Effective Way to Achieve Voluminous Hair: What Are Dimension Highlights?

Working with fine hair when you want to switch up your hairstyle can be tricky. While there are always hair extensions for a fuller look if you have thin hair, they can cost a pretty penny. Voluminous hairstyles using styling products to achieve the desired results are a budget-friendly alternative but not necessarily a permanent solution.

Dyeing your hair could be your best shot at making your strands appear thicker. Even though hair dye does affect thin hair, some coloring techniques are more beneficial than harmful in the long run, especially if you’d like to enhance your volume, at least visually speaking.

Don’t stick to a single color when dyeing your hair for the illusion of thicker locks. Darker hues add dimension to thin hair, but doing your entire head in one shade will make it look flat. To get the most out of your hair dyeing experience for fuller-looking hair, dimensional highlights could be the answer you’ve been looking for.

What are Dimension Highlights?

So, what are dimension highlights, and how can it add depth to your hair? Dimension highlights are all about adding dimension to the hair, hence the name, which can be done with any highlighting approach. If you need to figure out the real difference between partial and full highlights, don’t worry; they can both be used to achieve the rich, dimensional look you’re after.

When asking for dimension highlights, know that your stylist won’t be doing just one type of highlighting technique.

The highlights are strategically placed throughout your hair to create contrast and add depth, thus achieving fuller-looking hair. Think of it like contouring but for hair. Dimension highlights will work with your base color to create the illusion of volume.

There must be a balance for every light or dark piece of dimensional color. That means incorporating depth with color shadowing and adding bolding brightness with highlights.

Your base color will determine the color of your dimensional highlights; if your hair is darker, the highlights will be lighter, and vice versa. This will also determine the coloring process itself. For example, lighter-colored hair will most likely get the foil treatment containing darker shades, while darker hair will benefit from a freehand coloring technique like balayage. While you won’t get thicker hair, the added dimension will make it seem so.

Even though dimensional highlights visually make the hair fuller, you can make them work for hair that’s already voluminous. As they enhance existing color, they’re not only reserved for thinner heads of hair. They’re a great option if your hair color is flat or you’d like something different without committing to a full head of one color.

For instance, if you’re a blonde looking to add some interest to your color without changing it too much, dimensional highlights will do the heavy lifting. On the other hand, full highlights and different-toned shades would better create depth on a redhead.

As your hairstylist will adjust the highlighting process to you and your hair, you can’t go wrong with some contrasting strands. Depending on your desired outcome, they can be made more or less obvious with alternating thickness and different hues.

What Is The Difference Between Baby Lights And Dimensions?

If you’re looking for a quick way to spice up your look especially now that the holiday parties are just around the corner, hair color, baby lights, and dimensional highlights can depth and an extra oomph! to your hairstyle. But before you rush to your favorite hair salon, it’s vital to know and be fully aware of the distinctions between these hair coloring methods to choose what fits your hair goals best.

As mentioned, dimensional highlights aim to give your hair more dimension using contrast and depth. Babylights, on the other hand, are subtle, faint highlights resembling the naturally sun-kissed strands in children’s hair. Babylights are commonly applied by hand-painting small sections or using a fine-tooth comb.

Babylights are similar to mini-highlights. They’re finely woven and purposefully leave tiny gaps between foils, blending nicely with the underlying color. While they do not produce a bold dimension, they provide a soft, sun-kissed appearance.

What’s The Difference Between Highlights And Balayage?

Balayage, a French term, translates to ‘sweeping’ and involves freely applying color or lightener onto the hair without using any tools or guides. Balayage can be applied near the roots, emphasizing enhanced brightness along the mid-lengths and ends. The outcome is a gentle, naturally appearing effect that demands notably lower upkeep.

So how do they differ? Highlights refer to hair that’s lighter than the base color. It’s not only for blondes, as many think; it can lighten strands of any hair color. Traditionally, highlights are applied using “foiling,” a method where foil sheets separate hair strands covered with color or lightener. The strands, wrapped in foil, undergo processing. Foil plays a crucial role by preventing the lightener from reaching other hair and trapping heat. This allows the lightener to lift more effectively. Usually, foil highlights are placed near the scalp, lightening hair from roots to ends, giving an all-over highlighted appearance.

Balayage means applying highlights without foil, using a freehand technique. It gives a gentle and natural lightness progression along the hair strand—often a bit deeper near the scalp and lighter towards the ends. Normally, balayage begins away from the roots, concentrating on the mid-shafts and hair ends.

Which One Should You Choose – Highlight Or Balayage?

With different hair types, textures, and needs, what type of hair color treatment is right for your hair type depends entirely on your hair’s natural color and the underlying health of your hair. It all comes down to what you want your hair to do and how you want to style it.

Remember that both highlights and balayage require color-treated hair, but there are some key differences between the two. While highlights show the color at its most vibrant, balayage emphasizes the hair’s natural texture. Highlights can sometimes look harsh against balayage’s more natural looks.

At On the Avenue Salon, we put your transformation needs first and foremost. We love to enhance confidence and add memorable moments to any event of your life. So, no matter if you want to have dimensional highlights, babylights, or balayage, we are here to make your dream come true. From choosing coloring techniques, color selection, and styling – you will love your new you.