Balayage or Highlights: Making the Right Choice for Your Hair
When adding dimension and light to your hair, there are two popular techniques available: balayage and highlights. Both can transform your look, but they offer different results and maintenance requirements. Understanding the differences between these techniques can help you make the right choice for your hair goals and lifestyle.
What Are Highlights?
Highlights are a classic hair coloring technique that involves lightening specific sections of hair. Typically, the stylist uses foils to separate and treat these sections from root to tip, creating a more uniform and structured look.
With highlights, you can achieve an overall lighter look while still having dramatic contrast between colors. To maintain the look of your highlights, you’ll need to get touch-ups every six to eight weeks, depending on your hair and home maintenance routine.
What Is Balayage?
Balayage, a French word meaning “to sweep,” is a freehand technique for highlighting hair. The stylist applies color to the hair surface, creating a gradual, natural-looking transition from darker to lighter tones.
With balayage, you can enjoy a softer, more natural effect, which gives your hair the appearance of being naturally lightened by the sun. Balayage highlights grow out more subtly and don’t require as much maintenance as traditional highlights—most clients will only need touch-ups every four to six months.
Balayage can be customized to be subtle or bold and provides lighter ends, leaving the roots darker for a lived-in look. The idea is that the highlights appear natural while framing your face beautifully.
Choosing Between Balayage and Highlights
To decide which technique is right for you, it’s important to consider a few factors, such as:
Your desired look. Traditional highlights give a more structured appearance, while balayage allows for a softer transition between colors.
Maintenance levels. Highlights require frequent touch-ups to manage the visible regrowth at the roots, while balayage lets you wait longer between salon visits.
Cost. While balayage may be more expensive initially due to the time and skill required, the less frequent touch-ups can make this option more cost-effective in the long run.
Find Out More With a Consultation
Ultimately, the choice between balayage and highlights depends on your personal style, maintenance preferences, and hair goals.
Remember, you’re not limited to just one technique. Many stylists combine elements of both balayage and highlights to create customized looks that offer the best of both worlds.
Schedule a consultation with Good Things Come Hair to learn more about highlights and balayage and discover which one is the right option for you!