In recent years – not least thanks to the pandemic – the discourse about gray hair has shifted. Instead of doing everything we can to escape them, more and more of us have started to accept our gray hairs. This also applies to celebrities who have found a new way to present their gray hair in a chic way. Herringbone highlights! Celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston have all been seen with this hair color. Read on to learn more about the hair coloring technique and get herringbone highlights inspiration for your next hair appointment.
Herringbone highlights are the genius way to cover gray hair
Being gray has never been more chic. In recent years, we've been enjoying the shades that nature has gifted us - including gray and silver. But most women would admit that the first silver strands can be quite a shock. If this describes you and you're looking for a way to ease yourself into the transition, we introduce you to the herringbone highlights.
What exactly are herringbone highlights?
Herringbone highlights are all about mixing different shades. They are woven into the gray strands, creating a finely balanced mix of warm and cool tones. This celebrates gray hair by incorporating it as an additional shade into a hair color.
Instead of layering a color over your gray hair to hide it, blend it into the hair color you want to achieve. Whether light or dark, you can achieve the highlighted trend with any hair color.
Are herringbone highlights easy to care for?
Even though we love pampering ourselves at the salon, all we care about is saving time and care. Depending on whether you want to keep the style or let it grow naturally, you can expect your salon visits to last an average of two weeks longer. Your hairline will grow softer and look less severe compared to the rest as the herringbone highlights technique eliminates the harsh dividing line.
However, it's important to have a home care routine to keep your strands in tip-top shape.
The first thing you should do is get a shampoo and conditioner that is specifically designed for colored hair. The low pH shampoo and conditioner combination gently cleanses and moisturizes hair, extending color life and leaving strands soft, detangled and shiny.
A hair mask should also be part of your treatment,because gray hairare known to be wirier and coarser than their other colored counterparts.
Are these highlights suitable for everyone?
The beauty of this technique is its adaptability. It works on both a curly pixie and a sleek medium haircut with bangs. Ultimatelyis what this trend is all aboutabout emphasizing the natural color and not hiding it - and we like to see that.
Do herringbone highlights work on all hair colors?
The best thing about herringbone highlights is that they can be done with the shade you're already known for. Sure, it may seem like blondes have an advantage with this technique because their strands have less contrast with grays. In truth, blondes, brunettes and redheads can all get involved - as long as they leave it to an experienced professional. Your colorist can match your highlights to your exact shade. It's simply meant to add a range of tones from your hair color family.
Not all grays absorb color evenly, so a multi-tone approach is beneficial. A color will grow back within two to three weeks. With 70% gray hair, this regrowth is obvious, so it is recommended to mix grays to achieve a soft, natural look, with the added benefit of longevity.
The technique also works on darker hair colors. It goes particularly well with naturally dark hair that is more than 50% gray, as with this color the temptation is to dye everything to achieve an all-over effect. But herringbone highlights offer a softer look that also pays off after washing. They also work on warmer brown tones andtrendy hair colorslike pumpkin spice, with silvery strands gently blended into the mix. The biggest problem with darker hair colors is that when the grays or silvers come through and they are 10 shades lighter than the natural hair color, then you can really see them. In this case, a midrange always works very well. It's best to use a mix of warmer beiges and cooler shades to create balance and avoid dullness.
