92+ Gorgeous Dark Brown Hair with Highlights Ideas!

Dark brown hair, with its rich, natural elegance, provides the perfect canvas for creative expression through highlights. Whether you’re drawn to caramel swirls, honeyed hues, or sun-kissed streaks, you’ll find something you like here. These highlight ideas not only add depth and dimension to your hair but also illuminate your features and refresh your overall look.

Dark Brown Hair with Highlights Advice

Though dark brown hair can be notoriously difficult to dye, that’s really only true when it comes to an all-over dye job. Highlights are usually a much more manageable way to add a little color and dimension to deeper hues.

The first thing you’ll need to do is decide what sort of highlights you want. If you’re looking for a more natural look, you’ll want to choose a color that’s a few shades lighter than your natural hue. However, dark hair is also a great canvas for brighter colors, like red or even blue, since it’s easy to let the tint fade out if you want to go back to your natural locks.
Once you’ve picked a color, commit to a hair part since that’s the line your stylist will use as a reference point when applying the highlight color.
Make sure you don’t overwash your hair. While this is always good advice, it’s especially important once you start adding dye to your style routine. Most people can wait 2-4 days between washes, but a stylist should be able to help you pinpoint your ideal rest time between shampoos.
If you notice some oil build-up or just want a little added volume between washes, opt for a tinted dry shampoo. Moroccanoil makes one of the best for dark hair.
When you do wash your hair, try to use cool or lukewarm water to avoid stripping color and oils so your tresses won’t look dull or limp. Also, consider using a blue shampoo and conditioner, like this set from Oligo. These products help prevent your hair from turning brassy or copper-toned over time.
If you notice some color fading, you can also touch up your color at home with a color-depositing mask, like this one from Moroccanoil. These are fool-proof hair masks that help intensify color. All you need to do is select one in a shade close to your highlights.
One of the tell-tale signs of healthy, natural hair is its shine. While it’s unlikely you’re hair will get too damaged from highlights, especially if they’re done by a professional, adding a little gloss spray, like this one from Chi, is a great way to give your style a healthy, natural look.
In the few days or even weeks after getting highlights, be extra gentle with your tresses. Avoid using heat tools as much as possible by making sure your curled or flat-iron styles last a few days. When you absolutely have to use a hairdryer or hot tool, make sure to apply plenty of heat protectant first. There are dozens of options, but Sun Bum’s is sulfate and cruelty-free, so it’s particularly popular.
Depending on what color you go with for your highlights, be prepared to head to the salon every 4-5 weeks or so for regrowth touch-ups as well.