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I go reddish/auburn when I do highlights. But the problem with dark brown hair is that it doesn't take lighter color. So basically they have to bleach your hair and then add back the lighter color. It's a pain in the butt. I just stick with all over color that's the same as my hair color to hide my grays.

I used to highlight it, but my hair when bleached turns orange, so it's not a good look for me.

I have dark brown hair and have done regular highlights and a more ombre look. I started getting highlights because I had the same thought - cover some grays. It didn't work . You're better off just getting your roots done regularly.

I usually do ombre because I don't have time to get my roots touched up often enough. Usually like an auburn. Here's a picture where the color has started to fade. When I got it touched up, I also brought the lighter color closer to my roots, but I don't have a good picture of it.

@looch: If you're hair is orange after bleach, the colorist didn't leave the bleach on long enough (the orange phase happens because the bleach didn't have a chance to get to blonde-ish, it was stopped short), and also maybe that the colorist didn't use the right tone to balance/counter the natural orange undertone in dark hair (blue/purple tones counteract the orange).

@ShootingStar: Agree with you! I get my roots done about eery 5-7 weeks, the ends naturally lighten up and the end result is an ombre look. Since my hair is curly, the gradient is very gradual.

Here's a pic with the highlights.

@MamaG: My gray hairs take color, it does tend to fade sooner sometimes though. I have a giant gray streak in my bangs like Rogue from X-men or Stacy London. And no one has any idea except me and my stylist. And obviously you can't see it in the pic either.

+1 for balayage! I just had it done on Wednesday, for the first time, and I love it! It's super subtle and looks natural, but definitely brightens and adds dimension to my bland hair color. Plus, it's supposed to be very gentle on your hair.

I don't have a picture right now but I have darker brown hair and have like a "caramel" highlight, but super, super subtle. It's just enough to add some dimension around my face and subtle enough that it won't (hopefully!) look too bad as it starts to grow out as I am pretty bad about keeping up with it...

@Mamaof2: I had all of my hair bleached a couple years ago and it didn't damage it.
No split ends, still soft.
I had to go in every 6 weeks for a glaze though.
Omg it was crazy seeing my hair orange and I was afraid it was damaged forever, but it turned out

I've only had highlights a couple of times, but I originally wanted to go with auburn/ reddish highlights on my dark brown hair. My stylist told me red dye fades the fastest and required the most upkeep- he knew me and that I wasn't going to be back in 6 weeks for a touch up. We did caramel ones instead which blended in nicely when they grew out. In pretty lucky though, and don't really have any grays yet (my dad is 65 and is only just starting to get gray around his ears!!)

Another balayage here! I don't have it right now because I felt like going dark again for winter. But this is from July last year, a few weeks after I had it done. I love that it's so low maintenance.