Beautiful long brown hair with blonde highlights and curl
BEAUTY
The Low-Key Difference Between Babylights And Highlights
By RAFAELA LUZURIAGA
the back of a woman's hair at a hair salon
Highlights
Typically done from the roots of the hair all the way to the tips for a visible contrast between the two colors, highlights blend nicely on a wide range of colors and do not require bleaching the entire head of hair. Unlike an all-around bleach, highlights add depth and dimension to your natural or base color.
the back of a woman's curly hair at the beach
Babylights
Babylights provide a faint glow and an overall brightening appearance without the requirement for root-to-tip bleaching, making them more subtle than highlights. Little portions of hair are strategically chosen, focusing on the hairline, natural parting, and ends, and lightly bleached to achieve a natural, sun-bleached effect.
young woman staring in the mirror brushing her hair
Pros & Cons
Both babylights and highlights are a great way to brighten up dark hair by taking a few strands of hair and bleaching them lightly with a foil technique. Regular highlights are more prominent and cover longer strands, whereas babylights are meant to blend into your natural hair color, which means they are thinner and more sparse.
a young woman staring at herself in the mirror
What’s The Better Option?
For people with fine hair, babylights might be a good option as they don't require too much bleaching and don't require a visit to the salon every couple of months. Highlights are more noticeable and require more commitment, but may provide a greater payback for those prepared to visit the salon on a regular basis for upkeep.