Everything You Wanted to Know about The Balayage Trend

Hairstyle trends come and go with the times, but every now and then one takes hold and sticks around longer than usual. Stylists around the world work hard to keep up to date on learning and implementing new techniques to meet the demand that inevitably follows a celebrity or reality TV star debuting a new look. One such look, balayage has taken the hair styling world by storm in recent years, and for good reason.

What is Balayage?

Derived from the French language, the term means to paint, or sweep, a manner that implements color on the hair in a way that it blends in naturally. The end result is a soft sun-kissed glow that looks as though it was achieved by sitting out in the sun. Many establishments, like a luxury hair salon in Encinitas, offer the service in Southern California where the style is supremely popular.

How Does Balayage Compare to Foils?

Highlights are a great way to soften up hair color, particularly in the spring and summer seasons, and most people opt for either foils or balayage to achieve the look. The execution is different, however, as is the end result. With foils, the stylist separates strands throughout your head, layering them on a foil sheet, applying the bleach or color solution and then sealing the foil while the color goes to work. Foil highlights tend to start at the scalp and the color is evenly distributed on each strand.

With balayage, the solution is applied freehand throughout the hair using a brush and stroking motions. The main difference is that the color is lightly applied towards the upper half of the hair with more saturation towards the ends. This creates a look where the colors blend together throughout the hair for a more organic look. If you’re concerned about damage from bleaching, ask your stylist about using a protecting agent such as Olaplex to help mitigate any stress on your locks.

Is the Look Hard to Maintain?

One of the benefits of the balayage technique is that it’s simple to maintain and even easier to let grow out. With foils, the roots are apparent, especially if your hair is significantly darker than the highlights. Since balayage has a higher concentration of color towards the ends, it doesn’t create a stark contrast, and if you decide to grow it out, even after one session, the look doesn’t change much. This type of look also doesn’t require as much touch-up as foil highlighting does. You can go once every two to three months instead of every six weeks.

It is important, however, to care properly for your hair no matter what coloring technique you model. Heat and color protectants are essential to keeping your locks looking and feeling healthy. Make sure to invest in high-quality shampoo and conditioner, preferably ones that are free of sulfates. If you like to curl or flat-iron your hair, be sure to apply a heat protector and use appliances on the lowest setting possible to avoid scorching and damaging.

What Types of Hair is it Good For?

Balayage is a universal style that works on all types of locks. Whether you have fine or thick, straight or curly hair, you can easily embrace the technique and benefit from the look. It also works equally well on light and dark shades. If you have blonde hair, you can go lighter on the ends, and if you have dark hair, you can opt for a golden bronze tone instead of bright blonde.

The technique has been widely embraced by women around the world, as evidenced by the increasingly popular posts on Instagram and other social media sites. It really complements any look, making it a versatile option for nearly anybody. Pair the hairstyle with a natural makeup look, or go full-on glam and rock it like a starlet.