Full Head Highlights: The Complete Guide

Looking for a bold transformation that enhances your hair’s depth and brightness? Full head highlights might be the perfect choice! As a popular hair colouring technique, full head highlights offer a comprehensive solution for adding dimension, texture, and an enviable radiant glow to your locks.

At Rush, we specialise in creating customised looks that not only enhance your natural beauty but also bring out the best in every hair type. Whether you’re aiming for a sun-kissed effect or a more dramatic contrast, full head highlights can give your hair a fresh, vibrant look that’s both striking and cohesive.

One of the best things about full head highlights is their versatility. They work wonders for adding depth and brightness to all hair types, from straight to curly, and can be tailored to suit any style. Plus, with maintenance every  8-12 weeks, full head highlights are the ideal lower-maintenance colour option for anyone looking to refresh their look without the need for constant upkeep.

What are Full Head Highlights?

Full head highlights are a colouring technique that involves adding highlights throughout the entire head of hair, resulting in a unified, luminous finish. Unlike traditional highlights that focus on specific sections, full head highlights give your hair an all-over colour boost, creating a natural sun-kissed look with vibrant, dimensional results.

The process typically involves sectioning the hair , weaving out sections and applying the product and wrapping in tinfoil to keep the product off the remaining hair and help to enhance the development process. This method enhances the natural movement of the hair while adding depth and dimension, making it appear fuller and can add texture.  The result? A refreshed, brightened look that radiates health and vitality.

Stylist Tip: Full head highlights are perfect for clients looking to make a dramatic change or refresh their current colour. If you’ve been feeling like your hair has lost its shine or depth, this technique offers an even, beautiful lift that revitalises your entire look, from root to tip.

The Difference Between Full Head, Half Head Highlights & Babylights

When it comes to highlights, there are several techniques to choose from, each offering a unique effect. Here’s a breakdown of the main differences between full head highlights, half head highlights, and babylights:

• Full Head Highlights: As the name suggests, full head highlights involve applying highlights throughout the entire head of hair. This technique provides an even, cohesive colour boost that enhances the overall look with a luminous, multi-tonal effect. Full head highlights are ideal for those who want a bold, striking transformation with significant brightness throughout their hair. The coverage gives a sun kissed lightened appearance.
• Half Head Highlights: Half head highlights focus on the top layers of the hair, typically the crown and sides, leaving the lower sections untouched. This technique is perfect for adding subtle brightness around the face or enhancing the natural colour of the top layers. It’s a great option for those who want a more understated look, with a focus on creating depth and dimension without a full colour overhaul. Half head highlights can also be a service provided to clients with longer highlighted hair who wants to maintain the colour but doesn’t wait to apply highlights to the full head of hair each time.
• Babylights: Babylights are ultra-fine highlights that mimic the natural, sun-kissed strands of a child’s hair. These delicate highlights are applied throughout the hair, but with much finer sections than traditional highlights. Babylights create a soft, sunlit glow, offering a more subtle, natural look that blends seamlessly with your base colour. This technique works beautifully for those seeking a light, barely-there effect that still adds a touch of brightness and movement. The Babylight techniques are often used around the hairline to give a very soft, subtle natural look.

Each highlighting technique offers its own set of benefits depending on the look you’re after. If you’re looking for full, bold brightness, full head highlights are the way to go. For a more subtle, softer effect,  Babylights might be a better fit.

The Difference Between Full Head Highlights and Balayage

When choosing between full head highlights and balayage, it’s important to understand the key differences in technique, coverage, and result. Here’s how they compare:

• Full Head Highlights: Full head highlights involve applying highlights throughout the  entire head of hair in precise sections, usually from the roots to the ends. This technique creates an even, consistent colour boost that adds brightness and dimension to the whole head. It’s perfect for those who want a dramatic transformation with a uniform, radiant look. The highlights are carefully placed for a more structured and defined effect, giving a polished, salon-perfect finish.
• Balayage: Balayage, on the other hand, is a more freehand approach where the stylist “paints” colour directly onto the hair, often focusing on the mid-lengths and ends. This technique gives a more natural, sun-kissed effect, with softer transitions from darker roots to lighter tips. Because it’s hand-painted, balayage creates a more blended and lived-in look, making it a popular choice for those seeking a low-maintenance yet beautifully radiant style. It’s perfect for clients who want subtle brightness that looks as though they’ve naturally spent time in the sun.

