How To Do Foils On Long Hair

@acquired.style / Pattern by Camden Dechert

We've all been there: Using a boxed color from the drugstore to hold yous over until your side by side in-salon appointment or to get some serious root coverage. But when it comes to highlighting your ain hair, well, the stakes are much college. Highlighting is not something a professional person colorist would ever advise you to practice from home. It's a multi-footstep procedure that requires a lot of detailed attention and a conscientious, watchful eye (and hand) every step of the way.

Even though a lot tin can go wrong, if you've already made upwards your mind that you're giving to requite at-dwelling highlights a try, we desire you to at least practise information technology as safely as possible. Since experts agree that information technology isn't safe for those who want to lighten all of their hair more than than 2 shades at home, we're going to focus on how those with existing highlights (or hair color in the blonde family) can touch up their color by highlighting just where the hair parts and the pieces that frame the face.

Meet the Expert

KC Carhart is a celebrity colorist at Chris McMillan Salon in Beverly Hills.
Cara Craig is a leading colorist at Suite Caroline Salon in Soho.

Read on to learn how to highlight pilus at abode similar a pro.

01 of x

Consult With Your Colorist

@dphue

If you can't expect for a professional to do the chore for you, you demand to at least talk with i first. Consulting your colorist will not only help you lot to gain some sort of understanding of what yous're virtually to practice, but it'south an opportunity to collaboratively come up with a strategic arroyo.

Craig cautions that when highlighting your hair at home, y'all could stop upwards with a completely dissimilar colour (because the box photos are never the same), odd placement, a blonde that is way also warm and doesn't match the residuum of your hair, or colour that is way too dark. "I stay in touch with my clients and volition troubleshoot their individual situations," she says. "My communication would exist to communicate with your colorist and get their recommendation. They know y'all and your hair."

Some brands, similar L'Oreal'southward Color & Co, will offering a free consultation with a professional colorist to assistance you have your best pace forward with at-habitation pilus color. Even if you don't accept a trusted become-to colorist, if there'southward someone you dear following on Instagram, or a colour brand yous're leaning towards using, send them a DM asking for advice. Most in-person consults are going to be gratuitous of charge anyway, so asking over east-mail or online is no different so long equally they have a good photo of your current color, preferably in natural lighting. The goal all professionals have at the stop of the day is to make a contribution to skillful hair, and to help people feel their all-time.

02 of x

Find Your Color Kit

@colorandco

Subsequently talking with a pro, you lot should accept gathered some adept information to help yous motion forward, such as your electric current base color or level, and potentially even a specific product recommendation. Now, there are two ways to touch up your highlights:

The first manner is with unmarried-process color. That means you have one colour awarding, rinse, and you're done. Normally, single-process is best for an allover change, or for root touch-ups to muffle grayness hair. If your hair is light enough, you may be able to pull this off (with your colorist's blessing, of course). If you go the single procedure color route, be sure to use a semi- or demi-permanent color to aid your color fade over time versus leaving a longer-lasting stain on the hair that will create more piece of work to correct later. FYI: These can only exist used to darken your hair or modify the tone.

A unmarried process is really simply going to alter the shade of your hair one to ii levels, which volition be easier for lighter base colors that are already within the dark blonde family. If your natural base of operations color is super dark, this isn't going to exist your route to lighter strands. Remember, "this is more of get-yous-by-til-your-colorist-can-see-you tutorial," says Carhart, "not the time to see if y'all wait adept equally a DIY blonde." Since this choice doesn't entail whatsoever bleach, "you'd take to piece of work pretty hard to burn your hair off," Craig tells us. And then at least that rules out one of the many potential risks.

All highlighting that's done in the salon is typically washed with bleach. Bleaching is more likely to cause serious damage if you aren't careful, such as burning the hair off every bit Craig referenced above. When you use bleach, information technology's considered a double process job because there are two steps involved to become your desired outcome: bleaching and toning. The bleach is going to strip your strands of their current shade, lifting colour out a few levels lighter, and the toner is going to then re-eolith the desired tone. Information technology's a much more than intensive process for beginners, let alone for doing it yourself at home with no assistance. Even in the salon, information technology's pretty rare to find a professional using this method without an extra set of hands assisting them, and then allow that be telling of why this method isn't typically advised for DIY.

Before resorting to touching up your own highlights at dwelling, try an at-home gloss or toning handling first. While they won't lighten your roots, they can help tone down unwanted brassiness between appointments, improving the overall look of your highlights. Squad Byrdie loves the Matrix Full Results And then Silver Mask ($26) and the Kristin Ess Signature Gloss in Winter Wheat ($14).

03 of ten

Get together Your Materials

@matrix

Go to (or order online from) a beauty supply store like Sally's to get together your supplies, or run across if your colorist tin can social club materials for y'all and y'all can reimburse them through Venmo (if y'all practice something like this, we'd advise including a tip).

