A Highlighting Technique That Won't Damage Hair

Teasy lights is a great technique to get a natural look with highlights, but in the process of backcombing, you're potentially tearing some of the hair. Redken Artist George Garcia shares a less-damaging alternative: split lights. Here are three ways to use the lightening technique.

BLENDED SPLIT LIGHT

1. Take 1-inch section and one foil.
2. Hold up the section at 90 degrees, and underneath pull through threads at the base with tail comb.
3. Hold that section 90 degrees horizontally and do the same thing, for fine threads. You now have three sections: lower threads, core section and upper threads.
4. Isolate the lower threads by place foil on top of the section.
5. Drop down the core section, and clip away the upper threads. This leaves you to work with only the core section.
6. Saturate the mid-shaft to ends with lightener.
7. Isolate that section by placing foil over it.
8. Drop down the upper threads. Isolate by placing foil over and clipping in place.
9. When those threads are released, they’ll blend with the lightened section, giving it a natural feel. Let process.

DISCONNECTED SPLIT LIGHT

1. Take a 1-inch section, and section out lower threads.
2. Section and isolate the upper threads.
3. Apply lightener on lower half of hair of lower threads.
4. Cover with foil and clip in place.
5. Drop core section down, and comb out upper threads with tail comb.
6. Apply lightener on bottom half of core section.
7. Place foil over section and clip in place.
8. Drop down upper threads and apply lightener to lower part.
9. Let process

CONNECTED SPLIT LIGHT

Along the part:

1. Take a 1-inch section along partline.
2. Place foil under the section and clip in place.
3. Comb out lower threads, and section away rest of section.
4. Apply lightener as close to scalp as you can, softly.
5. Place foil over top to isolate.
6. Release section and pull out horizontally at 90 degrees, section out upper threads. Clip away upper threads to work on the core section.
7. Apply lightener at the round of the head, on the core section. Softly blend through.
8. Isolate section with foil and bring down upper threads.
9. Saturate hair with lightener from midlengths to ends, then blend through close to the scalp.
10. Place foil over and fold in corners. Let process.

Click here for more on this technique and the Redken Symposium.

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