Everything you need to know before getting a Balayage

Last weekend, I got my very first Balayage, And while it is the first time I’ve ever gotten one, I have been researching it for months.

What is Balayage?

Balayage, pronounced as Bah-lay-aage, is a french technique of hair colouring, mainly highlighting. It is not really a new technique. Around since the 70s, balayage is more like an old wine in a new bottle. It involves free hand colouring of hair in a way that your the colour looks really natural, blended and non streaky, unlike highlights.

How is Balayage different from regular highlights?

Other than a difference in how it looks once completed, the major difference is the technique. In Balayage, stylists, use cling wrap or foil after the free hand colouring, where as in traditional highlighting they put the foil under ones hair before the colour is applied to the strip of hair to be highlighted. At least, this is the difference I saw during my experience.

Also, I had always thought that only cling wrap is used to separate the hair, so I was surprised when my stylist used foil. When I asked why, she told me that it depended on each look individually and the finished result I wanted would be better achieved through foil, since I have darker hair.

Why get a Balayage?

If you are someone like the whole low maintenance vibe, then Balayage might be a good idea. Since the colouring is not streaky, it doesn’t look too too bad even when it grows out.

Is it expensive?

Yes, a Balayage is more expensive than getting regular highlights. However, having had it now, I would rather invest in a balayage, than highlights, because I prefer the results.

Do you need to do any prep before getting a Balayage?

No, there is no physical prep needed. It is exactly like getting a regular hair colour or highlight. However, it might be good to get an idea to look up some inspiration images, so you have an idea of what you want your hair to look like. Also, showing it to the stylist, helps them visually understand why you expect from them.

I ‘Pinterested’ a lot before seeing my stylist. Here are the inspiration images I used.