"Fluid Hair Painting" Looks Crazy, But Will Give You the Best Highlights of Your Life

Dye jobs have always been an art form in and of themselves, but hair is becoming a canvas like never before thanks to a cutting-edge, potentially game-changing technique.

Bucking the ol' chair-in-front-of-a-mirror tradition, "fluid hair painting" entails having a client lay down with their hair sprawled out on flat surface, where it is then hand painted like a Picasso, baby. The goal? A gradient effect that's smoother and more fluid, if you will, than other highlighting techniques, like foils or balayage.

In an interview with Buzzfeed, creator KL Christofferson explained that the horizontal application is a more accurate reflection of how the hair will lay when worn day-to-day.

"Because the hair is over directed during the application process, it collapses into a fluid color gradient when styled," she says. Plus, it's totally versatile whether you're going for a pared-down sombré or out-of-this-world galaxy hair.

As off-kilter as it may seem, the technique is already making waves worldwide, having been spotted at different salons in Sweden, Germany, and Canada. Is this the beginning of the end for the long-established salon chair ritual? Only time will tell. 

Until then, check out all the different ways stylists are keeping their color play fluid:

Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.