How to Highlight Curly Hair: Everything You Need to Know

Every client has specific hair needs and characteristics, but when it comes to working with different textures, it’s important to know and understand how to style and color hair in a healthy and visually-appealing way. 

When it comes to highlighting curls and using professional hair color, you not only want to use a technique that will enhance the curls and impress the clients, but you want to ensure that you’re applying hair lightener strategically so as not to damage the curl. 

In this blog post, we will not only share tips to get the perfect highlight for your curly-haired clients, but we will also show you a step-by-step process to use. 

How to Highlight Curly Hair

If you’re looking for tips on how to highlight curly hair, we have outlined an easy-to-follow process for you below. Depending on the kinds of highlights your client wants or the texture of their curly hair, this process may need to be adapted to fit the specific style.

• Detangle Hair (If Needed) 

An important first step in preparing curly hair — or really any kind of hair — for highlights is detangling the curls if needed. A client may come to your salon with already detangled hair or you may need to separate the curls in order to get the most precise highlight. 

• Clarify Hair

With curly hair, a lot of product is applied to maintain texture and enhance shape, which can create a lot of product buildup. So before you begin coloring the hair, you should use a clarifying mask or shampoo to get the hair prime for lightening. 

• Discuss Highlighting Style or Method with Client 

There are many different ways to highlight hair and there are some styles that favor curlier patterns more than others. Depending on what kind of highlights your client wants, you can decide on a pattern that works best for them. We highly recommend the balayage style because the highlights will look more natural. And this style looks incredible on curly hair. You should also determine whether your client wants a half head of highlights or a full head. Doing half head can still have a dramatic impact while reducing the amount of damage. 

• Section Hair 

Depending on the hair texture, curl pattern, highlight style and the amount of highlights you will be doing, you will need to section hair appropriately. Some stylists prefer to section the hair down the middle with three different sections on each side, while other stylists prefer to freehand paint lightener onto curls around the head. 

• Determine Using Open Air Processing or Foils 

Depending on the current state and health of your client’s hair, you may have to choose between open air processing or foils. When using foils, this can expedite the processing time, but it can also be damaging to some hair types. Open air processing takes a little more time, but it’s healthier for the hair. 

• Tone Hair and Deep Condition 

To get your client’s lightened hair to the desired shade of blonde, you will need to tone the hair. We highly recommend following up with a deep conditioner to help moisturize those curls and get them prepped for styling. 

Tips for Lightening Curly Hair

• Stay Away from Babylights

Babylights may look great in straight hair, but when hair is curly, it can be hard to see the highlights since the natural, darker colors will intertwine with the newly-lightened hair. 

• Opt for Open Air Processing

As we mentioned above, processing your client’s hair in foils can lead to more damage. Open air processing, on the other hand, allows you to monitor hair more closely and it keeps your client’s hair feeling and looking healthier. 

• Feather for Softness at the Root

When highlighting a strand of curly hair, start at the middle of the hair with your product and lightly feather the bleach up to the root to create a more natural-looking highlight. 

• Chunky Lights Are Better for Curly Hair 

If you want to achieve bold highlights — or visible highlights — chunkier highlights are better for curly hair. You can have a mix of thinner and chunkier highlights to give your client more depth, but make sure you do add in chunky lights to bring out more vibrance. 

• Aftercare Is Essential 

After lightening curly hair, the client will need to invest in professional hair care products to keep their hair healthy. Stripping hair with bleach can cause hair to become dry and brittle, but if the client takes aftercare seriously, the hair will look better than ever. 

Now, you’re ready to create stunning highlights on your client’s gorgeous, curly hair!