Brighter and blonder are among the top requests in the salon, especially during the summer months. However, an essential element that often gets overlooked during the lightening process is the need to add depth to hair color. Whether you’re behind the chair or sitting in it, understanding the importance of depth in relation to an overall style is key. Read on as we detail what you should be asking for and how to achieve well-rounded color in the salon.
What Is Depth?
Depth refers to the lightness or darkness of your hair. Lower level shades, often your natural base color, creates a varied appearance of shadowing also known as depth and can be used to create the appearance of it.
How We Loose Depth
Depending on your style and cadence of salon appointments, it can be easy to fall into a cycle of asking for the same service at each appointment. If you’re consistently booked in for a highlight or balayage - chances are you’re going to be getting drastically lighter at each appointment, which might be your goal. However, after a few consecutive appointments, you might notice that your color is beginning to wash your complexion out and even look slightly muted. This is because by adding more and more highlights, you’re actually losing depth, and therefore the element needed to make hair color appear brighter. By having light and depth throughout the hair, it helps those highlighted pieces appear lighter due to contrast.
How To Add Depth
An instant way to add depth - no appointment necessary - is by adding curls or waves to your hair. Styling your hair in this way automatically creates highlights and shadows throughout and also allows different layers of the hair to be exposed. To create long-lasting depth, adding low-lights are a must. Similar to highlights, lowlights are woven sections of hair that use a darker hair color (instead of lightener) to create deeper colors, and therefore depth.
What To Ask For In The Salon
Balayage - One of the most natural-looking ways to add hair color, balayage is a freehand technique that uses a painting motion to add highlights. Additionally, a balayage technique can be used to paint lowlights within the hair as well. Due to the fact that placement is tailored to an individual cut, texture or style, this is a highly effective way to create the perfect balance of light and depth.
Ombré - A great option if you've been growing out your highlights or haven't made it into the salon recently - this look utilizes your natural base shade or simulates the same style with a root smudge. A high contrast color option, an ombré is made up of highlights that begin around the ear and melt throughout the mid-lengths and ends.
Underlights - Also known as “peek-a-boo” lights, underlights are highlights that are placed in the underneath layers of the hair. A more subtle way to add dimension and depth, they are a low-maintenance option to add interest with ease.
To learn more hair color tips and techniques, be sure to check out more from Wella Professionals here!
