Aside from feather extensions, I am starting to see quite a trend towards color highlights in girls hairstyles. I am not a fan of permanent color in my girls’ hair, for obvious age reasons, but also because it can be damaging and a big commitment to that color.
My girls are coming home stating that many girls in their classes are using highlighters or Sharpies to color strands of hair {I about died hearing this}! That certainly cannot be good for the hair, even if they believe it washes out!
Just a few weeks ago, a Facebook fan commented that she thought we had used chalk highlights on a hairstyle we posted for our #3 daughter. We didn’t… however, intrigued, we looked into what it would take to use chalk as highlights and this tutorial is the end result.
What is great about these highlights is that they are fairly easy to apply, are non-toxic, last for one day and then easy to wash out. I bought our chalk pastels at Michael’s {with a 50% off coupon}, but you may buy similar pastels on Amazon. I, personally, would not use oil pastels as they will be messier and much harder to wash out.
I had my daughter’s hair in a soft braid the day before, to help add some body to the hair, so this is perfect 2nd day hairstyle! Be sure your daughter is wearing a shirt that you do not mind getting a little dirty {or use a plastic cape or towel over the shoulders}. You can create these highlights with minimal mess, if you are very careful.
Next, I take a bright colored pastel chalk and gently wet it with either the spray bottle or faucet. I then take a small strand of hair and, by gently rubbing the wet chalk in a downward motion. I color the bottom 4-5 inches of the strand. {Do not rub the chalk up and down the strand as this will ruin the hair.} I do the same on another 2 strands or so, and then switch to another color, and vary the colored segment lengths a bit.
After I have colored the desired strands, you can {if you wish} gently brush through the strand once with a brush, and then take a curling iron or wand and help set the chalk by curling the highlights. This also allows for the strands to fall beautifully within the rest of the hair. You may also choose to spritz the strand with hairspray to help the chalk highlights stay in longer.
Chalk highlights can work with many different colors of hair, including dark. Obviously, the darker vibrant colors show better on blonde hair with the lighter vibrant colors showing better on dark hair. You can use any number of colors, and it can be fun to experiment!
Fans on YouTube are going nuts over this hairstyle, because it is so easy to do and easy to wash out. As this is a chalk application, when you wash the hair… be sure to use a good conditioner. Chalk has a tendency to remove oils, so it is important to keep the hair conditioned.
This hairstyle tip is perfect for holiday hairstyles, school spirit day, cheerleaders, crazy hair day, or for use in many of our hairstyle combinations. It is a way to have a little color, which is becoming popular, without the committment! Enjoy!
Items Needed: Brush, rat-tail comb, spray bottle, towel, pastel chalks, curling iron, hairspray.
Time Requirement: 5+ minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Happy Hairdoing!
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