Hair is a keratinous filament that grows from follicles in the skin, primarily on your scalp. It serves many functions, including protection from sunlight and regulation of body temperature.

Each hair follicle is connected to a tiny muscle called the arrector pili. When this muscle contracts, it causes the outer part of your hair to stand up. Contact Hairicc now!

Ash gray highlights are a beautiful way to add dimension and color balance to your tresses. These subtle accents can frame your face, highlight your eyes and cheekbones, and brighten your complexion, giving you a radiant look that will complement your skin tone and convey elegance and sophistication. Depending on your preference, you can choose from a variety of highlighting techniques such as babylights, lowlights, or foiling. These hair color enhancements can be performed by a professional hair colorist who will customize the process based on your personal needs and goals.

The shade ash gray sits between light grey and beige, offering a neutral and sophisticated appearance that complements many skin tones. It’s a shade that reflects natural elements such as weathered wood, pebbles, and the soft feathers of certain birds. As a result, it’s often used in interior design to create a peaceful and serene environment or in fashion to convey understated elegance.

While some may worry that going gray will wash out their skin tone, others will find it to be a blessing in disguise. Because ash gray is so neutral, it provides the perfect backdrop for other colors to shine, without being overpowered or washed out by them. This allows you to kick some of your favorite lipstick shades up a notch and play with them in ways you might not have been able to when your hair was a vibrant hue.

If you want to warm up your ash gray, you can do so by opting for balayage or ombre coloring. Both of these highlighting methods can be done on both wavy and straight strands, and they’re great for adding texture and color depth. The best part is that you can also use these hair color techniques to create lowlights and highlight your hair without altering its natural ash gray tone.

In order to maintain your ash gray highlights, you’ll need to visit your hair salon regularly for touch-ups. This will ensure that your hair stays vibrant and healthy, while minimizing fade and dullness. To maximize your hair color’s lifespan, you should also limit the amount of heat styling that you do and avoid using bleach or other harsh chemicals on your strands.

Caramel Highlights

Caramel highlights are a beautiful way to give brown hair dimension and a sun-kissed appearance. This warm color option works well on a range of base colors, but it’s especially flattering when it’s applied using the balayage technique. The process involves strategically painting the hair in a natural-looking gradient that fades from a darker shade at your roots to lighter caramel highlights on top, like a sunset-inspired painter’s brushstrokes on a canvas. It’s a great alternative to foil highlights, which are more uniform and can start closer to your scalp.

A wavy texture pairs beautifully with caramel highlights, as seen on models and actresses including Hannah Davis, Cara Delevingne and Cleo Wade. The caramel tones look soft and luminous against their textured strands, bringing out the vibrancy of the curl pattern and making it seem naturally sunlit. The best part is that this shade requires very little maintenance. With a healthy, hydrating routine that includes weekly hair glosses (like the L’Oreal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss in Honey Blonde), your hair will stay vibrant and gorgeous for months to come.

To keep your caramel highlights looking fresh and flawless, ask your stylist to use the balayage method instead of foils. This allows them to place highlights in a more natural-looking way and will make the grow-out process much smoother and less time-consuming. Foils, on the other hand, involve wrapping sections of your hair in color or lightener to intensify the effect and will require more frequent touch-ups as they wear out.

Balayage is also a better choice for those who want to avoid bleaching their hair completely. Whether you have dark chestnut roots or light blonde strands, this technique will blend the two shades seamlessly without altering your natural tone too drastically. Foil highlights, on the other hand, tend to begin closer to your scalp and can make your blonde strands look patchy if they fade too quickly.

If you want to go even lighter, try a pumpkin spice color that combines warm caramel and strawberry blonde tones. According to Papanikolas, this hue is a safe alternative for brunettes who don’t feel comfortable going blonde since it’s not as brassy as traditional golden tones.

Smoky Violet

A moody spin on violet hair color, this grungier look flips the script with a lot more gray in the mix. Tabloff recommends a heavy balayage technique to achieve the cool grey and purple highlights seen in this sharply stacked bob. This pastel purple winner looks best on a dark base, and we recommend pairing it with an emerald-green smoky eye for total red carpet #goals.

If you love this shade but can’t quite commit to a full head of violet, opt for a lighter highlight. Bright orchid peek-a-boos give dimension to a light blonde shade, says Schaudt, and it’ll look especially pretty on straight or slightly wavy hair.

Natural Color

Natural Color, which aims to mimic the look of your own natural shade, is formulated without ammonia, parabens and SLS (sulfates), which can dry out and damage hair. Instead, the formula features a blend of 12 plant and fruit extracts that include aloe vera, avocado, argan, peach, orange and lemon. Those ingredients work together to moisturize and nourish strands, while encouraging new growth.

The result is a soft, warm tone that’s not overly brassy or harsh. But keep in mind that natural hues tend to require more upkeep than super vibrant shades, so make sure you use acidic glosses and toners to prevent oxidation and boost shine.

It’s also important to use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner, like this one from Leonor Greyl, to keep your locks protected and in top condition. And a silk pillowcase will reduce stress to your strands while you sleep (no more rubbing your color into your head!). For more styling tips based on your specific shade, check out this article. And if you’re still not sure what to do, consult a professional stylist for advice.