Seeing the light: Trying out highlights

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Are you tired of your drab look? Want something new to spruce up your appearance?

Maybe what you need is to start at the top.

Hair coloring and highlighting, practically unheard of for Indonesians until the last couple of years, has become trendy in Jakarta and other urban centers. It's not only the actors and singers who are turning to the bottle, but people who want to try something a bit different.

Getting a good dye job is not as easy as it seems. The color that works for a friend or somebody on TV may not look so lovely on your locks.

"The first thing to do is to analyze your skin tone. The highlight color should match the skin tone to make it look fresh or clearer," said Joel, a hairdresser with Lu'Vaze salon in Plaza Senayan, Central Jakarta

Indonesians' skin tone is basically differentiated into two categories; kuning langsat or yellowish pale brown to lighter tones, and brown to darker shades.

For a natural look, people who fall into the first category can chose various colors, including light shades, for their hair. Those with brown and darker skins should choose brown to reddish hues, such as burgundy or plum.

The standard applies for both men and women.

However, younger men with short hair can use hair coloring products on the tip of the hair and maintain their natural hair color near the roots to create a unique, funky look.

"Younger people can also play with other brighter colors such as red or blond," said Joel, referring to 2001 highlight trends.

Conservative people can go with various neutral shades, like soft brown or light brown. "Or they can choose dark colors that reflect reddish or purple-ish hues when exposed to sunshine or light," he advised.

More conservative people afraid of making too great a change in their appearance can choose highlight products with one or two shades lighter than their natural hair color.

"This way people can enhance their own look without making themselves look too different," Joel said.

Marketing and education manager with South Africa-based Foil Academy Tracy Hauser, who was in Jakarta in March to promote a simpler professional highlighting method, shared a similar view.

She advised Indonesians to pick reddish hues like ruby, beaujolais and aubergine.

For a more natural effect, Hauser said, use different shades to highlight the hair. Take a little section of the hair and apply darker shade near the root and another section for lighter shades.

"This highlight method would give a natural overall effect as the colors blend in nicely," she said during a demonstration of foil highlights at Puspita Martha center on Jl. Wahid Hasyim, Central Jakarta.

Hauser also said that it's better to choose rich shades that look more shiny so the hair would not appear dry after the treatment. "But not too light because they will give an unnatural effect."

If you want to experiment with a particular color, Joel advised to try toning highlights. "This technique can be applied for impermanent coloring and it will diminish after two or three months," he explained.

For a long lasting effect, permanent highlights should also be repeated every three or four months to highlight new growth.

As for haircare after highlight treatments, Joel suggested to use separate conditioner, which is more effective than two-in-one shampoos, after washing the hair.

"It's also worth going to the hair salon for a creambath every two weeks. This will not only protect the hair, but the massage would also improve blood circulation in the scalp, which is also relaxing," he said.