What is Balayage?

Balayage is a French hair coloring technique that is used to gradually lighten hair with natural-looking results. Unlike other highlighting techniques, it does not rely on foils or meche, and is totally freehand. This means that hair is painted onto the surface of the hair, instead of being tightly wrapped in foil or a plastic covering. The result is a softer, subtler blend of highlights that blend more naturally into the base color of the hair.

How is Balayage Different than Traditional Highlighting?

Traditional highlighting uses foils or meche and sections the hair off into a particular pattern where you want the lighter pieces to appear. This creates a more defined block of lighter hair. With balayage, the colorist paints the lightener straight onto the surface of the hair, leading to a more natural blend of the different shades.

What are the Benefits of Balayage?

The biggest benefit of balayage is the natural-looking results it yields. This freehand technique allows for a gradual blending of colors, resulting in a sun-kissed look that doesn’t look “done”. Another plus is that balayage requires less upkeep than traditional highlights, as you don’t have to worry about your color growing out as quickly. Balayage is also less time consuming, as it only requires three or four paint strokes and doesn’t necessitate the same meticulous sectioning of specific sections of the hair.

Balayage is an ideal hair coloring technique that results in a soft, sun-kissed look. By painting the lightener directly on the hair, the highlights are blended more subtly and naturally, allowing you to achieve a look that is totally unique and personal to you.