Are you looking to enhance your hair color without being too bold or high maintenance? Consider a shadow root hairstyle to add depth to your existing color without starting a cycle of frequent touch-ups.
The trend focuses on darker roots blending into lighter strands for a natural yet striking look that’s incredibly easy to maintain. From what makes this style on trend to how you can create a versatile style at home, we’ve got you covered.
What is shadow root?
Shadow roots hairstyles go by a variety of names, including spots, highlights, color melts or stretches, but they all refer to the same timeless trend. Darkening your roots adds contrast and depth to lighten the lighter shades.
While this look is common with balayage highlights, it works with any shade. It also means you don’t have to dye your entire head or commit to regular follow-ups to touch up the color.
Advantages and disadvantages of shadow root hair
Here are some pros and cons of shadow root hair that you should think about before starting the process.
Advantages:
- It gives a sense of depth and complexity to the hair
- Works well for people with naturally lighter hair color
- It helps to blend hard lines between highlights and low light
- Requires minimal hair maintenance
Disadvantages:
- It may not be suitable for every skin tone, hair color or hair type
- Not ideal for thinning hair
- Frequent dying can lead to damaged roots
How to make shadow root at home
Achieving the perfect shadow root look can be a daunting task for those new to hair styling. However, by following these simple steps and using the right products, you’ll be able to create a gorgeous silhouetted root hairstyle in no time.
Level 1: Choose a shade two shades darker than your natural hair color.
level2: Apply the color evenly across your roots, making sure you don’t get any color on the rest of your hair.
Step 3: Leave it to set for about 30 minutes before washing it off with cold water.
Step 4: Blow dry or flat as desired and shape accordingly.
Consider using a toner to enhance the color and make it look more natural. Don’t forget to follow up with a deep conditioning treatment to nourish your hair.
How to maintain and nurture your shade roots
One of the main selling points for shaggy root hairstyles is how Low maintenance However, you can extend the time between touch-ups with proper daily care.
- Choose a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner with nourishing ingredients, like argan oil, to keep your hair healthy.
- Avoid overuse of heat styling and brushing too vigorously as both can further weaken the hair and cause breakage.
- Wear loose hairstyles, like loose braids, that show off your color without stressing your strands.
When it’s time for a touch-up, follow the process you used initially. Although some people still get touch-ups every four to six weeks, many people wait longer because the style works so well.
Since you don’t need to lighten your hair again, you only need to touch up the roots, meaning you can focus on keeping it relatively dark. You can pick up a root polishing spray in a similar shade to cover the new growth and stretch the time between dyeing jobs.
Shade root hair trends
Check out the hairstyles below to see if your perfect match is there. You will definitely find something you like.
Messy golden curls
Messy hairstyles are popular because they give a carefree and naturally gorgeous look. This golden hue helps add to the natural look.
There are some perfectly styled curls towards the front here. However, the back is left freer with flying hairs and a wavy texture. The roots are almost black.
Thick blonde curls with dark roots
dark brown This almost black is a very common shade in root shadow looks as it adds the most depth.
Curly hair This one definitely needs a lot of depth to help define where the parting is in your hair. Here there is a middle parting And those tight little curls with lots of volume fall into the face and down the shoulders and back.
Blonde locks with a polished champagne finish
Long locks in one solid shade of blonde can often wash you out. Adding a root shadow like this helps bring depth back to your look.
It helps you look very natural with a defined hairstyle. The overall shade of the rest of the shirts makes you look glamorous.
Blue and black half up buns
It’s not just blonde hair that looks great with your natural color. All hair colors look wonderful with this trend.
As you can see here, black and blue go very well together. Even more of the darkness is visible thanks to the hairstyle. It’s half up and pulled into a bit Field rolls on the sides of the head.
Chic bob with side parting
Bobs They are a great hairstyle to wear in summer. They allow you to have your hair very free without the risk of it getting too tangled. It’s great because of the summery vibe the shade roots create.
Combining these two amazing hair trends will really set you apart.
Loose wavy hairstyle
Waves always look natural and carefree when they’re loose like this. The top of the hair strands looks straight, but the rest is wavy. Some of the waves are pulled to one side of the head to add volume and fun to the look.
Most of the Blond hair, and he is almost black for parting. It creates such a dynamic and lively style.
