Q. What is the best color of highlights for black hair (that won’t make them look orange)? Stephanie Perez; Navasota, TX

A. When highlighting naturally black locks or strands that have been artificially colored black, the hair will go through several stages of “lifting” which is what the professionals call “exposing underlying pigment”. That’s generally when you start to see orange emerge. This is perfectly normal. Your stylist will then apply a second coat of color—known as a toner—that’s either “warm” or “cool” based. A cooler toner (which is what I recommend for very dark haired clients) will offset any orange hues and transform them into more a preferable chestnut or cool brown that will compliment your raven locks beautifully.

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