Balayage has been blowing up over the years. We have been seeing it all over Instagram and Pinterest and I am loving it! As a stylist I often get asked what the difference between balayage and ombre? Balayage is a french term for “to sweep” which gave us the technique for highlighting hair which is painted on in a sweeping motion for a more natural looking effect. Ombre is a trend which gives the effect of graduation the hair from dark to light.
If you have balayage or are looking to get it then stay tuned!
Balayage is less maintenance than traditional full foil highlights that needs to be retouched every 4-8 weeks while balayage highlights don’t need to be touched up for at least 8-10 weeks. Balayage is an investment and can cost anywhere from $125-200 per service. When investing in your hair then you need to make sure you properly maintain that investment. The best way to properly maintain your balayage is to invest in great products!
This doesn't just relate to balayage, but to any color or chemical services really! Often times, high quality products use higher end ingredients while drug store brands use cheaper ingredients that are watered down. Cheap products are high in sulfates and parabens which fade your color and dry out your hair. This is important to balayage clients in particular because the lightening process itself may dry out your hair and fading the toner will cause your color to become brassy.
My favorite color safe shampoo and conditioners are from L’anza. I love the color care shampoo and conditioner. The line helps to prevent fading even for reds. L’anza also has a great moisture shampoo for dry hair and is great for colored hair too.
Another rule to maintaining your gorgeous balayage is to use a heat protectant. Heat styling can cause your blonde hair to become yellow or brassy or fade the color in your hair. Before flat ironing or curling I recommend using a good heat protection and I love L’anza thermal Defense or Amika the shield. I also recommend using hot tools that you can control the heat setting as well.
If you are just blow drying, you could use a leave in conditioner. It’s a 10 is one of my favorites!
Lastly, balayage is known as lived in or low maintenance color, but that doesn’t mean you should only get your hair done every 6 months or a year. It is recommended to treat your locks to an in salon glaze or toning treatment, a trim should be done every 6-8 weeks, and a deep conditioning treatment. Hair color will fade even using all professional products. Toners usually last around 4-8 weeks or 10-15 shampoos. At some point you may see some unwanted brassiness and
retoning will refresh your color and add shine! During that time for a retone it will be time for a trim to prevent those nasty split ends and damage. Adding a conditioning treatment can help rebuild the hair and/or replenish moisture into the hair which helps color stay and look healthy. If you want gorgeous healthy hair then you will have to put in some work.