This “Kid Color” Technique Got Me My Natural Hair Color Back

julie dixon I’ve always been fascinated by “little child hair,” those unbleached, never-touched hot-tool tendrils that reflect light like a kaleidoscope. “I loved being chased behind all the red-headed kids in line at the grocery store,” she told me while painting her own hair in a chic Lower East Side salon. Jun drop. Each youthful mane features a patchwork of delicate, vibrant colors that, for a skilled stylist like Dixon, are a feast for the eyes. “You’ll also see purple clusters and clear strawberry clusters,” she says.

These memories ultimately became the driving force behind her salon specialty. “Kid Color” is a low-maintenance dyeing process that restores your most natural, youthful color.. As a member of the “Childhood Blonde” club, I was interested in whether this subtle technique could really bring my hair back to the past, so I went to Jun to test the “Childhood Color” I skipped to the drop. Next up is my research.

What is the “Kid Color” technique?

If you’ve ever looked at a baby photo and wondered, “Why does my hair look so good, but doesn’t look like that anymore?”, you’re not alone. Young children’s hair tends to look bouncier, healthier, and more vibrant before it eventually loses its luster over time. This is partially due to accumulated stress factors such as heat damage, free radicals, and overall wear and tear, as well as hormonal fluctuations due to the natural aging process. Personally, I wish I could go back in time, shake my six-year-old little shoulders, and beg him not to fry my hair with an iron. However, some change is inevitable to some extent.

“Most people’s hair gradually darkens as they get older.” Dixon explains. “But the big thing that happens there is it doesn’t produce as much warmth. It stops producing all the honey and chestnut pieces that people used to put in their hair.” That’s where the “kid color” technique comes into play. By reintroducing a range of tones (rather than one set of highlights, for example), your hair will take on a shinier quality, ultimately looking like it hasn’t been color-treated at all.

structure

Please note that “kid color” is not just a natural highlight. “What I usually do is take pictures of tiny baby pieces that look like paper. [dye some] After getting a little lighter [dye] It is a slightly darker shade of natural color. ” she says. By including lowlights (aka dark areas) in the mix, you can create dimension without completely changing the base tone. What about paper-thin pieces? That way, Dixon says, the highlights won’t look so “striped.” Highlights and lowlights should ebb and flow naturally throughout your mane, as if your hair is naturally kissed by the sun.

Before choosing a dye, Dixon first looks at photos of the baby. This is actually a very common practice among colorists and can help you decide whether cool or warm tones look best on you. Remember: Just because you were blonde as a kid doesn’t mean you’re platinum. It’s important to set expectations here. The goal of “kid colors” is not to be exactly the same as your childhood hues, but to bring out the same level of warmth and vibrancy.

“If you look at the blonde at an early age, it was a warm blonde,” Dixon noted from my own baby photos. “It was a buttery blonde. It wasn’t ashy at all. So what we’re trying to do is just a darker version of a warm honey blonde.”

my results

I’ve added highlights before. But it’s been a while since I’ve had a touch up. (As you can see from my “before” photo above, my roots are pretty dark.) After landing in the “warm, naked honey” direction from my baby photos, Dixon decided to give my hair a I painted it with very thin, small colors and stamped it with foil. pieces.

“Hair color is always darker at the roots than at the ends, so we take yours. [there] And then I added some of that honey,” she told me. She drew on those highlights first and then added some lowlights around the roots for depth. After washing, conditioning, and blow-drying my hair, she left me with noticeably lighter hair. , still felt like a mane of the sun myself.

Of course, I had to ask Dixon about maintenance. How often do I need to come in for touch-ups? “If you do it right the first time, you never have to do it again.” Dixon declares, “I’m very happy.” “For you guys, we’re doing something a little more impactful, maybe twice a year.” there is no.

Overall, I think of Dixon’s technique as the “no makeup” version of hair color. Zuzuzu It has a noticeable impact. And if you inspect a section up close, you can detect different shades of gold, maroon, and honey. These small differences can make a big difference in the level of shine in your hair. In the weeks since my appointment, multiple stylists have commented on my “seamless” hair color. Coming from the pros themselves, this is a great compliment. Have you ever had a colorist stand behind you at the market or on a subway platform, secretly marveling at how my hair catches the light? A girl can dream.

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