Full Color vs. Highlights: Which Is Right for You?
By Bella Garcia · · 4 min read
When clients want a change, one of the first questions is whether to go with full color or highlights. Both can look beautiful, but they create very different results, grow out differently, and ask different things of your schedule. This guide walks through full color vs. highlights in plain terms so you can walk into your appointment knowing what you want.
What full color is
Full color, sometimes called all-over or single-process color, means one permanent shade is applied from roots to ends. At Beya Studios a blowdry is included, and the appointment runs about 1 hr 30 mins. It changes the overall color of your hair and is often used to:
- Cover gray evenly
- Go darker, or a little warmer or cooler, than your natural shade
- Even out faded or uneven color from past dye jobs
- Create a rich, solid, glossy look
The result is uniform. If you want hair that looks like one cohesive color, full color usually gets you there.
What highlights are
Highlights are lightened strands woven through your hair with foils. A full head of highlights at our salon usually takes 20-plus foils, and we finish it with toner and a blowdry. Instead of changing the whole head, they add brighter pieces next to your natural or base color. That contrast creates dimension and movement, and it can make hair look fuller and more sun-touched.
If you want less coverage, our babylight service lightens just the top half of the head, typically with 10 to 14 foils, and also includes toner and a blowdry. For a closer look at that choice, read how babylights differ from a full head of foils.
Full color vs. highlights: the key differences
The look
Full color reads as solid and even. Highlights read as dimensional, with lighter and darker strands mixed together. Neither is better; it depends on whether you want polish and uniformity or brightness and movement.
Grow-out
This is often the deciding factor. With full color, especially if it is quite different from your natural shade, a clear line usually appears at the roots as your hair grows. Highlights tend to blend more softly, because your natural color is already part of the look. Many people find they can go longer between highlight appointments than between full color touch-ups.
Lightening
Full color can deposit color and lift your hair only slightly. If you want to go noticeably lighter, especially from dark brown or black hair, highlights with lightener are usually the more effective and gentler route, because only some strands are lightened.
Gray coverage
For solid gray coverage, full color is usually the better choice. Highlights can help blend gray, and some clients like that softer approach, but they will not hide it completely.
Maintenance and upkeep
Think honestly about how often you want to be in the salon.
- Full color: Many clients come back every four to eight weeks for a root touch-up, which colors from the root to mid-shaft with a single permanent shade and includes a blowdry, depending on how fast their hair grows and how much contrast there is with their natural color. Our post on how often to get a root touch-up goes into more detail.
- Highlights: Often refreshed every two to four months. In between, a toner can correct brassy tones without a full foil service. If the tone is fine and the hair just looks dull, a gloss is a clear treatment that adds shine without adding color.
Both options benefit from color-safe shampoo, cooler water, and heat protection. Lightened hair in particular can feel drier, so extra conditioning helps keep it soft.
Cost at our El Monte salon
Here is how the services compare on our menu:
- Full color: $130
- Root touch-up: $100
- Babylight (top half): $180
- Highlights (full head): $250
- Gloss: $100
- Toner: $100
A full highlight costs more up front because it takes longer, about 2 hrs 20 mins, and the toner is built in. Over a year, though, the gap can shrink if you visit less often. Every color service, with what it includes, is listed on our color price list.
Which one should you choose?
Full color is usually a good fit if you:
- Want complete, even gray coverage
- Want to go darker or richer
- Love a sleek, uniform, glossy finish
- Do not mind regular root touch-ups
Highlights are usually a good fit if you:
- Want to look brighter or lighter without a dramatic change
- Prefer a soft, natural-looking grow-out
- Like dimension and movement
- Want fewer appointments over time
Some clients combine the two, with a base color for coverage and highlights for brightness. We are happy to talk through whether that makes sense for your hair.
Talk to us before you decide
Your natural shade, past color history, hair health, and lifestyle all affect which option will look and feel best. Tell us about any box dye or color from the last couple of years, since it changes what’s possible in one visit. If you’re not sure where to start, ask us for a color recommendation or text us at 626-488-4691 with a photo of your hair and the look you want.
FAQ
Do highlights damage hair more than full color?
Highlights use lightener, which can be more drying than deposit-only color. Because only some strands are lightened, though, the overall impact is often manageable with good conditioning and heat protection.
Can I switch from full color to highlights?
Often, yes, but it may take more than one appointment, especially if you have darker box dye or built-up color. We will look at your hair and color history before recommending a plan.
Which lasts longer, full color or highlights?
Highlights usually grow out more softly, so many people go longer between visits. Full color tends to show a root line sooner, especially when it differs a lot from your natural shade.
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