While full head highlights provide a bold and uniform effect across the hair, balayage offers a softer, more organic appearance, with a focus on creating depth and lightness without harsh lines.

Want to refresh your style with stunning full head highlights? Schedule your full head highlights appointment at Rush today, and let our talented stylists enhance your hair with a beautifully blended finish!

How to Choose Between Partial and Full Highlights

When deciding between partial and full highlights, there are several factors to consider ensuring you get the look that’s right for you. Here are some key points to help guide your decision:

• Blonde Levels: If you’re aiming for a light, blonde transformation,  a full head of highlights can help you achieve a more dramatic, multi tonal blonde look. By highlighting throughout the entire head of hair, you’ll get that sun-kissed, brightened effect from roots to ends. On the other hand, partial highlights may be a better option if you prefer a more subtle blonde look, as they focus only on certain sections of your hair, allowing for a lighter touch. This works particularly well if hair is shorter.
• Dimension: Full highlights provide more uniform lightness and a lighter/brighter look across the entire head. This technique is ideal for those who want an all-over lightened effect. If you’re looking to add subtle dimension and texture, partial highlights can be a great choice. This method focuses on the top layers or selected sections, offering more natural-looking lightness.
• Current Hair Colour: Your starting hair colour  (your natural colour) plays a significant role in your decision. If your hair is dark or has warm undertones, full highlights can help lighten the entire look but your hairdresser will advise you of the limitations when lightening it. If you’re looking to brighten specific areas, such as the face frame, partial highlights may work better. The lighter your hair is to start with, the easier it is to lighten the hair. It’s paramount to have a thorough consultation and often a strand test before undertaking any lightening processes.
• Affordability: Full highlights generally require more time and product, so they tend to cost more than partial highlights. If you’re on a budget, partial highlights may be the more affordable option. Additionally, full highlights may require more frequent touch-ups (usually every 8-12 weeks) to maintain that fresh, brightened look.

By considering these factors, you can make a more informed choice about which highlight technique best suits your style, budget, and desired outcome. Whether you go for a bold, all-over transformation or a more subtle, dimensional lift, both partial and full highlights can give you the brightness and texture you’re after.

Do Full Head Highlights Work for All Hair Colours?

Not always – that’s why we’d always recommend a pre-colour consultation and if required a strand test. Lightening hie is all about suitability and maintaining the health of the hair. Your hairdresser will consider your natural shade and how light that shade can go without damaging the hair. Darker hair will contain more warmth and may need toned to create the required tone. Everyone’s hair is different. There isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to lightening hair. Full head highlights can be customised to suit every  natural hair colour, whether you’re blonde, brunette, redhead, or have a darker base. This technique offers the versatility to create a lightened, dimensional look that enhances your natural colour, making it suitable for a wide range of natural hair colours.

• Blondes: For blonde hair, full highlights can add extra lift and brightness, creating a sun-kissed glow or a platinum blonde look. Whether you’re looking to go lighter or simply add more depth, full head highlights will complement blonde tones perfectly.
• Brunettes: Brunettes can benefit from full head highlights by adding contrast and dimension to their rich tones. Shades of caramel, honey, or even soft blonde can be integrated into brunette hair, creating a stunning multidimensional effect that catches the light beautifully.
• Redheads: Full head highlights are also a fantastic choice for redheads, as they can enhance the natural warmth of red tones with copper, auburn, or golden highlights. These shades bring out the vibrancy of red hair while maintaining a luminous, brightened appearance.

One of the great advantages of full head highlights is that they can be tailored to complement both your natural hair colour and your skin tone. Whether you want a warm or cool-toned finish, your stylist can adjust the shades to achieve a balanced and flattering result. Full head highlights are a versatile option that works beautifully across all hair colours and types.

Looking to brighten your look with full head highlights? Book your full head highlights appointment at Rush and let our expert stylists create your perfect, vibrant look!

Key Considerations When Choosing Full Head Highlights

Before committing to full head highlights, it’s important to consider a few factors to ensure that this vibrant colour option works best for you. Here are some key considerations to help guide your decision:

Hair Type and Condition

Your hair type and condition play a significant role in how well full head highlights will turn out and how they’ll look after the process.

