As seen on red carpets and worn by celebrities like Cara Delevingne, Chrissy Teigen, and Rihanna, balayage has become one of the most sought-after hair color techniques today. But what exactly is balayage, and how does it differ from other highlighting techniques? We interviewed an expert in balayage to provide all the answers you need about this style.
1. It’s easy to maintain
Balayage highlights are an ideal solution for maintaining natural and effortless locks. Less damaging than foil highlights, balayage can work wonders on hair shades from dark to platinum blonde and looks gorgeous across all varieties. Maintaining your balayage color requires regular touch-ups every three or four months, depending on the shade you choose and the amount of sun exposure you experience. A good colorist can predict when you should return for touch-ups after conducting an initial consultation. Whether you’re naturally brunette or looking to change your look, balayage coloring will help create the sun-kissed appearance you desire. Pairing this trend with a medium haircut makes an eye-catching face-framing appearance and beautifully completes the effect.
2. It’s natural-looking
Balayage is an innovative hair color technique that creates an authentic sun-kissed effect with its long-term and beautiful coloring method. According to top stylists, balayage will never go out of fashion! To achieve a balayage look, your hair colorist will apply the dye resembling a sweeping motion to each strand of your hair. They may use lighter tones at first before gradually deepening as it moves toward your ends and progressively becomes more saturated as they do so. Your stylist may leave out certain sections that remain dark to create an ideal blend between dyed areas and uncoated parts of your tresses. Unlike double-processing, this technique reduces damage because your hair won’t absorb bleach evenly across its entirety. Although toner may need to be added more often as the color fades, that is only a minor drawback for stunning, natural-looking color! Plus, if regular touch-ups are performed, your balayage could last up to 14 weeks!
3. It’s low-maintenance
Balayage hair care is low maintenance because, unlike other lightening techniques, your colorist doesn’t saturate all your locks with bleach. Instead, they hand-paint individual strands of hair to achieve that soft, sun-kissed look that balayage is known for. Highlighting allows your stylist to concentrate more on face-framing pieces of hair and the ends of your locks – which means your balayage will stay manageable to brassiness and fade out faster. Like any hair coloring service, balayage requires periodic touch-ups to maintain its vibrancy and keep looking its best. Colombini suggests using high-quality oil or conditioner between appointments to keep highlights looking luminous and healthy between touch-ups. Also, use an SPF spray outdoors, as too much UV exposure could damage lighter locks like blonde or red balayage.
4. It’s affordable
With balayage, your colorist can achieve a more natural-looking style by painting non-uniform sections with color. This enables them to be more creative when framing faces, softening hairlines, or adding new hues for root touch-ups – leaving behind stunning and longer-lasting highlights than traditional techniques. Balayage works well with all hair colors and lengths, making it an excellent way to lighten locks or add depth. This technique is prevalent among those with curly or wavy locks as it creates an alluring beachy effect. If you’re considering getting balayage, we advise scheduling an initial consultation with your colorist to ensure they are the right stylist. They should be able to give an accurate quote and outline how the process works. In addition, make sure you invest in quality hair color care products like purple shampoo that help combat brassy tones – we love this option!
