Any hair color virgins out there? You know who you are—the ones with untouched, single-shade strands that look exactly the same at the tips as they do at the roots. Maybe you’ve flirted with the idea of dyeing your hair but always backed out at the last second. And honestly, who could blame you? Traditional color comes with a list of baggage: it’s pricey, it eats up hours of your time, it can mess with your texture, and worst of all, there’s no guarantee you’ll actually like it once you leave the salon.

But what if there was a way to experiment with color without bleach, damage, or the dreaded upkeep? It sounds like the stuff of fantasy, but TikTok has been buzzing about a technique that just might be the answer: faux highlights. And no, this doesn’t mean clipping in extensions or pulling out a wig. The secret is much simpler—and shinier. It all starts with a gloss.

The Gloss Advantage

If permanent dye is a heavyweight fighter, gloss is its zen cousin who’s here to heal, not harm. Think of gloss as the peace treaty of the hair world: semi-permanent, damage-free, and universally flattering on every hair type and pattern. Unlike harsh dyes, a gloss simply coats the strand, enhancing shine and richness while leaving your natural texture intact. Even better, it fades gracefully after about 20 shampoos—no harsh lines, no awkward root situation, just a smooth return to your original color.

Glosses can deepen your natural shade, warm it up, or add a sheer veil of tone. The one thing they can’t do is lighten your hair, since there’s no bleach involved. But here’s where the magic of faux highlights comes in.

The Faux Highlight Trick

At Anthony Cristiano salon in Chicago, colorist and natural redhead Lauren Ashley has become something of a gloss whisperer. To create the illusion of highlights, she follows the same choreography as a standard lightening session: weaving a comb through the hair to select tiny strands that would traditionally get painted with bleach. The twist? Instead of bleach, she applies a rich conditioner to those pieces and wraps them in foil for safekeeping.

Meanwhile, the rest of the hair gets treated with a gloss that’s a touch deeper or more saturated than the client’s natural shade. When everything is rinsed out, the untouched pieces peek through against the richer backdrop, creating the subtle effect of lighter highlights—without a single strand actually being lightened. The result? Hair that looks more dimensional, shinier, and healthier, with zero long-term commitment.

Model Madeline Ford recently documented the whole process on her channel, and the before-and-after was proof enough: faux highlights give the glow of a fresh salon color without any of the risks.

Why It Works

The brilliance of faux highlights is psychological as much as visual. Hair often looks flat when it’s just one tone from root to tip. By deepening most of the hair with gloss, the untouched strands look brighter by contrast—kind of like wearing white sneakers with an all-black outfit. The “light” isn’t created; it’s revealed.

Plus, gloss is notoriously kind to hair. Unlike permanent dye, which opens the cuticle and alters the structure, gloss works more like a topcoat. It smooths frizz, amps up shine, and makes hair feel softer. You walk out of the salon with a “new color” that’s secretly just your natural hair, optimized.

The At-Home Option

Here’s another reason to love gloss: it’s DIY-friendly. While we wouldn’t necessarily suggest foiling your own head for a faux-highlight effect (that’s a juggling act best left to pros), applying a gloss all over is straightforward enough for even the most nervous beginner. Many brands now sell user-friendly glosses you can brush on in your bathroom and rinse out 20 minutes later. Worst-case scenario? It fades in a few weeks, and you’re back to your original shade—no permanent evidence of your experiment.

Think of it as dipping your toes into the world of hair color without cannonballing straight into bleach. If you hate it, no harm done. If you love it, you can book a pro session and experiment further.

Why Now’s the Perfect Time

Winter is basically the trial period for hair color. By the time long summer days roll back around, any seasonal experiment has long since faded out, leaving you free to start fresh. If you’ve never dyed your hair before, trying a gloss now means you get a taste of change without locking yourself into a long-term relationship.

And let’s be real: after years of cautious, careful choices, maybe it’s time to let yourself play a little. Faux highlights give you the fun of “new hair, who dis?” without the risk of waking up one morning and regretting that platinum impulse.

The Bottom Line

Hair glosses and faux highlights are like the training wheels of hair color—perfect for the curious, the commitment-phobic, or anyone who just wants a little sparkle without the stress. They’re temporary, gentle, and surprisingly transformative.

So if you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, afraid to take the plunge into hair dye, consider this your nudge. Your hair can stay healthy, your roots can stay drama-free, and you still get the thrill of transformation.

Because sometimes, the best kind of highlight isn’t painted on with bleach—it’s glossed over with a little cleverness.