• Fine Hair: For fine hair, highlights can add the appearance of volume and texture, making your hair look fuller and livelier. However, it’s essential to be cautious about over-lightening, as fine hair can sometimes be more prone to damage. Using lighter, less-damaging techniques and products will help maintain your hair’s health.
• Coarse Hair: Coarse hair can often handle more significant colour changes and can be ideal for full head highlights. The process adds dimension and brightness without compromising the volume and texture of the hair. Coarse hair can often be drier and it’s important not to over colour it, which will damage the hair.
• Curly Hair: Curly hair can look stunning with full head highlights, as the curls naturally add movement and depth to the colour. It’s important to consider the curl pattern when choosing the type of highlights, as some techniques may accentuate or soften your curls.
• Damaged vs Healthy Hair: If your hair is damaged, it’s important to first focus on restoring its health before going for full head highlights. Bleaching or highlighting damaged hair can lead to further damage. For healthy hair, full head highlights can be an exciting option to add radiance and shine.

Desired Look and Colour

Full head highlights are incredibly versatile and can be tailored to suit a wide range of styles, from bold and dramatic to soft and blended.

• Bold Transformation: If you’re looking to achieve a dramatic colour change or want to add noticeable brightness to your hair, a full head highlights can give you a muti-toned result. A combination of different tones—including blonde, caramel, or honey—can add stunning contrast and create a striking, high-impact look.
• Subtle, Blended Look: For a more natural, subtle look, full head highlights can be blended with your base colour to create a soft, multi-dimensional effect. Your stylist will choose shades that complement your natural colour and skin tone, ensuring that the highlights add a luminous finish without being too overpowering.
• Choosing the Right Shade: The shade of your full head highlights should complement your skin tone and personal style. Warm shades like honey, caramel, or golden blonde work well for those with warm undertones, while cool-toned shades like ash blonde or platinum are great for those with cooler undertones.

Maintenance and Upkeep

Full head highlights require regular upkeep to maintain their vibrancy and prevent visible regrowth.

• Touch-Ups: Typically, full head highlights last for around 8 to 12 weeks before a touch-up is recommended. This timing can vary depending on your hair growth rate and how much regrowth you’re comfortable with. Regular touch-ups will keep your highlights looking fresh and prevent the colour from becoming dull or uneven.
• Prolonging Colour: To help extend the life of your highlights, it’s essential to use colour-safe shampoos and conditioners that protect your hair from fading. You can also use products designed to nourish and strengthen your hair to keep it healthy and vibrant.
• Hair Health: To keep your hair in top condition, consider adding a deep conditioning treatment to your haircare routine every few weeks. This helps replenish moisture and prevent dryness that can result from the highlighting process.

By considering these factors, you can make a more informed decision about whether full head highlights are the right choice for your hair. If you’re ready for a dramatic change or want to add subtle radiance to your locks, full head highlights can be a great way to elevate your style!

The Benefits of Full Head Highlights

Full head highlights offer a wide range of benefits, making them a popular choice for those looking to transform their hair with a vibrant, multi-dimensional colour. Here are some of the key advantages of opting for this all-over highlighting technique:

• Achieve Maximum Brightness and Depth

Full head highlights create a beautiful, luminous effect that adds incredible brightness from root to tip. By lightening the entire head of hair, this technique provides a uniform colour boost, making hair appear naturally sunlit and dimensional. The result is hair that feels brighter, fresher, and full of life.

• Colour Consistency from Roots to Ends

One of the major benefits of full head highlights is the consistent, seamless blend of colour. Whether you’re looking to go several shades lighter or add subtle golden tones, this technique ensures that your highlights are evenly distributed throughout your hair. Unlike partial highlights, which focus only on certain sections, full head highlights maintain a balanced, natural-looking colour that flows smoothly from roots to ends.

• Ideal for a Complete Transformation

If you’re looking to make a bold change to your look, full head highlights are an excellent choice. They’re perfect for those seeking a dramatic transformation, as they give your hair an entirely new vibrancy and dimension. Whether you want to go lighter or simply add more depth, full head highlights are an ideal way to refresh your style with a striking, cohesive finish.

• Perfect for Dramatic or Subtle Looks

Full head highlights are versatile enough to suit both dramatic and more understated looks. Whether you’re aiming for a light, blonde beachy vibe or want to embrace bold, platinum tones, full head highlights offer endless possibilities. It’s a great way to completely revamp your look or simply enhance your existing hair colour with more depth and dimension.