Most single-process touch-ups are going to come up in a box or kit that includes everything for y'all: Your gloves, instructions, mixing solutions, and application bottle. Again, I volition emphasize not to get started with a unmarried process color just considering it seems easy and straightforward. You lot must make certain this is advice direct from your colorist. Carhart reminds u.s.a., "it could exist 10 times harder and at to the lowest degree twice as expensive later for your colorist to gear up box dyes."

For a double process bleach-and-tone, your materials should include:

A colour brush
A small mixing bowl
Bleach
Peroxide
Some foil. Carhart suggests using kitchen foil and cutting into 4" x six" rectangles
A rat-tail rummage
Latex gloves
A color cape or towel and clip

When choosing a peroxide, Carhart says to keep it "low depression low!" Keeping a low volume volition help ensure you lot don't fry your hair off, and it leaves more hope for your colorist to fix any potential mistakes fabricated. "We can't reattach your hair if it's been cleaved off!" says Carhart. "If your hair is naturally lite (blonde to low-cal brownish), x volume is the highest you lot should go," she advises. A level ten volume peroxide will lift one level lighter and a level twenty volume will safely lift 2. "If your hair is naturally darker (medium brown to black), use 20 volume."

Mix your bleach and peroxide into a thick, simply composite consistency. You don't want it to exist too runny or soupy. Make sure your gloves are on even while mixing. If bleach touches the skin, it volition burn. Bleach will stain your clothes besides, then exist sure to put your cape on for protection right abroad.

04 of 10

Perform a Strand Test

@bleachlondon

A strand test is when you have a small sliver of hair and apply your colour solution to see how it turns out before going all in. Before you practice this, make sure your hair is clean. Y'all want clean hair that's product-free and so there isn't any buildup or barrier on your strands that inhibit penetration.

If you do a strand test, specifically with bleach, be sensitive to maintaining your foil placement. Try to go a adept await at the strand to gauge if it'due south the level of brightness you were expecting, but be sure to leave your foil in place until it's time to remove and rinse. "[Strand tests] could cause bleed marks if people are removing the foil and trying to put the hair back in," says Carhart. "I would just open the foil slightly and expect at information technology. When information technology looks yellow or pale yellow, it's fix. The quickness or slowness of the chemical reaction will depend entirely on the individual," she explains. "Typically, lite pilus lifts faster and dark hair lifts slower."

If you lot're doing a total bleach and tone, you can exam your unabridged process on this strand. It sounds similar a lot of actress work, and it is! But improve to take the time and take a chance a single strand that tin hands exist hidden, versus going in at the roots that are most visible only to realize it was non at all what you expected. The key to checking your strand exam, according to Carhart, is "minimal touching."

05 of 10

Cull Your Method

@bleachlondon

There are a lot of means to physically highlight the hair. When you go to the salon, your stylist might use foils, they might do balayage (with a castor), or they may fifty-fifty backcomb your ends before using foils and so stick you nether a dryer for an hour. None of that is going to happen for a home application.

Techniques like balayage and backcombing are meant to lighten the ends and highlight all-over. Plus, with those techniques, yous don't need to take your ends touched up much at all. "I paint balayage highlights and then the grow-out is smooth and seamless," says Craig, "and then a few more months of roots won't be the finish of the earth. Your hair probably looks good."

Think: this tutorial is the last resort to salve you between visits. Y'all will only be dealing with your roots.

With that in mind, Carhart suggests using a foil technique for bleaching. The amount of time you leave information technology on for will exist dependent upon your colorist's communication. But you tin can check the foils every five to x minutes to encounter how it's lifting (with minimal touching, of course).

If you decide to use a unmarried process color kit or a one-footstep tool, similar DP Hue'south Blonding Brush ($28), but follow the directions that come in the packaging.

06 of x

Section Your Hair

@koivistokarlsson

Per Carhart's advice, you're going to start by clipping your pilus into three sections: the two sides (from the back of the ear, forrard) and the back. Even though you're sectioning all of your hair, "I would recommend doing as footling as possible," she says. "Only highlight the 'T-zone' where you function your hair and around the face." That dorsum section can basically be clipped abroad safely.

Though you'll simply be doing a minimal amount of budget, keeping all of your hair sectioned keeps you organized and helps to avoid any unnecessary messes or unwanted mess-ups. After your strand exam has shown promise, you can exercise one or two layers of foils in the "T-zone" equally Carhart suggests, right at the surface of your parting.

"While I would avoid doing this in general," says Carhart, "I would avert going near the back of the head at all costs." The parting area and hairline are the only working zones. Sectioning is simply meant to go on your piece of work expanse clean and organized.

07 of x

Paint Your Strands

Since every unmarried process application is going to have unique directions of its ain, and likely a user-friendly applicator, nosotros're going to apply this space to talk over how to achieve a highlight bear upon-up past using the foil method that Carhart suggested.

