Highlighting/coloring question

     Hi Katherine! Sue's hair is chestnut brown, with a few silvers (about .1%), except at her temples and sideburns where the preponderance have turned.

Thank you Susan and Alisa!  Your information was very helpful.  Since highlighting sounds like it is damaging and potentially drying, plus the upkeep, I think I will pass.  I get some natural highlights during the summer, especially during a 1-week beach trip, so that will have to do.

Highlights do look nice, and I've never seen them make anyone look older.  The are a chemical process though, and chemical processes are damaging.  I do a little highlighting in mine, to give it some oomph.  I just limit the number of highlights so my hair doesn't get too damaged (just some around my face, not too much lighter than my natural hair, and I redo only the roots on these). 

Highlights could be done in those parallel streaks you talk about, or it could be blended better.  That would be your choice, and you should be able to get what you want from your hairdresser concerning that.  I haven't gotten mine done at a pro, but I'm under the impression that doing foils would make it more big chunky pieces, and pulling thinner strands through the cap with the holes in it gives you the thinner strand highlights. 

Highlights will probably need to have roots done every 2 months...the risk there is salons don't tend to do only your roots with highlights, they tend to just do more hair and do it all the way to the root so it blends in with the older highlights...the result being that you get blonder and blonder and get more and more roots eventually that you will have to do something about, or that may force you into coloring it all again back to your natural color if you are not one who wants to do root upkeep.  You can ask your salon how highlight roots are handled, maybe some do only the roots on the highlights you have.  If they do, that would not be too damaging.

All over color (your whole head) will need more frequent root touch ups, like about every 3 weeks to once a month.   It won't get blonder and blonder and add more damage though because they should be able to just do it once the first time and then only do the roots from then on.

I have N (or is it M?) whatever is medium thickness hair, and dying it once isn't too terrible for me.  It needs more trims and the ends are dryer where it was dyed, but it does continue to grow. (It has to be trimmed off and I don't get to keep my growth if I dye it too many times, but once is okay).  I do not have fine strands of hair though, it may be harder on this hairtype I do not know.

      Highlights look great on most women, IMO, and are not aging in the least. My wife is nearing the coloring age, and I think highlights would look super on her hip-length hair too, if she chooses this. If she has it done at a salon, one rule: no scissors! (lol) Good luck, Bob