Highlights 101
Ok, heres the low down on the difference between balayage highlights & foil highlights. If theres one thing I want you to remember, it's that both methods create highlights in the hair. Deciding on a look and maintenance plan is the 1st step in figuring out which method is for you
Balayage Highlights
Balayage is a awesome because it’s super customizable to your face shape, lifestyle, & haircut. think of it as contouring your face shape by painting hair. If theres one take away I want you to get from this is this...Balayage is not Ombre & its not limited to one look . As I stated above its just a method of creating highlights. Using the balayage method, we can create anything from soft & blended to bold pops of color. I love this look because it just enhances your own unique features and... you look like . . . you, not someone else. Which is what I think beauty is all about.
Ok so whats the diff???
Well for starters the maintenance period is much longer. You can do anywhere from 3 - 6 months before coming back in. Yes I said months ;) to keep it fresh & customized to your skin tone I recommend coming in to get photo finish & treatment every 6 wks.
But Im super blonde & I cant go that long! Dont worry Blondie I got your back! You can come in for an "Accent Balayage" in 8-10 weeks we'll touch up the hairlines around the face & the top part line keeping you light & bright. You'll be surprised to see how non-existent your "grow out " is
The other big difference? It's a surface application thats painted vertically on a "pillow" of hair so you will never see that usual horizontal line of grow out like you get with a foil highlight. The placement mimics how the sun would naturally lighten your hair. We paint on the surface of a larger section of hair but with foil we saturate the whole section of hair
Foil Highlights
Foils are great if you like to see more boldness at the root & diffusion through the ends or lots of high contrast. I mostly use this technique for corrective color projects where i need to get the all over appearance brighter quicker and always w/the intension of transitioning into a balayage.
The Process: With foil highlights the hair is painted inside of a foil packet. We use foil because it conducts heat. The heat from your scalp is transferred to the foil , warming up the lightener inside the packet. That creates a bold pop of color root to ends.But we have to take tiny sections to avoid those cheetah spots & lots of foils to make a bolder impact thats why your look like you're going to outer space during processing ;D
My Process is a lil different. I add a root shadow sometimes w/ 1-2 shades difference to make it appear more natural & soft so you can extend it a bit longer. (see picture above) Depending on how bright you wanna be sometimes I balayage the ends to make them pop. My reasoning: It's more current & way less damaging.
I wont lie to you...only 5% of my clientele get foils. When it grows out it’ll all grow out the same way, creating more of that grow out line. Usually in 4-6wks you’ll start to see those "roots" and want to come get it touched up.
And here's why: Most people dont want to spend 2-3 hours at the salon every 4-6 weeks. We all have things to do, places to go, & people to see. Thats why I recommend the Smudge service. At 4 weeks pop in. Its 1 hour to maintain the health of your hair & the integrity of the color we just worked so hard to get. We apply a light amount of color at the root which slightly lightens or darkens that grow out line, "smudging" it so its appears softer, so you can go a little longer before getting a a full retouch done.
Here's the deal...Im an artist and what I like to create is soft lived in hair. So thats what I do most of and thats ok with me. If you like a different look, there are so many great hairstylists out there that will match your vibe. Everyone is different and you gotta go with who resonates with you.
More on balayage...
Make it Soft
Balayage can be soft it doesn't need to always look blonde or contrasting.
It doesn't have to be dark.
Miss that uber bright blonde you had as a kid? You can be as light as your heart desires ;)
You're light at heart but born dark.
I'm a brunette too. So I completely understand wanting to have some fun with your hair while still looking like you. I'll take you as light as possible while still complimenting your skin tone.