Have you ever found yourself asking what technique or combination is used to create various inspiration images?

As a stylist—navigating hair color in the modern age of Pinterest, VISCO, & Instagram filters can be overwhelming. If you're a client who likes to stay informed, I can only imagine how confusing the ever-changing beauty industry vocabulary can be. We’ve heard your frustration and we’re here to clear up confusion on the popular hair trends— Balayage, Foiling, and the hybrid “Foilyage”. We have provided guidance to distinguish between techniques and to determine the best choice considering lifestyle, maintenance, budget, hair health, and desired outcome. 

BALAYAGE / HAIR PAINTING

The word “Balayage” means “sweeping” or "painting” and refers to the motion of sweeping lightener onto the hair, which is why it is also known as "Hair Painting". Originating in France in the early 1970s, more recently making its way into the states in the last 20 years. Balayage is a more visual technique, meaning unlike traditional highlights that follow a distinct sectioning pattern, balayage is a more personalized placement. Lighter pieces are chosen where the sun would naturally hit the hair to complement facial features creating a warmer and more youthful look. 

PROS:

• Appears soft and natural "sun-kissed" effect.

• A gradient color that appears brighter as you build upon the initial application creating the ultimate blended grow out.

• More gentle on the hair as the process is done without foil and typically open air. (plastic can be added for additional lift.)

• Because the application is more free-hand and organic, the process can be faster as there usually aren’t tedious subsections.

• When working with naturally curly hair types, we almost always opt for "Pintura" to paint curls individually, where they live, creating a more cohesive and impactful look.

CONS:

• If rushed or performed by an inexperienced stylist, lightener can overlap, causing breakage, and turn out overly warm, brassy, or blotchy. 

• It can take longer to process once the product is applied as most painting lighteners are clay-based and begin gradually drying on the outside while the inner layers take more time to finish their work. 

• The effects are usually more subtle and warmer, which can be disappointing if you had platinum ice queen dreams.

• There will be an unavoidable redish warmth that must be lifted through or toned back down when painting darker hair types. Just because the inspiration image says, "balayage," it doesn’t always mean it will be the best technique that should ultimately be performed to reach the desired outcome. 

Maintenance: When done correctly, you should be able to go 2-6 months without a lightener touch up, creating an ombre' like effect as your hair grows out. However, we recommend coming in for a trim and gloss refresh after 8 weeks or so to keep your color looking vibrant. 

TRADITIONAL FOILING

Traditional Foil Methods include slicing or weaving strands of hair from thin subsections to lighten from the root to the ends. This process tends to lead to a more intense overall blonde look.

PROS:

• Bright, bold, and impactful effect. 

       (can also do very small detail work like baby-lights or microweaving)

• Foiling increases the odds of eliminating warmth if that is important to you. 

• The foil conducts heat better than open-air or plastic, allowing the lightener to penetrate deep in the hair.

• The foils help keep the treated hair separate from untreated hair. 

CONS:

• Foiling can be harsh or streaky (steps can be taken to blend root area).

• Can be easily over processed by overlapping lightener, you guessed it--causing damage. Consider using a bond builder such as Olaplex to protect the hair's integrity and ensure minimal chemical damage during the lightening process. 

• Usually results in higher maintenance service.

• It can appear more patterned looking.

Maintenance: For traditional highlights, you should be able to go about 4-8 weeks. Traditional highlighting methods require more frequent maintenance due to more obvious grow out. With more rigid lines of demarcation, steps can be taken to soften the outcome. Some examples are root shadowing, root tapping, root smudging, base bumping, and color melting. 

FOILYAGE: THE HYBRID

Taking larger sections as if working in a balayage placement and backcombing to blur effect. Sections are painted in “V's” and “Slanted” similarly to balayage painting, except the hair is encapsulated by foil to achieve more lift. If you like the brightness of traditional foiled highlights and the blended effect of balayage, then Foilyage may be for you. Taking the best of both worlds to combat the warmer stage that many experience with balayage. The downsides of foilyage are potentially missing out on some of the more fine detail work of traditional foiling and some of the softness from free-hand painting. However, each of the techniques we've discussed today can be used separately or in combination to create limitless results. 

Ensuring a good experience all the way around

If you're a client, don’t be afraid to ask questions and find a stylist who is comfortable discussing the process. Getting yourself on a routine schedule for any coloring service makes good sense. The schedule's length can vary depending on how much of a “natural look” you're comfortable with. If you are opting to receive dimensional color, expect to be at the salon for several hours. Remember to bring a snack, hydration, dress in layers, fully charged cell phone, iPad, laptop, or if you’re more traditional, a good book will do. Keep in mind that any multidimensional service will cost more than single color because more time, product, risk, education, and skill go into producing a balanced dimensional color. 

Our mission is to facilitate happier, healthier, and more helpful conversations between stylists and their clients. We must stress the importance of a stylist who stays up to date on education to provide a safe and effective service. Inspiration photos can be a great visual tool to help communicate. However, a combination of methods may be chosen depending on desired results and maintenance level. Techniques should always fit each client's individual needs and lifestyle while taking into consideration the starting canvas when creating the desired outcome. 

If you enjoyed this in-depth post, have questions, or have an idea for a topic you think we should cover-- send us a message or submit a comment below.