil, while you need to start with the darkest tone, and finish, on the contrary, with the light one. Next, the hair is thoroughly washed with warm water with shampoos, which do not contain sulfates, after which the strands are treated with a conditioner balm and a means for fixing the resulting color.

Unfortunately, it happens that even with the exact observance of the entire execution technology, the result is not at all what was expected. Stylists highlight several of the most common mistakes.

• The color turns out to be too washed out - this happens when the foil was poorly fixed or if strands with light dyes were first unfolded, and dark ones only after them.
• The shade is uneven, in places bright, in places dull - such an error occurs if contrasting tones were used during staining. In this case, it is best to rinse the hair as soon as it unfolds. So, first unfold and rinse the strands covered with dark paint, then medium and then the lightest.
• Transitions have appeared - this can happen with insufficient fastening of the foil, then the coloring pigment from one curl falls on another - the effect is not the most aesthetic.
• Dry hair - sometimes after American highlighting the hair becomes like straw, which means that too aggressive paint was used or the composition was overexposed on the hair. To prevent this from happening, you need to purchase cosmetic products from trusted manufacturers and apply them in strict accordance with the instructions.

In addition, shade mismatch is a common mistake. It happens that the colors themselves are pleasant, but together they do not look, therefore, when choosing a color scheme, a whole range of factors should be taken into account:

• color type of a woman;
• color compatibility;
• the length and structure of curls;
• face oval;
• the quality of the dye.

American highlighting has become the number one trend among all other types of hair coloring. It is no coincidence that this technique was preferred by many stars of world cinema and show business, as well as popular models.

For information on how American highlighting is performed, see the next video.