27 Trendy Hairstyles With Chunky Highlights
Chunky highlights have made a remarkable comeback, bringing bold dimension and striking contrast to modern hairstyles.
These statement-making streaks create eye-catching patterns that add depth and personality to any cut, offering a perfect blend of early 2000s nostalgia and contemporary edge.
Ready to embrace this head-turning trend?
These 27 chunky highlight hairstyles will help you incorporate bold streaks into your look with style.
Discover the perfect chunky highlight technique to elevate your hairstyle with dramatic dimension, from face-framing money pieces to all-over contrast.
1: Face-Framing Chunky Money Piece
This striking style features thick, light blonde streaks concentrated around your face against a darker base.
The strategic placement brightens your features while requiring less overall processing than full highlights.
Ask your colorist for bold, light pieces specifically framing your face.
This flattering approach draws attention to your eyes and cheekbones while maintaining depth throughout the rest of your hair.
Style with a center part to showcase the symmetrical framing effect of these chunky face-framing pieces.
2: Chunky Blonde Highlights on Dark Brown
This high-contrast combination pairs bright blonde chunks with a rich, dark brown base. The dramatic color difference creates maximum impact with unmistakable dimension.
Request thick, ribbon-like blonde highlights distributed throughout your dark base.
This bold approach creates a head-turning contrast that showcases the chunky highlighting technique.
The style is straight to emphasize the clean lines and clear color separation that define this striking look.
3: Thick Caramel Ribbons on Brunette
This warm, dimensional style incorporates wide caramel-toned streaks throughout a chocolate brown base.
The complementary colors create a rich contrast with a more subtle effect than platinum on dark.
Ask for substantial caramel highlights woven throughout your brunette hair.
This sophisticated approach contrasts with wearable warmth, perfect for enhancing brown hair.
The golden-brown tones particularly flatter warm skin tones while creating beautiful dimension.
4: Chunky Peek-a-Boo Highlights
This playful style features bold, contrasting streaks hidden beneath your top layer of hair.
The strategic placement creates surprising flashes of color that appear as you move or style your hair.
Request thick highlights applied to the underneath sections of your hair, leaving the top layer your natural shade.
This versatile technique allows you to control how much of the contrast shows.
Style with waves or layer your cut to reveal glimpses of the chunky highlights beneath.
5: Bold Red Chunks on Dark Hair
This fiery style incorporates thick, vibrant red streaks throughout a dark brown or black base.
The striking color combination creates dramatic dimension with statement-making appeal.
Ask for substantial red highlights distributed throughout your dark base hair.
This eye-catching approach adds personality and energy to your style with maximum impact.
Style with volume to showcase the dimension created by these bold, colorful chunks.
6: Chunky Platinum Bob
This edgy style pairs a precisely cut bob with thick, platinum blonde highlights throughout.
The structural cut enhances the bold highlighting pattern for a fashion-forward result.
Request substantial platinum streaks woven throughout your bob-length hair.
This contemporary approach creates striking dimension that enhances your bob’s clean lines.
Style straight with a flat iron to emphasize both the cut’s precision and the highlights’ sharp contrast.
7: Two-Tone Chunky Layers
This dimensional style incorporates strategic highlighting that follows your haircut’s layers.
The technique emphasizes the layers’ movement while creating dynamic color contrast.
Ask your colorist to place thick highlights on your cut’s layers, creating a two-tone effect.
This technical approach enhances your haircut’s shape while adding bold color dimension.
Style to enhance your layers’ movement, showcasing the strategic color placement.
8: Y2K-Inspired Chunky Highlights
This nostalgic style features thick, contrasting highlights reminiscent of early 2000s trends.
The deliberate placement creates that distinct Y2K aesthetic with contemporary execution.
Request bold, clearly defined highlights placed throughout your hair with minimal blending.
This throwback approach channels Y2K fashion while maintaining modern color application techniques.
Add crimped texture or spiky pieces for the ultimate early 2000s throwback effect.
