what's the difference between highlights and lowlights
Highlights and lowlights are both techniques to add dimension to hair color, but highlights use lighter shades to brighten and lowlights use darker shades to deepen and add contrast.
Quick Scoop
What are highlights?
Highlights are sections of hair dyed a few shades lighter than your natural or base color.
They create a sun-kissed effect, make hair look brighter overall, and are often used to lift brunettes to lighter brown or blonde tones, or blondes to even lighter blondes.
Key points:
- Lighter than your base color (often 2–3 shades lighter).
- Add brightness, lightness, and a more “summery” look.
- Can be subtle (like babylights) or high-contrast and bold.
- Often require lightener/bleach, so they can be more drying and higher maintenance.
What are lowlights?
Lowlights are strands colored darker than your current lightest areas or base shade.
They add depth and shadow, can make hair look thicker, and are great when hair has become too light or flat from repeated highlighting.
Key points:
- Darker than your base or existing highlights.
- Add dimension, depth, and a more natural, lived-in look.
- Especially good for fine hair to create the illusion of fullness.
- Usually use regular color (not lightener), so they’re gentler and fade more softly.
Side‑by‑side: highlights vs lowlights
| Feature | Highlights | Lowlights |
|---|---|---|
| Color direction | Lighter than base color. | [1][9][5][3]Darker than base or lightest areas. | [9][1][5][3]
| Overall effect | Brightens, lifts, adds light. | [10][1][5][3]Deepens, adds shadow and contrast. | [5][9][10][3]
| Best for | People wanting a lighter, sun-kissed or high-impact look. | [1][3][5]People whose hair looks too light, flat, or want thicker-looking hair. | [9][3][5]
| Maintenance | Regrowth is more obvious; tends to need more frequent touch-ups. | [3]Grows out softly, often needs less maintenance and can be cheaper over time. | [3]
| Hair health | Often uses lightener; can be more drying or damaging if overdone. | [3]Usually uses darker dye only; less chemical stress on hair. | [5][3]
| Look on fine hair | Can sometimes make hair look a bit more see-through if too light. | [5][3]Adds dimension and can make fine hair appear fuller. | [9][5][3]
How to choose for your hair
You can use a simple rule of thumb:
- Choose mostly highlights if:
- You want to look noticeably lighter overall.
- You like a bright, beachy, or more dramatic color change.
- Choose mostly lowlights if:
- Your hair feels washed out, too blonde, or one flat light color.
- You want richer, more natural-looking depth and easier grow-out.
- Combine both if:
- You want multi-dimensional color with a mix of light and dark for a very natural, salon-y look.
A common modern approach is to add soft highlights around the face for brightness and lowlights through the interior to bring back contrast and a lived-in finish.
Forum-style take: “Highlights are like turning up the brightness; lowlights are like adding shadows so your hair doesn’t look like one flat block of color.”
Quick TL;DR
- Highlights = lighter strands to brighten hair.
- Lowlights = darker strands to deepen and thicken the look visually.
- Many trending color jobs in 2025–2026 mix both for natural, dimensional, low-maintenance color.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.