Because Balayage highlights don't involve completely saturating your hair in bleach or color dye, you'll enjoy healthier hair because of less process on the hair. As a result, you get to enjoy softer, silkier hair with less damage and dryness.
Although they can both damage the hair, in the long term, balayage is more damaging because you have to use a higher developer and layer the lightener more in order to achieve the desired result.
If you want a balanced, blended and softer look then balayage is for you. For a more intensely lightened look, then you should go for highlights. Placing colour on the roots means that highlights are more of a commitment; they need touching up every few weeks as they grow out.
DOES BALAYAGE DAMAGE YOUR HAIR? Most colourists would agree that balayage is arguably less damaging than conventional colouring techniques which use foils and heat to set the colour, meaning you're less likely to end up with brassy, over-processed hair.
Balayage creates a natural, sunlit dimension that gives your mane that “I just came back from the beach” vibe girls everywhere swoon over. If you want a more structured, tonal do, it's best to go the traditional foil highlights route. Both options, however, will help you add a beautiful dimension to your hair.
Highlights and coloring -- Highlights and semi-permanent dyes aren't as damaging as bleach, but they aren't without consequences, Mirmirani says. They can also change the inner structure of the hair, causing a lackluster look and dryness, especially if you frequently color to hide roots or gray hair.
One of the greatest advantages of Balayage is how long it lasts. Traditional foil highlights require touch ups every few weeks, whereas Balayage will last 3-4 months on average.
Your hair will continue to grow no matter what. If you like the balayage look and want to keep it for a long time, you may keep having touch-ups every three months.
The general rule is to wash your balayage hair sparingly. Too much washing may end up damaging the quality of your balayage. When you wash your hair every single day, the beautiful colour in your hair will fade more quickly. Ideally, you shouldn't wash your balayage hair for more than 2 or 3 times each week.
Balayage, and highlights, are a bit better because the chemicals aren't as close to the scalp and the chemicals are less likely to be absorbed into the bloodstream. With balayage you can often go longer between treatments which reduces exposure.
However, in general balayage does take a bit longer than foil because the stylist goes through piece by piece to customize the color. This highlighting technique is also a bit more expensive. “[It's] more expensive because it takes more thought and creativity from the stylist,” says Jordan Hunt.
A few sections of hair are colored in highlighting, while the hair color gives a soft-swept look in balayage. Traditional highlighting is a structural approach, whereas balayage is a free-hand technique. The hair is highlighted from mid shafts to ends in balayage, whereas in highlighting, root to tips are saturated.
All-over color is usually cheaper than highlights because it takes less time and work. Highlights also are more likely to damage your hair. Many of the formulas for highlights contain bleach, which dries out your hair.
Hair grows fast — about an inch per month. So techniques, like balayage, which involve hand painting the hair and not going all the way to your roots, help you to get a gorgeous look with less maintenance. In general, we recommend scheduling a balayage touch up every 12-14 weeks.
The balayage technique usually does not touch the roots, especially if you have naturally dark hair color. So for those with naturally dark hair, the answer is no. Balayage will not damage your roots because part of the balayage technique is to maintain naturally dark roots.
It depends on whether you are trying to go for a more intense look or more natural. Hair foils give a defined, controlled look, while balayage will look more natural and painted. Both are great, but one may be more “you” than the other.
It's Easy to Maintain
Balayage is super easy to maintain – much easier than a full head of colour or even just highlights! Part of the reason for this is because it doesn't reach the root in most cases, instead blending into your root colour from the ends of your hair up. So, there's no root regrowth to worry about!
Part of the reason that bleached hair looks “fried” or frizzy is because the hair cuticle — the layer that locks in moisture — has been disrupted. While your hair cuticle rebuilds, you can use other products to seal your hair and help restore some gloss and shine.
"The best way to grow out your natural color, especially coming from a highlight or balayage look, is to have your colorist gloss down your hair back to the natural level of the roots to allow the natural root to blend as it grows," says IGK Hair Care founder Chase Kusero.
Who Shouldn't Get Balayage. While balayage works with almost all hair types, colors and textures, it's not recommended for those with heavily highlighted hair. “This hair type will require the hair to be partially darkened and then highlighted,” says Papanikolis.
This is a great option for dark hair and cool-toned brunettes. Adding caramel highlights can help to warm and soften facial features; and the balayage technique ensures your highlights grow out without a demarcation line. These things all lead to a more youthful appearance.
A balayage can add thickness
A well created balayage can make thin hair look thicker. As well as creating the illusion of thick hair looking lighter. This is all because a balayage plays with light and dark tones, creating different visual effects.
It is actually quite easy to maintain balayage hair color, and it lasts for a really long time. It is so low-maintenance that you do not need to go regularly to the salon for touch-ups as with other highlights on your hair. This is because it grows out naturally, so there is no obvious regrowth line.
Balayage is a smart solution for gray hair because it allows the colorist to specifically target gray strands without touching the scalp. And, because you don't need to do a single process to cancel out a few grays, it's easier on your hair overall.
Balayage is a surface highlighting technique that creates beautiful, natural highlights with lots of dimension. Transitioning a guest from foils to balayage requires a few weeks of outgrowth, usually at least 8-10 weeks. The best way to get a seamless blend is to highlight and lowlight.