Full head highlights are a fantastic way to maintain vibrant, sun-kissed hair while achieving a natural-looking and long-lasting colour effect. If you’re looking to brighten up your hair or go for a total colour refresh, this highlighting technique is a fantastic choice!

How to Apply Full Head Highlights

Applying full head highlights is a detailed process, and at Rush, our expert stylists personalise each step to suit your unique hair type and colour goals, ensuring the perfect result every time. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how the process works:

1. Prep and Sectioning

After consultation and you have agreed on the colour palate you want to achieve  your stylist will carefully section your hair into manageable parts, ensuring each area gets even coverage for a flawless result. The sectioning technique is tailored to your hair’s texture and the effect you’re aiming for.

2. Application

Your stylist will then apply the highlight colour using either foils or a freehand technique (depending on the desired result). Whether you’re after dramatic, defined highlights or a softer, more natural effect, the application process is customised to match your style. The stylist ensures that the colour placement works throughout the entire head of hair for an all-over brightening effect.

3. Processing and Rinsing

Once applied, the highlights are left to process for the desired amount of time to achieve the perfect brightness. After processing, the colour is rinsed out, and a sulphate free shampoo is used along with a colour protection conditioner is used to lock in the colour and maintain vibrancy.

4. Styling

Once your highlights are set, the final step is styling. Your stylist will blow-dry or style your hair to enhance the highlights and ensure the finished look complements the new colour. The result is vibrant, full-bodied hair that showcases your brightened look.

Time Investment for Full Head Highlights

A full head highlight appointment typically takes between 2 to 4 hours, depending on factors such as hair length, thickness, and the colour palate desired. This time allows for thorough application, processing, and styling to ensure your highlights are perfect.

At Rush, we take pride in customising each step to ensure you leave with a colour that’s exactly what you envisioned.

How to Maintain Full Head Highlights

Maintaining the vibrancy of your full head highlights is essential to keeping your hair looking fresh and radiant. Here are some tips to help prolong the life of your highlights and maintain hair health:

• Use Colour-Safe Shampoos: Opt for sulphate-free, colour-safe shampoos to gently cleanse your hair without stripping colour. These shampoos help preserve the tone and brightness of your highlights.
• Conditioning Treatments: Regularly deep condition your hair to keep it hydrated and healthy. Look for treatments that nourish hair and protect against damage from colouring.
• Toning: If your highlights start to appear brassy, use a purple or blue shampoo to neutralise any warm tones and keep your colour cool and fresh. A professional toner at your next salon visit can also help maintain that perfect tone.
• Limit Heat Styling: Excessive heat can lead to colour fading and hair damage. Try to reduce the frequency of heat styling tools like straighteners and curling irons. Always use a heat protectant before styling to minimise damage.
• Sun Protection: The sun’s rays can fade your highlights over time. Protect your hair with UV-protecting sprays, hats, or scarves to preserve both your colour and hair health.

For more tips or to schedule a touch-up to keep your highlights looking flawless, check out our full head highlights page full head highlights page.

Styling Tips for Full Head Highlights

Once you’ve achieved the perfect full head highlights, showcasing them with the right style can enhance the vibrancy and depth. Here are some styling suggestions:

• Beachy Waves: Soft, tousled waves can really show off the multi-dimensional look of your highlights. The waves create movement, allowing the colours to shine and reflect light beautifully.
• Sleek and Straight: For a more polished look, go for sleek, straight hair. This style highlights the tonal contrast throughout your hair, accentuating the vibrancy and brightness of your highlights.
• Braided Styles: Incorporating braids is a great way to reveal peek-a-boo highlights and add texture to your hair. Whether it’s a loose fishtail or a classic braid, this style gives a fun, youthful look that shows off your highlights in unique ways.
• Texturising Products: Use texturising sprays or creams to boost volume and enhance the highlighted effect. These products can give your hair more body and definition, making your highlights pop.

Book Your Full Head Highlights at Rush

Ready for a bold transformation with full head highlights? Book your appointment at your nearest Rush Salon today, and let our expert stylists create a radiant, customised look just for you.

We’re committed to delivering the best results, tailored to your hair type and colour goals. Whether you’re looking to brighten your locks or make a dramatic change, our team at Rush is here to bring your vision to life!