Black Hair and Blue Highlights

Dark hair with blue highlights — Photo: Kim Long/Shutterstock

Q: I am Asian and have dark brown, almost-black hair. I really like super dark black hair with blue high/lowlights I mean, hair that looks blue in the light. What is the best way to do this? Should I go to a salon to do this and if so, how do I know that they will have the blue hair dye available? Exactly what should I say to the hairstylist?

A: Well, the first thing you want is a "blue based, level 1 hair color". True black shades of hair coloring generally use blue as a base-color. If after getting this color applied, you still want a "bluer" look, you can ask for the stylist to apply a blue "glaze" to the hair. This will give you the blue refraction when the light strikes the hair. The effect you are wanting is not highlights, nor lowlights, but rather, "sheen".

As for what exactly you should tell your stylist, the answer is simple. Tell him or her that you want your hair to be "black hair with a strong blue sheen". You can specify that you are referring to a level one, blue-based, black hair color, and that you want a blue glaze applied afterward to give extra "oomph!" I'm sure he or she will be readily able to comprehend what you want.

As for whether or not you should go to the salon for this, I am always in favor of using salon professionals whenever possible. They are trained to identify different signs of hair damage and assess whether or not the hair is in suitable condition for coloring. This, however, is a simple, no-lift color process and is much safer if you decided to do it at home, yourself, than a bleaching or high-lift color process would be.

©hairfinder.com

See also:

How to color hair

Things that can go wrong with hair color services