Hair highlighting is the latest fashion statement that adds beauty to natural hair by accentuating the focal point of the haircut. Nowadays, not only women, even men also go for highlights as this gives a stylish and elegant look, adding depth, dimension and expression.

Like various other hairstyles, highlighting is also a variation or modification of the age old concept of hair henna. The only difference stated is extra maintenance and care. This is because earlier natural products were used for highlighting and today the fashion trend has been swayed away by chemicals. These chemicals have harmful effects on natural hair when used for a longer period and destroys the natural shine and original texture. These also results in hair breakage, hair shedding, splits ends and dryness. So, be careful and cautious when you plan to go for a hair highlight.

Hair highlighting is classified into four different types, Foil highlighting, chunking, hair painting and low-lighting. Foil highlighting is a technique where foil is used to separate and wrap hair strands to avoid fixing of colors on other strands. Chunking is a method of coloring different sizes chunks of hair. Hair painting is a way of using brush or comb to paint the desired color on the hair. Low lighting is a technique of applying lighter shades to natural hair.

The global market is flooded with assortments of various different colors and shades for hair highlighting. The basic fundamental of the hair highlighting technique is choosing the perfect hair highlight that compliments your natural hair coloring, skin tone and hair length. It looks even more elegant and beautiful on layered hairstyles.
Hair colors are classified into cool tones and warm tones. Cool tones include medium ash brown, blue-black, dishwater blonde, deep coffee brown, medium golden brown, golden blonde, and white. Hair colors that are considered as warm tones are red, deep brown, strawberry blonde and gray. Based on these categories of cool and warm tones, you can select the perfect highlight color.
The shades that best compliments cool tones are raven blacks, ash browns, burgundy, cool blondes and fire-engine red shades. Shades like yellow, bronze, gold or red should be avoided by people with cool tones hair color as these highlights offer a pale look.

The best highlight options for warm tones are deep chocolate, red, golden brown, golden blonde, auburn and orange highlights. People having warm hair colors should avoid violet, blue and white colors as these highlight colors can swab away their original color.
These days, reds are becoming much more popular for all types of hair colors and hair tones. This is because red hair highlight brings a pleasant change in life by adding enhanced depth and dimension to natural hair.

It is believed the pure reds gets faded easily, so go for reds that have more of brown in it. Excess of brown shade in red highlights will stay for longer and provide a unique look to your hairstyle. The most popular shades of red are strawberry, mahogany, copper, red-gold or red-brown. You can pick any shade that can best compliment your hair and skin tone. Cool tones of reds such as purple or plum red, compliments people having olive skin color whereas people with fair complexion look dramatic with warmer reds su8ch as orange or honey red.

Hair highlights certainly bring a striking and dramatic change in your look adding beauty and expression to your face value. But, to preserve this beauty and expression, it is very crucial to provide extra care and maintenance to hair highlights because these are composed of harmful chemicals.