We can all agree that we’ve all been there, scrolling through social media trying to find hair-inspo of our dreams, armed with screenshots of lust-worthy locks to show the stylist. 

But should you get honey-hued highlights that frame your face or beautifully blended balayage? Also what are low maintenance lowlights? All your questions will be answered here. This is why you need Cosmo’s breakdown of all the necessary terminology before your next hair appointment. 

1. Highlights 

We’ve all heard of them, since the dawn of the Rachel, highlights have halo’d the heads of celebs from the early 90’s to today. The technique involves lightening streaks of hair to add dimension, depth and brightness. Highlights looks especially great on blondes and lighter locks. Hair is sectioned off, woven and wrapped in foil to be lightened from roots to ends. This technique can also be used to frame the face, just like Dua Lipa and Kylie Jenner. 

2. Low Lights

In simple terms, low lights are the opposite of highlights. Instead of lifting the colour on your crown, sections of hair are darkened a shade or two deeper than your natural or base hair colour, which in turn gives the illusion of lighter top hairs as well as texture and movement. What’s great with this technique is that it is lower maintenance than highlights as it bleds seamlessly and doesnt need to involve bleach. 

3. Balayage 

French for sweeping or painting, the colour technique is a freehand method that has gained popularity for if its natural, soft finish effect. Balayage sweeps colour throguh small sections of hair creating a subtle, gradual V formation, sans foil, for hair that looks sun kissed. It’s also a lot easier to maintain as it doesn’t start from the roots like highlights which need to be touched up as it grows out, instead Balayage grown out gives hair a natural gradient. 

4. Baby Lights 

These are mini superfine higlights, where tiny sections of hair are weaved and colour melts right into the hair from root to tip. The idea is to create a subtle touch of colour, a lot like balayage. This technique is often done in conjunction with balayage or foil highlights to give hair a multi-dimensional tone. 

5. Air Touch 

An updated method of balayage which uses a blow dryer to blow out air versus the backcombing and teasing technique used in traditional balayage. The air from the hairdryer pushes out the strands of hairs holding on tight to one section that gets colour or lightener giving you an even softer, more blended and natural finish. 

6. Shatush 

Think hair in the sun. This colouring technique only highlihts hair that would naturally be sun-kissed. Much like balayage, it’s a freehand technique that doesn’t require foils and has an extremely soft, subtle result which makes it the perfect method for those who may want to ease their way into adding dimension and lightening strands.Â