9: Chunky Balayage Blend
This modern hybrid technique combines chunky highlights’ thickness with the graduated balayage application.
The combination creates bold pieces that appear more naturally sun-kissed.
Ask for thicker-than-usual balayage pieces painted on with graduation from mid-lengths to ends.
This contemporary approach blends trendy chunky dimension with natural-looking placement.
The hand-painted technique creates a slightly softer effect while maintaining the impact of chunky pieces.
10: Contrasting Money Piece with Subtle Back
This balanced style features dramatic, chunky face-framing highlights with more subtle dimensions throughout your hair.
The focused contrast creates maximum impact where it matters most.
Request extra-thick, light pieces around your face with thinner highlights throughout the back.
This strategic approach creates a statement-making effect while maintaining overall wearability.
Style with a blow-dryer and round brush to emphasize the face-framing brightness.
11: Chunky Silver Streaks
This cool-toned style incorporates thick silver or platinum streaks throughout a darker base.
The icy contrast creates a striking, modern dimension with edgy appeal.
Ask for substantial silver highlights distributed throughout your base color.
This contemporary approach works particularly well against dark brown or black hair for maximum contrast.
Use purple shampoo to prevent unwanted warmth from developing in the silver sections.
12: Bold Weave Pattern Highlights
This artistic style features thick highlights placed in a deliberate weaving pattern throughout your hair.
The technical placement creates visual interest beyond simple color contrast.
Request strategically placed thick highlights that create a pattern or weaving effect.
This creative approach elevates chunky highlighting with intentional artistry.
The style has a sleek straightness to showcase the deliberate pattern created by the highlight placement.
13: Chunky Highlights with Shadow Root
This dimensional style features thick highlights with your natural color maintained at the roots.
The technique creates bold contrast while allowing for easier grow-out and maintenance.
Ask for substantial highlights with a shadow root technique that leaves your natural color at the base.
This practical approach creates a chunky dimension with lower maintenance requirements.
The shadow root technique extends the time between salon visits while delivering that bold, chunky highlight effect.
14: Dimensional Curly Chunks
This texture-celebrating style incorporates thick highlights specifically placed to enhance your natural curl pattern.
The strategic coloring creates depth and definition that showcases your curls’ movement.
Request substantial highlights placed to follow and enhance your curl pattern.
This specialized approach requires a colorist experienced with both chunky highlighting and curly hair.
Define your curls with curl-specific products to showcase the dimensional color that emphasizes your natural texture.
15: Punk-Inspired Contrast Chunks
This bold style features stark, deliberate chunks of contrasting color placed asymmetrically throughout your hair.
The rebellious placement creates edgy, punk-inspired dimension.
Ask for thick, asymmetrically placed highlights with maximum contrast against your base color.
This statement-making approach channels alternative style with unapologetic boldness.
Style with textured volume or subtle spikiness to enhance the punk aesthetic of these deliberate color chunks.
16: Chunky Caramel Lob
This sophisticated style pairs a trendy long bob with substantial caramel-toned highlights.
The warm dimension enhances the lob’s movement while creating rich color contrast.
Request thick caramel highlights distributed throughout your lob-length hair.
This flattering approach adds warmth and dimension, enhancing your face and the haircut’s shape.
Style with loose waves to create movement that showcases the dimensional highlighting pattern.
17: Thick Piece-y Blonde Streaks
This textured style incorporates substantial blonde pieces with a deliberately unblended finish throughout your hair.
The piece-y effect creates bold dimension with edgy separation.
Ask for thick blonde highlights with minimal blending for a more separated, piece-y result.
This contemporary approach creates a striking contrast with a modern edge.
Enhance the piece-y effect with texturizing products that separate the colored sections.
18: Chunky Face-Framing with Lowlights
This multidimensional style pairs thick, light face-framing pieces with darker lowlights throughout the rest of your hair.
The contrasting techniques create rich depth with brightening benefits.
Request bold, light pieces around your face with darker lowlights woven throughout the back sections.
