A Beginner’s Guide to Balayage
Balayage is the latest trend in the hair department for a good reason. It looks trendy and pulled together by adding a unique and gorgeous, sun-kissed vibe to your hair. That’s why your Instagram feed is packed with photos of women sporting structural blonde and blazing, face-framing hair.
But what is balayage, how is it different from highlights, and how can you get the look? It can be confusing if you’re new to the trend, but don’t worry — this guide will walk you through everything you want to know about balayage.
Balayage is a French word that translates to the phrase “to sweep” in English. This free-hand, popular hairdressing technique gives your hair a sun-kissed, natural look. Using this technique, your hairstylist will add natural-looking highlights on random sections of your hair instead of your entire hair (as with the traditional highlights).
While you’re free to pick from among the many different colors, shades that are a little lighter than your base color will make your hair look more natural and beautiful. It also gives your hair more depth and dimension.
This hair coloring technique doesn’t use traditional foils or dyes. Instead, the colorist paints sections of your hair with a hand-held paintbrush and uses sweeping motions to create the desired effects.
The resulting highlights look more natural and less noticeable than those made by foils or dyes. Also, since the color is brushed on your hair’s surface, it results in a gorgeous sun-kissed vibe without the strict patterns of the traditional highlights.
There are many reasons why you should consider balayage. First, it looks more natural than a traditional coloring technique because it doesn’t leave harsh lines or make the roots obvious.
Second, balayage blends well with your natural hair color. There’s a risk of improper color-matching with other techniques that can make the color look fake. Balayage is strictly focused on matching the natural tones in your hair.
Another reason balayage is better is that it lasts longer than other hair coloring methods. Since balayage involves a free-hand application, the lightning process is slower, deeper, and gentler on your stands. This gives you more time before you have to get your hair colored again. You can flaunt it for 3-4 months on average before you’d need touch-ups.
Also, balayage is less damaging to your hair than other coloring techniques because it doesn’t involve using aluminum foil or dyes. Plus, it’s done on some sections of your hair instead of your entire mane.
The main difference between balayage and highlights is that the latter is done with a foil or comb. Balayage is done free-hand, and each section of hair is hand-painted. There’s no definite line where one color ends and another begins. It gives your hair a more natural, sun-kissed, beachy look.
But if you prefer a more uniform tone, you should go for the traditional highlights. Both options allow you to add a unique aspect to your hair.
Here are some tips on keeping your balayage or highlights healthy and vibrant for as long as possible.
But what is balayage, how is it different from highlights, and how can you get the look? It can be confusing if you’re new to the trend, but don’t worry — this guide will walk you through everything you want to know about balayage.
What Is Balayage?
Balayage is a French word that translates to the phrase “to sweep” in English. This free-hand, popular hairdressing technique gives your hair a sun-kissed, natural look. Using this technique, your hairstylist will add natural-looking highlights on random sections of your hair instead of your entire hair (as with the traditional highlights).
While you’re free to pick from among the many different colors, shades that are a little lighter than your base color will make your hair look more natural and beautiful. It also gives your hair more depth and dimension.
This hair coloring technique doesn’t use traditional foils or dyes. Instead, the colorist paints sections of your hair with a hand-held paintbrush and uses sweeping motions to create the desired effects.
The resulting highlights look more natural and less noticeable than those made by foils or dyes. Also, since the color is brushed on your hair’s surface, it results in a gorgeous sun-kissed vibe without the strict patterns of the traditional highlights.
Why You Should Consider Balayage
There are many reasons why you should consider balayage. First, it looks more natural than a traditional coloring technique because it doesn’t leave harsh lines or make the roots obvious.
Second, balayage blends well with your natural hair color. There’s a risk of improper color-matching with other techniques that can make the color look fake. Balayage is strictly focused on matching the natural tones in your hair.
Another reason balayage is better is that it lasts longer than other hair coloring methods. Since balayage involves a free-hand application, the lightning process is slower, deeper, and gentler on your stands. This gives you more time before you have to get your hair colored again. You can flaunt it for 3-4 months on average before you’d need touch-ups.
Also, balayage is less damaging to your hair than other coloring techniques because it doesn’t involve using aluminum foil or dyes. Plus, it’s done on some sections of your hair instead of your entire mane.
Consider wearing balayage hair extensions if you want zero damage to your hair but still want to flaunt balayage hair. The extensions come as individual wefts that you can clip or tape into your hair to create your desired sun-kissed effect. Be sure to look at balayage hair extensions before and after photos on our website so you can make an informed decision.
Difference Between Balayage and Highlights
The main difference between balayage and highlights is that the latter is done with a foil or comb. Balayage is done free-hand, and each section of hair is hand-painted. There’s no definite line where one color ends and another begins. It gives your hair a more natural, sun-kissed, beachy look.
But if you prefer a more uniform tone, you should go for the traditional highlights. Both options allow you to add a unique aspect to your hair.
How Do You Keep Your Balayage or Highlights Healthy
Here are some tips on keeping your balayage or highlights healthy and vibrant for as long as possible.
- Avoid exposing your hair to heat tools at high temperatures. Extended heat exposure can lead to fast color fading.
- Use products that will help keep your highlights healthy, such as a heat protectant spray and leave-in conditioner.
- Apply an intense conditioning mask at least once a week.
- Keep up with your appointments and touch-ups. Touch-ups can be done without stripping all of the previous colors out - just ask your stylist.
- Avoid hair products that contain harsh chemicals like alcohol, sulfates, and parabens.
Looking for a quick way to sport balayage hair? Check out Zala’s balayage hair extensions!
May 25, 2022
