Meet 'Hair Contouring': The Face-Framing Trend That'll Be Huge This Spring
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Maybe your skills with a contour stick could give even the Kardashians a run for their money. But did you know your hair can get in on all that sculpting action as well, giving you a sunkissed look that not only enhances your facial features but also adds dimension to your tresses in the process? Simply put, this is called hair contouring, and it's one of several hair trends experts say will rule 2022.
If you're at all privy to the thousands of trends that pop up on social media, there's a chance you’ve already seen the #haircontour hashtag. With over half a million Instagram references and counting, this service is gaining popularity right now and for good reason.
Instead of incorporating just a few strands of contrasting color like money piece highlights—or requiring somewhat tedious color application all over the head à la 2000s era chunky highlights—hair contouring plays with shadows and light by using a more blocked method of application of highlights and lowlights, starting at your crown and softly cascading around your face. It's a great way to play with color if you're not ready to fully commit to a dramatically new look.
To find out if this look is right for you, here’s everything you need to know about hair contouring, maybe 2022's most achievable hair color trend.
What is hair contouring?
“Hair contouring is a hair color service where balayage highlights and color are placed in specific areas with the goal of sculpting the ideal face shape,” says Sarah Strand, lead colorist at eSalon. “Highlights and color are introduced to add width to narrow face shapes and elongate round and square face shapes.” Of course, “ideal” is open to interpretation, and the beauty is that you and your stylist can decide what you love about you—and run with that.
Think of hair contouring then as a fancy name for any face framing highlights. It's all about highlighting your favorite features and perking the complexion up a bit.
“For hair color and hair contouring, it depends on the client's face shape, skin tones, hair texture, and what kind of style they are looking for—corporate, business, high fashion, edge, daily use,” Yuksel Sahin, hairstylist and owner of Yuksel Sahin Hair Salon, previously told WH.
Like other color treatments, your base will inform the selection of complimentary tones for your contouring; typically, the bulk of the contouring will be about a shade or two brighter than your current hair color, but darker colored lowlights are often used as well, according to Crystella Lopez, also a lead colorist at eSalon. Your stylist will also take your skin and eye color into consideration to find just-right tones that’ll make your features pop, she adds.
Hair contouring typically resembles a balayage effect with even more softness and movement. “The key is to be strategic on where [color] is placed to draw the eye to details,” says Sean Godard, hairstylist and Ulta Beauty Pro Team member, the details in question being a person's cheekbones, eyes, or even lips.
In general, many stylists describe hair contouring as a sunkissed look, but as Lopez points out, slightly darker shades can be used as a part of the overall effect to make certain areas recede by creating shadows.
What technique is used for hair contouring?
According to color specialist Mirko Vergani of Fabio Scalia Salons, hair contouring isn’t akin to any specific coloring technique; it can be created through free-hand application, painting, foils, or a combination of these techniques. He thinks this service is trending right now because, relative to other treatments, it’s pretty fast, unlike full head highlights, which can require hours spent in the salon chair.
How does hair contouring differ from chunky or money piece highlights?
To Godard, hair contouring is much more customizable than chunky or money piece highlights, which typically aren’t added with the shape of a client’s face in mind at all.
“It’s different because it’s strategic, drawing the eye to certain areas,” he says. “We can also use color to enhance or adjust the face shape. For example, light pieces around the face can widen and add volume to the shape, whereas darker colors elongate the shape and make the face appear narrow.”
Because chunky and money piece highlights isolate smaller sections of strands with higher contrast colors—versus hair contouring’s more painterly application of subtle shifts in shade—the end results look fairly different. “While chunky highlights and money pieces create a big contrast around the face, hair contouring is a more natural and softer look,” says Lopez. “Since hair contouring can be applied using a free-hand style, it can create a very blended, natural look.”
What hair colors does hair contouring work best on?
The great thing about hair contouring is that it works on pretty much any color—blonde, black, brown, or red—and any type of hair. “The more contrast between tones, the more extreme and bold the contouring will be,” says Godard. Vergani notes that daring clients might consider hair contouring with bold colors or even pastels for a unique, edgy look.
How can the final look be maintained at home or in the salon?
The good news is maintenance is similar to other color services and even lower fuss in some cases; because the overall effect tends to be subtle, hair contouring grows out nicely. Still, anytime you’re coloring your hair, you want to watch out for a few things for best results.
“Brass is going to be your biggest enemy, especially on darker hair,” says Vergani. “So it’s important to use blue or violet shampoo to help neutralize any unwanted yellow and orange tones.” Other than that, you might consider investing in a good shower head that filters out any hardness in water. “[It] depends on the city you live in, but very hard water can cause the color to change a lot,” says Vergani.
Godard recommends going back to your stylist for a gloss service to maintain your tone in between brightening sessions. You could also try an at-home balayage highlight kit, like eSalon’s Light Set, says Strand, which can “allow you to bring your highlights back up to where they were after they have grown out.” That said, you’ll want to be confident with your coloring skills before giving this a go.
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