Where to get highlights done in Brighouse
Janet Salon Owner
Published
Highlights are the most requested colour service in the UK and have been for the best part of two decades. The reason is simple, they lift the natural colour of the hair without changing it completely, they suit almost every base, and they can be scaled up or down to match the look, the budget, and how often you want to be back in the salon. Finding a salon that does them well in Brighouse is less about finding the cheapest option and more about finding a colourist who takes a proper consultation seriously.
Park Row is a Brighouse salon and we have been colouring hair since 1998. This guide explains what highlights are, the different types available, how to choose a salon for them locally, and how to make the colour last between appointments.
At a glance. A good highlights appointment in Brighouse should include a consultation, the application, a toner, a wash, a conditioning treatment, and a finished blow dry. If any of those are quoted as extras, you are not comparing like for like.
What hair highlights are
Highlights are thin sections of hair lifted to a lighter shade than the natural base, applied in foils that trap heat against the hair while the lightener processes. The effect is a brighter, more defined finish than freehand colour techniques, with a clear contrast between the lifted sections and the base. Done well, highlights look placed rather than painted on, and they balance the hair rather than striping it.
The vocabulary varies by salon, but the underlying technique is the same across most of the UK. A colourist weaves out fine or thicker sections depending on the look, applies the lightener root to tip, wraps each section in a folded foil, and leaves the lift to process before rinsing, toning, and finishing.
The different types of highlights explained
The main choice when booking highlights is scope, how much of the head is being coloured. The second choice is placement, where on the head the sections are concentrated.
Full head highlights
Full head highlights cover the whole head, from the hairline at the front to the nape at the back. They give the brightest, most uniform lift and are the right choice when you want a clear change of colour or when the natural grow out has reached a point where partial lift would look mismatched.
Half head highlights
Half head highlights cover the top and sides where the colour is most visible, usually from the ear line up. They are a popular choice when the lower sections of the hair are already lighter or when you wear your hair up and the back is less on show. The appointment is shorter and the cost is lower than a full head, and the finish still looks full on most hair.
T-section highlights
T-section highlights focus on the parting and the front, in a T-shape across the top of the head and down the sides at the front. They are the lightest option in scope, often used to refresh the roots between full appointments or to brighten the face framing area without colouring the length. The appointment is quick and the result is subtle.
Face framing highlights
Face framing highlights are a small set of brighter sections concentrated around the face, from the parting down to the jawline. They give a lifted, warm look around the face without changing the overall colour of the hair. Many clients book face framing on its own, others add it to a half head or full head for extra brightness at the front.
Money piece
A money piece is a bolder version of face framing, with two brighter sections painted or foiled on each side of the parting. It is the most trend-led of the current highlight styles and the easiest to adjust over time, you can keep it bright, let it soften with regrowth, or blend it back into the rest of the hair at your next appointment.
Choosing scope. As a starting point, a full head gives you the brightest, most uniform result, a half head gives you most of the look at a lower price, a T-section refreshes between appointments, and face framing or a money piece lifts the look without colouring the length. Your colourist will recommend the right one at your consultation based on how you wear your hair.
Blonde highlights on brown hair, caramel highlights, and lowlights
Highlights are a technique, the colour of the finished sections is a choice you make with your colourist. The three most popular tonal choices in Brighouse are blonde highlights on a brown base, caramel highlights for warmth, and lowlights for depth.
Blonde highlights on brown hair give the strongest contrast and the most visibly "highlighted" look. They work on almost every brown shade from mid brown to very dark brown, with the lift adjusted so the finished tone sits in the right place against your skin.
Caramel highlights are warmer, with a gold or honey tone rather than a cool blonde. They suit warmer skin tones and give a softer, more natural looking result than cool blonde highlights.
Lowlights are the opposite of highlights, darker sections woven through lighter hair to add depth. They are often paired with highlights on fine hair to add the impression of thickness, or used on their own to deepen a colour that has lifted too far over multiple appointments.
For a side by side look at highlights against freehand colour techniques, see our comparison of balayage vs highlights, which colour service is right for you.
How to choose a salon for highlights in Brighouse
A good highlights salon in Brighouse should offer three things, a proper consultation before any colour touches the hair, a colourist who can talk you through the trade offs between scope, tone and maintenance, and a clear, fixed price before you book.
What a good consultation looks like. Your colourist should look at your natural base, your previous colour history, your skin tone, and how you wear your hair day to day. They should recommend a scope and tone that suits you, explain how often you will need to be back, and give you a fixed price before anything starts. A rushed consultation is the single most common cause of a highlights appointment that goes wrong.
Qualifications and brand partnerships are a reasonable proxy for quality. Park Row is a Keune Ambassador salon, which means our colourists are trained to the standards of a professional colour brand we use on every colour client. Reviews are worth reading too, but recent reviews specifically mentioning colour work tell you more than a long tail of generic praise.
You can see the full range of colour services on our hair colour page, and current pricing on our hairdressing price list.
Caring for highlights between appointments
Highlights fade like any colour service, and the aftercare that keeps them bright is largely the same as for other colour work. Wash less often, use a sulphate free shampoo made for coloured hair, finish every wash with a cool rinse, and use a weekly conditioning mask.
Pro tip. The toner is often what fades first, not the lift. If your highlights have gone brassy or yellow but the lift still looks good, a toner refresh between full appointments is quicker and cheaper than a full set and brings the colour back to how it looked when you left the salon.
For the full aftercare routine, see our guide to how to care for coloured hair between appointments. It covers washing frequency, product choice, heat styling, and seasonal factors like sun and chlorine.
Frequently asked questions
How long do highlights last in Brighouse?
Full head highlights typically need refreshing every four to six weeks, half head highlights every six to eight weeks, and T-section or face framing highlights can often be stretched longer because the lift is concentrated at the front where regrowth shows most. A toner refresh in between can extend the look of any highlights appointment without needing the full service again.
What is the difference between half head and full head highlights?
Full head highlights cover the whole head from front to back. Half head highlights cover the top and sides, usually from the ear line up. Half head takes less time, costs less, and still gives most of the finished look if you wear your hair down or forward. Full head is the right choice when you want the brightest, most uniform result or when the back of the hair is also on show.
What are T-section highlights?
T-section highlights are placed in a T-shape across the parting and down the sides at the front, where regrowth is most visible. They are a quick, affordable way to refresh the colour between full appointments or to lift the front of the hair without colouring the length. The appointment is shorter than a half head and the result is subtle.
Can you get highlights on dark hair?
Yes, highlights work on almost every natural base from very dark brown through to blonde. On darker hair the lift takes longer because the natural pigment has more to give up, and the finished tone usually sits in a warmer bronze, caramel or honey rather than a cool blonde. Your colourist will plan the lift carefully at your consultation.
What is a money piece and will it suit me?
A money piece is a bolder set of face framing highlights, with brighter sections on each side of the parting. It suits anyone who wants to lift the look around the face without committing to a full set of highlights, and it is easy to adjust over time, you can keep it bright, soften it with regrowth, or blend it back into the rest of the hair.
Should I get highlights or balayage?
Both lift the natural colour of the hair but the techniques and the finish are different. Highlights give a brighter, more uniform lift and need refreshing every four to six weeks. Balayage gives a softer, more lived in finish and stretches to eight to twelve weeks between appointments. Our full comparison, balayage vs highlights, walks through the practical differences.
Ready to book your highlights?
Book a colour consultation at Park Row and we will plan the scope, the tone, and the maintenance around your hair and the look you want. Park Row is based in Brighouse and we colour clients from across Brighouse and the surrounding areas.
