'Ring Lighting' Hair: The Social Media-Inspired Color Trend Bringing Extra Brightness

We love using our ring lights for every photo session, from taking group photos to the next level to snapping revenge photos that make our exes regret everything. While we don't know of any magical advice that can give us that glowy effect without the ring light, at least we have the "ring lighting" technique to help hair appear brighter. "Halo lightening, or 'ring-lighting,' is a technique that lightens hair around the hairline, the sides of the head and at the nape of the neck, providing brightness around the face even when the hair is tied up," Adam Reed, pro hair stylist and Editorial Ambassador for L'Oréal Professionnel, told Glamour UK.

In other words, if you opt for ring-lighting hair, you'll get the brighter more glowy ring-light effect in all your selfies and pics without using an actual ring light. You'll be the envy of all your friends. And since we all have different hair colors, there isn't one specific hue for the ideal ring light effect that works for everyone. In that case, be sure to think about your unique natural hair color, skin tone, and facial features — and how dramatic or subtle you want the effect to appear. You may even want to look at your own ring light pictures to get an idea of the exact effect you want.

Dark hair typically looks sexy, mysterious, striking, and — sometimes — intimidating. But what if you have dark hair and want a softer look without fully committing to a new hair color? While dark hair is perfect for that classically sultry look, getting a subtle ring-light effect to add a lighter brown to the most noticeable section of your tresses can make you look gentler and more approachable, softening your features.

Ring-lighting hair with gold tones will instantly provide a glowy, expensive-looking detail to your tresses that many social media enthusiasts use an actual ring light to achieve. Gold tones typically soften black or brown hair for a lovely, flattering warm effect, whether you opt for subtle hints of gold or more intense gold details.

Whether your hair is blond, brown, red, or any other color, the goal of getting the ring lighting look should be shinier and softer-looking locks. It shouldn't matter if your tresses are long, short, straight, wavy, or curly — when done well, the ring-lighting hair effect should lead to a shinier look that flatters your face.

Using a ring light should help brighten your hair and face, right? So, the ring-lighting hair method should appear bright, drawing attention to your face. If you already have blond or red hair, go for a brighter, more prominent shade of blond or red for the technique to brighten and highlight your facial features, helping you stand out.

If you naturally have a light shade of blond hair, don't be afraid of making the front sections even lighter for a head-turning cool-girl look. While adding platinum or white-blond touches to your tresses might sound daunting, it'll make your beautiful blond locks appear even more stunning. Unlike the other ring lighting effects we discussed, going very light will likely add a mesmerizing icy detail rather than appear softer. Thus, we recommend only going light if you already have naturally blond hair to avoid a harsh-looking clash.