What exactly is balayage hair, and why is it so popular? (2023)

FAQs

Why is balayage so popular? ›

Another reason why balayage is so popular is that it works brilliantly with all hair types and lengths – straight, curly, wavy, short, long, thick and thin. With thinning hair, the choice of colours that come with a balayage style can be a great way to add depth to your hair to make it look visually thicker.

"Balayage" (taken from the French word for "sweeping") is a freehand colouring technique. Colour is painted directly onto designated sections of the hair without using foil. The result is a more natural, sun-kissed hue, without any harsh contrast between colours.

Although they can both damage the hair, in the long term, balayage is more damaging because you have to use a higher developer and layer the lightener more in order to achieve the desired result.

Balayage is a highlighting technique that produces gorgeous natural highlights by hand painting the top of the hair strand with color or lightener. The results can be subtle or dramatic depending on your desired look but the end result is always softer at the scalp and bolder at the ends.

How long does Balayage last in your hair? One of the greatest advantages of Balayage is how long it lasts. Traditional foil highlights require touch ups every few weeks, whereas Balayage will last 3-4 months on average.

“The reason why people charge more for balayage even though it is 'less work', is because it's not a service everyone offers. And the client can go longer between the retouch so you have to account for that too.” “You charge more because you know a technique that not everyone else does.

“Getting a fresh cut or trim before highlights allows your colorist to tailor the highlights to the cut.” This can be especially important if you're getting balayage and the color is focused towards the ends of the hair. “If you do the cut after the highlights, you can cut off the brightest ends,” he says.

You shouldn't wash your hair beforehand. If you're adding highlights with balayage, you should come with oily hair to protect the scalp. But if you're getting a single process, it's better to come with clean hair to help the color hold, Scrivo says.

Depending on your desired results and the current color and condition of your mane, your balayage can take anywhere from one to three appointments. We always recommend booking a consultation with your colorist before you commit to making any permanent hair color change.

Subtle balayages are still very popular. I'm seeing a lot more requests for natural, copper reds and mahogany tones as well!”

How much should a balayage be? ›

Though balayage is expensive, the exact price depends on your particular salon and stylist. Typically, balayage costs between $70 to $300. By comparison, a full head of regular highlights only costs around $75 to $150.

It depends on a lot of factors—like if your hair has been dyed before, or how long your strands are. However, in general balayage does take a bit longer than foil because the stylist goes through piece by piece to customize the color. This highlighting technique is also a bit more expensive.

Balayage involves sweeping lightener down the mid-lengths and ends of the hair to create that beautifully blended look we all know and love. Foilyage involves the same sweeping method, however, sections of hair are wrapped in foil instead of being left to air dry.

Whether ombré or balayage is best for you depends on the color effect you want, like going blonder or lowlights. “If you want to go lighter with a lived-in color look, then balayage highlights would be best,” explains Guy. “Ombré is great for those who are already light and want a lower maintenance color.

In general, we recommend scheduling a balayage touch up every 12-14 weeks. Root growth should be fairly subtle, giving you more flexibility in the exact timing. To protect your colour between appointments, talk to your master stylist about which highlight-enhancing shampoos they recommend.

Don't wash your hair for at least three days

After getting your balayage, wait for at least three days before you wash your hair. The purpose of doing this is to allow the cuticles to close and the color to set. You also should avoid getting the hair wet during these days, so avoid engaging in strenuous exercises.

The general rule is to wash your balayage hair sparingly. Too much washing may end up damaging the quality of your balayage. When you wash your hair every single day, the beautiful colour in your hair will fade more quickly. Ideally, you shouldn't wash your balayage hair for more than 2 or 3 times each week.

It is actually quite easy to maintain balayage hair color, and it lasts for a really long time. It is so low-maintenance that you do not need to go regularly to the salon for touch-ups as with other highlights on your hair. This is because it grows out naturally, so there is no obvious regrowth line.

“One-dimensional colour will be knocking balayage off the top spot in 2022, with solid colours like warm chocolate brown and glossy black becoming the new go-to. The year will also see more women embracing their greys.”

However, highlights are a lot less expensive than balayages. (One point for the highlight team!) A partial highlight is one of the most common highlight services, and it's generally priced between the cost of a base touch up and the cost of a full color; which is usually less than $100.

Does balayage use bleach? ›

As with all highlighting techniques, balayage requires lightening — and that means you'll need to have your hair bleached. Bleaching your hair can cause damage, so it's important to make sure you take care of your strands pre- and post-balayage, not only to make the color last but to keep your hair healthy.

When it comes to gray coverage, balayage and foilyage have several benefits over traditional highlights. Favoring a balayage technique for gray blending services allows you to cover a larger surface area and avoid leaving out as much hair. Doing so leaves the client with a natural and youthful look.

What to Expect During the Process. With balayage, your colorist hand-selects which sections or strands of hair will have lightener applied to them. Typically, lightener is more highly concentrated on the face-framing pieces of the hair, the ends, and the top layer of hair for a more dimensional look.

In Conclusion. As you can see, there is quite a bit to love about the balayage technique. Not only does it result in a much more natural look, but it will maintain its appearance as your hair grows. This helps you avoid dealing with the shock of your natural roots meeting bright blonde highlights.

The easiest thing to mess up (or just plain forget) when doing a balayage process is controlling the level of saturation. These levels are dependent on the degree of pressure that gets applied when sweeping lightener over the root area so that the product penetrates the mids and ends of the hair.

