Your Guide To High Lift Hair Color

The Best Salon Scenarios To Use High Lift Color

Do you use high lift color? Below, we’re breaking down what you need to know about high lift color—including the level of lift you can achieve, the salon scenarios it’s most suited for and how to formulate for different client goals

What Is High Lift Color?

High lift color is permanent hair color that lightens the hair and deposits a tone in one step. This type of color offers a shortcut in your blonding services to achieve results faster.

How Many Levels Does High Lift Color Lift?

The single-step blonding formula of PRAVANA’s ChromaSilk HI LIFTS can lift up to four levels while neutralizing and toning in one step.

When Should I Use High Lift Color?

HI LIFTS are ideal when you want to create light blondes without lightener. PRAVANA’s HI LIFTS have a higher level of alkalinity than the brand’s other permanent colors, so these shades soften the hair more, leading to more lightening of natural pigment.

Here are some client situations when you may use HI LIFTS instead of traditional lightener.

• Client with virgin hair that prefers not to use bleach, but wants to try a blonding service
• Root retouches on Level 6 and lighter when bleach isn’t preferred
• Base-breaking on Level 6 and lighter

How Should I Formulate HI LIFTS?

ChromaSilk HI LIFTS come in five unique, heavily-pigmented shades for toned, natural looking results. Four of the hues are violet in tone to counteract brassiness and one hue is Champagne, a versatile shade that works with the hair’s natural undertones.

You can use HI LIFTS out of the tube without blending shades, or you can add Champagne to the Violet shades for softer, more customized results. To achieve up to 4 levels of lift, mix 1 part HI LIFT to 1.5 parts 30- or 40-volume developer for root retouches and other virgin hair applications on Level 6 hair or lighter.

For base-breaking on Level 6 and lighter, use this chart to determine how to formulate HI LIFTS depending on your desired result:

Check out this cheat sheet to determine which HI LIFTS shade to use:

When Should I NOT Use HI LIFTS?

On Level 5 hair and darker, the underlying pigment will be a deeper, truer orange. HI LIFTS don’t contain enough deep blue to counteract that tone, so if you try to use HI LIFTS on a client with this level, you will get warmer-than-desired results.

From Outgrown Roots To Clean Blonde, Save This HI LIFT Formula