Straight light blonde with blunt ends
is very light blonde It’s been a wonderful trend for a few years now. However, it can often make you look very plain when it’s straight and all in one tone.
Adding a dark grayish brown around the parting helps it look more like a natural color with a vibrant style. This ensures that the straight locks and blunt ends still look great.
Black and pink curls
Combining sweet colors like pink with dark colors like black always creates a very attractive, cute and bubbly look. This shoulder-length hairstyle has big curls that pull the locks away from the face. There is a constant growth of dark roots up.
Balayage Ombre hair with dark roots
Ombre hair is usually done by dark hair transitioning to a lighter color such as blonde. However, here the ombre is made of a medium tone of Blonde and some platinum. The dark roots add a third color to the mix.
Medium length blonde waves
Sometimes the shadow is created just by hinting at the roots. Other times the growth is more significant like here. Almost the entire top of the head is covered in darker shades. An ash blonde shade is applied to the rest of the gently wavy hair.
Big fluffy waves with volume
If you have a very thick hair, then adding soft waves can make it extra attractive. Sweeping the hair back on top of the head also adds some volume that makes you look like a model.
Here the roots are brown so they blend very well with the light blonde shade.
Long bob with heavy bangs
If you want to create a mysterious atmosphere, then a haircut with heavy bangs will work well for you. This pony has almost half a face.
the rest of the thin hair Compared. A natural dark shade is very visible under a lighter one.
Black and silver wavy balayage
Contrast is very important if you want to create an eye-catching hairstyle. You can do this by combining dark and light colors in balayage. Silver shirts stand out strongly against the background of the dark part towards the top of the head.
Rose Gold Wavy Balayage
rose gold It is a very popular hair color for a chic and girly look. Here is a dark version of it combined with black shadow roots.
There are waves all over the head to keep a natural texture. It’s a great everyday look.
Purple and blonde
You don’t have to keep your natural roots showing to create the shadow look. Here it is done by pairing dark purple with pale blonde.
The dark purple transitions to a lighter shade of purple to create a smooth transition between the two colors.
Wavy blonde hair with full bangs
Bangs add an interesting element to this hair trend. As you can see, the shadow stops before it creeps into the bangs so the bangs are completely blonde.
Black and red balayage
It is a known fact that black and red hair go together perfectly. They create such a fierce and fiery look. You can also covet a real mysterious atmosphere using these shades.
Combining them together in a bang and creating such styles will have all eyes on you.
Vivid Purple Balayage
Purple is another shade that looks mesmerizing with black. Deep purple shades like this make you look powerful and edgy.
All eyes will be on you in every room you enter. The voluminous waves and balayage style help add to this effect. The dark shadow roots add extra appeal.
Common questions
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about shade root hair.
A shadow root hairstyle usually costs around $100, but you can pay up to $300 depending on your hair, the professional and the color scheme you choose. You can save by taking care of the painting job at home.
The choice between root stain and shadow root depends on your hair and the desired result.
Applying roots is best for covering gray or incorporating stark contrast from foil highlights.
It’s softer and looks a little more natural. The shadow root trend creates more of a gradient effect, making it more versatile. It is also more obvious in longer hair styles.
It depends on your hair, color and personal preference. Some people stick with touch-ups for four to six weeks while others stretch it out to six to eight weeks, or when the roots are visible.
However, you may be able to extend the touch-ups to ten or twelve weeks if you go with a dye job that blends with your natural hair color.
Start your shade root coloring job on dry hair to ensure a more even color. Applying color to wet hair may dilute the color and cause an inconsistent result. However, toning is best done on damp hair as it is easier to work with and helps to blend better.
While any chemicals on your hair can cause damage, shadow root styles are less damaging than other options. They require less frequent touch-ups and don’t always need full coloring, meaning less chemicals on your hair.
This is one of the best options for people hoping to grow out their hair color without causing additional damage.
The roots of the shadows should not be more than three shades darker than your natural hair color to avoid awkward streaks. Staying closer to the natural base color helps the effect last longer and reduces the risk of damage during touch-ups.
Shadow root can bleed or run a little into the surrounding hair during application or if not washed thoroughly after processing. However, the bleeding should stop once you have worked and washed the color completely.
Yes, shadow root is one of the most effective options for covering gray. The darker root color can help blend the gray hair with the rest of your hair, creating a more natural looking result.