Boost your hair color for summer

You can add pop and dimension to any shade with strategically woven ribbons of lighter or deeper color, but not all highlights and lowlights are created equal. In this guide, professional hair colorists decode the many variations and explain how to find the best for you.

- By April Franzino, Jessica Teich

HIGHLIGHTS

The best-known type of hair color accent, highlights are created by sectioning pieces of hair, applying bleach to them, then wrapping each in foil from root to tip to create bright, noticeable lightened lines of color.

BEST FOR: Dark blonde to light brown hair.

PRO TIP: Brighten color and cancel unwanted yellow or orange tones by using a purple-tinted toning shampoo or conditioner, advises Amanda Lee, a Moroccanoil color ambassador and celebrity stylist in Los Angeles.

BABYLIGHTS

These are very thin highlights meant to mimic the look of the streaks that can appear naturally in a child's hair. Because a babylight is an extremely thin section of hair, it creates a super-subtle, sun-kissed result, says Linsey Barbuto, founder of Perlei Salon in Wayne, NJ.

BEST FOR: Shades ranging from dark brown to blonde and gray.

PRO TIP: Use a hydrating treatment mask to keep all over highlights soft and healthy, Lee says (a violet-tinted one enhances vibrance).

BALAYAGE