Balayage vs. Foiling…Which Is For Me?

Balayage hair color is one of the hottest hair color trends going into 2016. This means that most women this winter will be asking their stylist to add some faultless, sun-kissed highlights to their locks, which can be perfectly executed without foils. However, there are some gals out there that are completely “foil-loyal.”

hair photo
Photo by avilasal

Let’s get the 411 on the differences between foiling and balayage.

Balayage, a.k.a “hair painting,” allows stylish gals to place color wherever she chooses, and it’s also an excellent choice for coloring grays because the technique only tints a few gray strands rather than coloring the entire head. Here, the stylist basically paints color with great control onto thick hair segments to lighten them, which is sometimes referred to as “sweeping” because the colorist uses a sweeping movement when applying the hues.

Foiling requires wrapping the hair square sections (remember that heads are round), which is why foiling only works well under certain circumstances.


What should I choose, balayage or traditional foil highlights?

Balayage works when you are a first time highlight client, who specifically is looking for exceptionally-faint highlights. Also, balayage produces the most natural finish on clients who hold very short hair that can get out of control.

Foiling forces color on to the fine hairs at the mane line. For this reason, its works best on women who have already had their hair colored, say about a month ago, and notice that dark roots or dark shadows at the cuticles are making their overall look appear unnatural.

Can someone who has had foiling done be candidates for balayage?

Some women think that balayage erases a perfectly executed coloring job. This is not true; most pro-stylists can create unique hues over well done foiling jobs, which make those clients perfect candidates for balayage because the end result can produce some one one-of-a-kind summer streaks that a girl can write home about.

Is balayage less expensive than foiling?

Balayage highlighting is less tedious and time-consuming than foiling…so it should be less expensive–right? Well, that depends; some stylist can foil with their eyes closed, while others feel that balayage is far more time consuming than foiling. The answer is…pricing varies because it really depends upon the expertise of your colorist and/or on the head of hair the stylist has to work with. Coloring is far more complicated, today, than it was twenty years ago. So, pricing really is determined on a case-by-case basis.

HAIR COLOR

For hair color in Oklahoma City with low ammonia and low fade, call me (Anastasia) for an appointment.

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