This balanced approach creates a multilayered dimension with strategic brightness.
Style with a round brush to emphasize the face-framing brightness against the deeper-toned back sections.
19: Vibrant Fashion Color Chunks
This playful style incorporates thick pieces of vibrant fashion colors like pink, purple, or blue throughout your hair.
The bold color choices create statement-making dimensions beyond traditional highlighting.
Ask for substantial streaks of your chosen fashion colors distributed throughout your hair.
This creative approach personalizes the chunky highlight trend with custom color choices.
Style to emphasize the color placement, either with straightness for graphic contrast or waves for blended dimension.
20: Chocolate and Copper Ribbons
This rich, warm style features thick copper-toned highlights woven through a chocolate brown base.
The complementary colors create a sophisticated dimension with flattering warmth.
Request substantial copper highlights distributed throughout your brown hair.
This dimensional approach particularly enhances warm skin tones and brown or hazel eyes.
It has voluminous waves to showcase the multidimensional color contrast in different lighting.
21: Chunky Platinum Pixie
This bold, short style pairs a pixie cut with substantial platinum highlights throughout.
The limited canvas makes the chunky highlights more impactful against your base color.
Ask for thick platinum pieces to be distributed throughout your pixie cut.
This high-impact approach creates maximum dimension despite the shorter length.
Style with texturizing products to create separation that emphasizes the contrasting color chunks.
22: Thick Highlights with Color Melt Ends
This graduated style features chunky highlights that melt into a different shade at the ends.
The color transition creates an additional dimension beyond the chunky placement.
Request substantial highlights with a color melt technique that transitions to a different shade toward the ends.
This multilayered approach creates a complex dimension with trendy execution.
Style with movement to showcase the color transition from roots to ends.
23: Bold Asymmetrical Color Placement
This creative style features chunky highlights concentrated more heavily on one side than the other.
The intentional asymmetry creates an artistic dimension with a fashion-forward appeal.
Ask for thicker, more numerous highlights on one side with fewer on the opposite side.
This editorial approach creates a deliberately unbalanced look with a high-fashion impact.
The style emphasizes the asymmetrical color placement, either with sleekness or textured waves.
24: Chunky Highlights with Exposed Root
This trendy style features substantial highlights, showing a significant amount of your natural root color.
The technique creates bold dimension while incorporating the current root-forward aesthetic.
Request thick highlights placed to showcase sections of your natural root color intentionally.
This contemporary approach blends chunky highlighting with modern exposed-root trends.
The visible root sections create added dimension while extending the time between touch-ups.
25: Golden Ribbon Highlights on Blonde
This warm, dimensional style incorporates thick golden ribbons throughout a lighter blonde base.
The tone-on-tone approach creates subtle yet substantial dimension perfect for natural blondes.
Ask for chunky golden highlights woven through your blonde base color.
This sophisticated approach adds dimension to blonde hair without stark contrast.
Style with waves to create movement that showcases the multidimensional blonde tones.
26: Dramatic Two-Tone Bob
This striking style features a precisely cut bob with substantial highlights creating a clear two-tone effect. The structural cut enhances the bold color contrast for maximum impact.
Request thick, clearly defined highlights that create a distinct two-tone look within your bob.
This high-contrast approach creates a graphic dimension that emphasizes your cut’s clean lines.
The style is sleek and straight, showcasing the precise cut and bold color division.
27: Chunky Bronde Dimension
This versatile style incorporates thick streaks of bronde (brown-blonde hybrid) tones throughout your hair.
The complementary color family creates rich dimension with wearable contrast.
Ask for substantial bronde highlights woven throughout your hair.
This adaptable approach works exceptionally well for creating dimension in light to medium brown hair.
It has voluminous waves to showcase the multidimensional color contrast in different lighting.
Conclusion
Chunky highlights offer bold dimension and eye-catching contrast to any hairstyle.
Whether you choose face-framing brightness or an all-over pattern, these statement-making streaks add personality and depth, transforming your look with head-turning dimensional color.
