We all know about face contouring even if we haven’t quite mastered it the way Kim Kardashian has. And you probably just realized that people are also contouring their bodies due to Kylie Jenner‘s unfortunate cleavage contouring mishap. Did you know that there is also hair contouring? Don’t worry, it doesn’t involve putting foundation and highlighter in your hair. Hair contouring is based on the same principles as face contouring but it uses hair color, not makeup. The technique was developed by Charles Worthington Art Team Director, Mark Trinder, and is offered Charles Worthington salons in the UK. We interviewed the Artistic Director of Hairroin Salon in New York, Luis Payne, who explained to us what exactly hair contouring is and how you can get the look.
Here is your guide on everything you need to know about hair contouring:
What exactly is hair contouring?
A. “Hair contouring is a technique used to sculpt the head and hair shape of the desired look.” The “sculpting” is done with hair color as opposed to brushes and makeup.
How does it differ from traditional highlights/lowlights?
A. “Often hair contouring can be a combination of color blocking, highlights, or balyaged.” “Balyage” is very natural-looking color that is usually painted on. It makes your hair look sun-kissed and regrowth is less obvious.
Q. How often would your roots require touching up? Is it more or less frequent than traditional highlights?
A. “It depends on what features are being emphasized or minimized during the color contouring service.”
Q. Does it work with any hair color and texture?
A. “The best results often come from wavy to straight hair textures. With extra curly hair textures you may need to be a little more aggressive or bold in order to see the results through a texture that takes up so much mass.”
Q. Do you need a certain haircut or layers to go with the hair contouring?
A. “Typically there is a haircut in mind or a specific look that is accompanied with a color contouring service.”
Q. Do you have any tips for choosing the right colorist?
A. “I would certainly check out your colorist’s social media outlets to see any examples of their work. I would additionally check out Yelp to see if they are well-reviewed by the public.”
(Photo: YuriyZhuravov/Shutterstock)
