Are Foil or Cap Highlights Better?

Are Foil or Cap Highlights Better?

Colour plays an important role in hair design, and the decision to add highlights is made daily by both men and women, whether in the salon or with home colouring kits.

Whether seeking to lighten your natural shade or try out a brand new colour, the right method of highlighting can provide changes from subtle to bold, creating a fresh new look that adds style and flair to your lifestyle. Hair highlighting refers to the process of partially lightening or colouring the hair, creating its effect by strategically applying colour to individual sections. When using a lighter colour, this area will appear to advance, while darker colours will seem to recede. When placed around the forehead, cheeks and temple areas, these special effects can frame the face to optimal advantage, enhancing or minimizing features to create a more striking appearance.

The two chief methods of applying highlights are the foil technique and the cap technique. The foil technique involves weaving subsections of hair with a long tail comb and then selecting alternating strands from each subsection. These chosen strands are then placed over a square of foil and the selected shade of lightener or high-lift tint is applied, usually with a brush. In this way, highlights can be strategically placed with precision. The foil is then folded over the treated strands to prevent lightening unwoven hairs.

The cap method of applying highlights involves the use of a special perforated cap that is placed over the head. Strands of hair are pulled through the perforations with the use of a hook implement. The amount of hair chosen to be pulled through each hole will determine the amount of highlighting that is achieved. For a subtle look, fewer strands should be pulled through and surrounding holes may be overlooked. For a stronger, more dramatic effect, hair may be pulled through every opening and in greater thicknesses. Hair lightener is then applied to the pulled-through strands, usually with the use of a squeeze applicator.