What Is The Difference Between Ombre Hair And Highlights
Who doesn’t like change? When experimenting with new looks, one way to make a change to your appearance that isn’t too drastic and permanent is dying your hair. If you don’t want to commit to one color you might consider Ombre or highlights. If you’re stuck between which technique to go for, keep reading to find out which technique may be best for you:
What is Ombre Hair?
Ombre is the French word for “Color that is shaded or graduated in tone”. Ombre has become popular in recent years due to its large use on the red carpet by many high-profile celebrities. The style works well on any hair type or color but works best on those with longer hair. To achieve this style the colorist would lighten the hair starting from about mid-head, leaving the natural color at the top of the head untouched, this will result in a two-tone look. If you don’t want something as drastic as an Ombre you can instead opt for a sOmbre (short for subtle Ombre). You’ll still achieve a two-toned look but it’s a lot less harsh than the traditional Ombre hair. The effect of an Ombre is similar to several months of regrowth but of course in a way that compliments the face.
This hairstyle is perfect for anyone looking for a low maintenance style as it only needs to be updated every few months or if you grow tired of the look you can always just cut off the lightened ends and return to the one color all over. Ombre is a versatile look and works great for anyone who wants to experiment with more vibrant and less traditional hair colors.
As the hair is bleached to achieve the desire Ombre hair effect, this look is best attained with a help of a licensed professional. If, however, you don’t want to bleach your natural hair Coffyhair has a range of lace front wigs that will have you achieving the Ombre look without the potential damage it could cause to your natural hair. One of our popular wigs is the Long Body Wave Ombre hair. This gorgeous wig is a perfect example of an Ombre hairstyle, starting with dark brown almost black hair at the top of the head and gradually fading into a honey blonde on the ends. If you’re someone who wants to make a bold fashion statement with striking grey hair, Coffyhair’s Grey Ombre straight hair weaveis one that will definitely have heads turning!
What are Highlights?
A classic and subtle way to achieve lighter hair, the process of highlighting your hair has been around for centuries. If done correctly highlights can enhance your natural beauty and leave you looking sun kissed. Highlights are created by sectioning pieces of hair, bleaching it and then wrapping it into foil from root to ends, this will result with lighter strands running throughout the hair. For instance, if your natural hair color is brown you can add dark blonde highlights. As the highlights begin from the roots you would have to get retouches more often to avoid any harsh regrowth lines.
An alternative technique to achieve highlights is Balayage. Balayage is French for ‘sweep’ it is a process in where the colorist will hand paint color directly onto the hair without the use of foil. This creates a more natural and clean finish.
If you want to achieve the opposite look you can instead opt for lowlights. Lowlights are when dark pieces of hair are woven throughout the hair. You can achieve either look in the comfort of your own home but it’s best to go to a licensed professional to attain a more uniform and slick look.
As with Ombre the bleach from highlighting can cause damage to the natural hair. If you want highlights but don’t want to have to deal with the damage that it could possibly do to your hair CoffyHair has a range of beautiful highlighted hair. Coffyhair’s honey blond highlight wig is the perfect summer look. This gorgeous wig is made with 100% virgin hair so looks extremely natural and is easy to manage and maintain.
How Do I Choose?
Both techniques are versatile so it comes down to what look you want to achieve and how much time you have. If you want to experiment with more untraditional colors but also want a low-maintenance style, then Ombre hair is the one for you. With Ombre hair you can be a lot more adventurous, dark brown top half that fades to red, purple or blue is something that is easily possible with Ombre. You can also achieve a typical surfer girl look with brown roots faded into blonde ends. Of course, if not done correctly it can look like a bad dye job.
If on the other hand you want a subtler look that requires a little more maintenance and upkeep, then highlights are a great choice. Highlights can bring out your natural eye color, accentuate your cheekbones and compliment your skin. This traditional form of hair lightening is sure to give you the change you may be looking for without being overly dramatic.
Whatever style you choose it’s of course important to properly look after your natural hair with the correct shampoo and conditioner for bleached hair as well as weekly treatments. If you want to achieve either of these styles without frequent visits to the salon, then Coffyhair provides a range of virgin hairs that can have you experimenting with both styles with ease.