When it comes to mixing things up with your hair's or wig's color, there's no shortage of fabulous choices. From highlight to balayage, these go-to techniques have been climbing the charts in terms of popularity – and with good reason!
Understanding the differences between highlights and balayage can ultimately prove to be a great help when choosing the best look for yourself. Both styles can make your hair stand out in beautiful ways, but they differ a lot in application, maintenance, and finished result.
To ensure you make an informed decision, we've taken the liberty of providing this comprehensive guide to help delineate the subtle nuances that exist among highlights and balayage. Whether you're searching for ways to spruce up your current highlights or look to diving into an entirely new look altogether – read on to get all of the details concerning these two fashioning tips.
Highlighting hair is a popular coloring technique meant to lighten specific sections of your mane to a much lighter hue than your base hair color. For this technique to work best, the use of foils is essential when sectioning and dyeing each strand.
It's important to remember that highlights often originate at the hair's root. However, with today's creative approach, some choose to "pull up" their highlights so they start a few inches further down the strands, creating added depth in their tresses.
This adjustment of lengthening where highlights can be placed opens up an assortment of highlighted designs that has tremendous potential!
Balayage is a method of hair coloring that originates from the French language, meaning 'to sweep' or 'paint.' This technique consists of vivid dyes that are hand-painted to create an effortlessly natural look with unique blended colors. It's also popular for its ability to add depth and contrast to the hair.
The high demand for balayage is based on how long-lasting and subtle it is, allowing sunlight naturally influence the tone, no matter what hair color or skin undertone one may have. With these features, it becomes universal – flattering almost all people regardless of their skin tones or their chosen hairstyle.
Application Method
Highlight: With foils
Balayage: Without foils
Application Place:
Highlight: From the root, even distribution of color
Balayage: In random sections
Result:
Highlight: Bold Look
Balayage: Natural, sun-kissed subtle look
Achieving highlights requires a trusted professional. Before beginning, you'll have a consultation with your colorist to determine the best shade for your look. They will assess everything from your hair color and skin tone to your desired outcome. Ensuring each additional shade complements altogether. To give insight, here's a brief overview of the process from start to finish:
Step #1: Sectioning
The skilled colorist at work will methodically separate strands of your hair into discernable sections.
Step #2: Lightening
To provide shimmering highlights, the process begins with carefully selected strands. These strands are then meticulously coated with a specialized lightening product.
The colorist can precisely control the shade by gently wrapping these treated strands within foils. This meticulous technique provides outstanding results and keeps the delicate color intact, as it prevents any unwanted bleeding onto neighboring sections.
Step #3: Processing
The lighting product application is part of the colorist's art. Carefully and precisely applied, the product is left to develop on hair for a specific duration.
It is a crucial step in creating a beautiful and custom result, as it sets up the entire look! This step not only determines the final shade but also you can guarantee that after its proper application, you will get the perfect balance of tone and intensity that will enhance your style immensely.
Step #4: Rinsing and Toning
Once the desired lift has been achieved, the next step is to remove the foils and rinse the hair thoroughly. This helps to avoid any harshness that may otherwise be experienced. The final element in perfecting highlights can be found in applying a toner. Tonner helps neutralize any unwanted undertones while creating deeper dimensions for captivating results.
Step #5: Finishing Touches
The last step will involve cutting and styling your hair into picture-perfect looks. Whether you decide on adding layers or opt for a simple blow-dry, this step is essential for the revealing of your newly topped-off highlights. The hair specialist at your salon will be able to advise you on what products to use and how best to style them so your look endures throughout the day with a bit of product, touch-up, and love.