BALAYAGE VS HIGHLIGHTS: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Balayage vs. highlights. There’s a subtle distinction between these two hair-lightening effects, and it’s all in the technique. If you’ve never heard of balayage, fear not. We’ll delve into the differences between balayage and highlights so that you can decide which color technique you want to try to get the look you crave.

WHAT IS BALAYAGE?

Balayage is a French word that means “to sweep.” In this hair color technique, highlights are hand-painted or “swept” on the surface of random sections of hair. Dye or lightener is usually painted on, starting midshaft and becoming denser as it moves down the section of hair to the ends. Because the color is swept onto the surface of the hair, the effect is a natural sun-kissed glow that is not as strictly patterned as normal highlights.

Contrary to a common misconception, balayage is not a look itself. It’s a technique, where the process of adding highlights is done without foil like traditional highlights. It is often compared to the natural effect of the ombre style.

Balayage can be applied as a full balayage throughout all of your hair to give you the lighter look all-around without needing to maintain inevitable root grow-out as you would for other lightening methods. It can also be done as a partial, or mini, balayage, such as only around the face or upper area of your hair.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BALAYAGE AND HIGHLIGHTS?

Traditional highlighting is the more conventional way to lighten and add depth to your ‘do. While balayage is created by sweeping color onto the surface of hair, highlights are added using aluminum foil to help saturate precise strands of hair. In this technique, strands of hair are sectioned out by weaving a pick through small subsections and wrapping the separated strands in foil.

And though balayage begins midshaft, highlights are usually done from root to tip for a more pronounced contrast between the lightened strands and your base color. Highlights follow a more structured pattern than balayage and will need to be touched up more often to combat that obvious root grow-out look.