Balayage doesn't start at the roots like highlights do.

Since balayage is intended to look more natural, color starts midway down strands and follows down to the tips. Highlights start at the roots to create thin or chunky sections of lighter color throughout the hair.

Below, we outline three really important balayage application techniques that can help you step up your hair painting game: The C-Motion™, The Glide & Slide™, and The Backflip™.

It's usually best to choose highlights which are no more than three shades lighter than your base hair color. If you're wondering which hair colors make you look younger, you might want to consider shades like caramel, honey-blonde, gold, coppery tones and strawberry blonde.

Who shouldn't balayage? ›

Who Shouldn't Get Balayage. While balayage works with almost all hair types, colors and textures, it's not recommended for those with heavily highlighted hair. “This hair type will require the hair to be partially darkened and then highlighted,” says Papanikolis.

Balayage hairstyles are perfect for you if you want to wear the sun-kissed hair look. This technique is absolutely great for straight hair as it can add color, depth, and dimension to it. As a result, straight hair can seem thicker and more voluminous.

On average, you can expect to spend $150 to $200 on your balayage hair highlights. For short hair, prices start at $70, while a full head of hair with multiple colors can cost as much as $250. Get free estimates from hair stylists near you. How much will your balayage cost?

It does not include toner or a haircut.

Balayage is customized, natural-looking, and low maintenance—thanks to the blended root with no obvious line of demarcation.

Overall, Balayage will most likely cost from $100 to $150 at the low end of the spectrum and from $250 to $300 at the high end of the spectrum. Long hair will also increase the price over short hair because of the extra effort required.

Generally speaking, balayage tends to be best for: Clients requiring four levels of lift or less: Balayage can typically get you about 4 levels of lift in a single session, which means that it isn't always the best route for those guests who need intense brightness or want a dramatic shift in their color.

"A good balayage is all about placement and blending. Having contrast between the light and dark tones is what creates natural looking, lived-in dimension," says Blais. "A good balayage blends seamlessly from dark hues to the lightest, leaving the color looking soft with no harsh lines."

How much does balayage cost? Because it's so time-consuming to complete, balayage tends to be one of the priciest forms of hair coloring. While highlighting may only cost $150, expect to pay about $200 on average, for balayage. Snag a service for less with one of our deals for balayage near you.

Balayage on straight hair is technique of freehand painting that blends two colors to create a natural-looking color. Balayage blending works best on straighter, clean hair. Instead of highlighting color into the hair, balayage blends colors throughout the lengths of hair. This gives straight hair dimension.

What is replacing balayage? ›

Goodbye balayage -- hair frosting is the newest color trend of 2022. The buzzy hair dye technique is slightly different from balayage in that it involves the bleaching of individual hair strands. These strands are dyed into a cool blonde tone, contrasting the base color to create a snowy, frosted look, hence the name.

A full balayage is when a colorist adds highlights throughout your hair. According to our internal pricing data, full balayage appointments can cost between $76 and $452. The average cost of. a full balayage is $193.

If you've got platinum blonde hair, balayage blonde, caramel blonde, brunette with blonde highlights, ombre blonde, even silvery or gray hair; you need to be using purple shampoo. There's a simple reason why: blonde hair tends to turn yellow and brassy over time for a plethora of reasons.

How long does it take to do in the salon? As balayage involves lightly hand-painting the surface of the hair, it depends on how many highlights you are opting for. A simple few highlights can take 45 minutes whereas a layered balayage can take up to three hours.

When you wash your hair, you're stripping it of its natural oils and dulling the balayage color. Try reducing your washes to 2-3 times a week and use a dry shampoo in between washes if needed. This will extend the life of your color.

Subtle balayages are still very popular. I'm seeing a lot more requests for natural, copper reds and mahogany tones as well!”

The hairdressing industry had invented many foil highlighting methods in the 80's, but Balayage was not popularized until the early 1990's. It caught the attention of many famous celebrities and quickly became one of America's most popular color trends till now.

Because Balayage highlights don't involve completely saturating your hair in bleach or color dye, you'll enjoy healthier hair because of less process on the hair. As a result, you get to enjoy softer, silkier hair with less damage and dryness.

Who Shouldn't Get Balayage. While balayage works with almost all hair types, colors and textures, it's not recommended for those with heavily highlighted hair. “This hair type will require the hair to be partially darkened and then highlighted,” says Papanikolis.

There are many gorgeous hair colors for women over 50 – from blonde and gray to red and brunette, and those exquisite color blends in balayage and ombre solutions. And just being older doesn't mean you can't have fun with highlights and mix-ins. Your locks deserve to be spoiled just like you!

Does balayage cover GREY hair? ›

It works on gray hair.

Balayage is a smart solution for gray hair because it allows the colorist to specifically target gray strands without touching the scalp. And, because you don't need to do a single process to cancel out a few grays, it's easier on your hair overall.

Even The universally flattering balayage highlights complement everyone's skin tone and current hair color. better, it's surprisingly low-maintenance.

It makes your hair look thicker

Together with a Great Cut, balayage lends hair greater depth, giving the illusion of more fullness. Think of it like comparing a 2D drawing, with a painting that's in full perspective.

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While prices vary from salon to salon, balayage is typically more expensive than highlights. Balayage can create a total hair transformation, but highlights just add a pop of color and dimension to your mane, which requires much less time, training, and dye.