Highlighting your hair can be disastrous for its integrity, shine and strength. Still lots of us choose to highlight since the result is quite striking. Damaging, but striking.
But before you decide to bleach strands of your hair, you should consider other possibilities. My favorite is getting hair extensions instead. Why damage your hair when you can just achieve the same results while at the same time increasing your hair volume.
Other alternative to highlights is darkening big chunks of your hair by just two or three tones, and then slightly bleaching the actual highlights with an oil based dye instead of the customary power-based dye that is normally used for highlights, and which is the most damaging chemical you could put on your hair. This method achieves the same impact as regular highlights while keeping you from frying your hair.
Finally a less dramatic look-wise alternative to highlights if you have virgin, never bleached hair, is the daily application of a very concentrated chamomile tea to your hair, and the use of a sun-kissed natural product to the bangs that frame your face. Among these products are lemon juice and olive oil (please see our article on Naturally Lightening Hair). Or you can use a hair lightener such as Sun-In Spray-In Hair Lightener.