Alaska Hairdresser and Barber Certification Practice Exam

Highlighting is a technique that uses foils to add dimension to hair color. This process involves applying a lightening agent to strands of hair and wrapping them in foil, which helps to isolate the hair and accelerate the lightening process. The use of foils allows for precise application, ensuring that only specific sections are lifted to a lighter shade. This results in a contrast between the highlighted sections and the base color, creating depth and dimension in the overall look.

In contrast, balayage is a freehand technique where the colorist paints the lightener directly onto the hair without the use of foils, which results in a more natural, sun-kissed look. Color melting blends multiple colors seamlessly to create a gradient effect, while root shadowing involves darkening the roots to provide depth but does not typically require the use of foils. Thus, highlighting stands out as the primary technique that employs foils to achieve that dimension in hair color.