Start wherever your natural parting is, either on the side or downward the middle. "Begin past slicing super fine sections (like, see-through!) using your tail comb to weave some pieces of hair out," says Carhart. Place the thinly sectioned hairs onto your foil, and stretch them down taut against your head. Use your brush to gather a scoop of your bleach mixture and firmly press it downward onto your strands as if yous were painting a thick stroke of acrylic paint with a paintbrush. You want it to be rich and thick but still spread out into an even layer. You shouldn't need also much since the sections y'all're working with are so fine. "Pigment the bleach on your roots and avoid overlapping onto the blonde from your previous colour job," says Carhart.

When it comes time to use around the hairline, take a fine slice of pilus out using your tail rummage and weave the aforementioned manner Carhart advised with the parting. And then, place a foil against your forehead or cheek, and lay the finely sliced hair on top of the foil. "Make sure to saturate, merely non over saturate. Then fold the lesser of the foil to meet the acme, and corner in the tops of the sides a little bit and then the foil doesn't slip." Don't be too shy with saturation either. If your application isn't saturated, you lot'll accept a splotchy, spotty-looking bleach task.

While Carhart thinks that the hairline is the easiest to do yourself, she warns that it however requires some serious paw-eye coordination. "If you take never mastered how to ringlet your own hair, then highlighting at abode is definitely not for you."

The most important office of applying your bleach is to ensure it does not impact the scalp. "Attempt to become virtually 1/iv inch away from the root because bleach will expand," Carhart explains. "If it does, and yous see the product seeping out when y'all close the foil, you will take what's chosen a bleed mark (more commonly known every bit a chetah spot)." If bleach touches the scalp or skin, rinse the area immediately.

Whatever hard-to-accomplish areas, Carhart simply says, "Don't do them."

08 of 10

Apply Your Toner

@biolage

Toner's chore is to neutralize the intense yellow shade that appears from bleaching and get in look more natural. This is the hole-and-corner sauce that eliminates brassiness and other unwanted tones to assist you reach your desired outcome.

When it comes to your toner, "keep it simple," says Carhart. "Ideally I would effort and take the foils out at a place where you don't need a toner. If your hair is blonde, this is much easier. You await until the highlights are a pretty color and and then you lot take the foils off. If you're a brunette, you need to pay closer attention."

Carhart tells the states that the "sugariness spot" for darker brunettes is two to three shades lighter than their natural color. The safer, depression-volume peroxide that nosotros're working with for these at-home touch-ups will only elevator you 1 to 2 shades lighter. So if you've been highlighting for a while and working with your colorist to get blonder from a super dark natural base of operations color, you're ameliorate off resorting to throwing on a baseball cap and hiding those roots. If you're a dark brunette that only needs a lite touch-upwards at the roots, just be sure not to overlap the bleach onto your previous color task as Carhart warned earlier. The overlap could crusade a funky color spot or potential breakage.

The potential of leaving the bleach on too long could likewise create a trouble for your toning approach. "If you open up the foil and the hair looks kinda cherry-red/orange, you're too early," Carhart warns u.s.. The colour you desire to meet earlier you lot remove the foils to rinse is yellow. Afterwards the bleach has been thoroughly rinsed out, yous'll apply your toner.

09 of 10

Follow Up With a Deep Workout Treatment

Virtue Restorative Handling Mask $32.00

Shop

After any color treatment or chemic treatment that heightens the pilus's porosity levels, you want to be sure you're upping the conditioner and getting extra wet back into the pilus. You'll notice, especially after using bleach, that your hair feels straw-like, brittle, and extremely dried out, so a expert conditioning treatment is crucial.

Turn to your conditioner later your toner is completely rinsed out and you've shampooed your hair. If you lot followed Carhart'due south advice and passed on the toner, you could use a product like Davines Alchemic Conditioners in Silver, Gold, or Tobacco ($33) and let that serve as your mild toner. That way, yous don't have to put yourself at take a chance of pulling the foils off too late. Blue conditioners will assistance neutralize the warmth if your pilus pulls more orange or xanthous. Otherwise, any deep workout treatment will work. Virtue'due south Restorative Handling Mask ($32) is another great option and will assistance restore your pilus from the inside out.

Y'all don't desire to skip this step—it'll add a boost of shine and softness to your strands that will aid you feel similar you just left the salon. Continue up this treatment until you lot lose that straw-like feeling when shampooing.

x of 10

Blow Dry and Cross Check

@dysonhair

Now it's fourth dimension to see your best efforts in action. Blow dry around the hairline and part first, even if you didn't practice a bleach-and-tone. One time y'all're 80-90 percent dry, catch a round castor or flat brush to help y'all smooth out the hair. Using a smoothing nozzle or concentrator volition too help y'all get the hair to a place where you can see things clearly.

If you observe any trouble areas, get your pilus fully dried and smoothed out before contacting your colorist in a panic. You'll want to provide some other photo in good natural lighting, and the blow dry will help brandish things clearly. Worst example scenario, you'll be back to square i, waiting for a pro, just this time information technology volition be for a color correction. But if yous're extremely cautious and vigilant in following the steps to a higher place, you might just pass with flight colors.