What is the Difference between balayage and highlights?

If you don’t know the difference between balayage and highlights, you’re in the right place. Today there are so many color trends, and it’s hard to know what to order at the hairdresser!

Regardless of the color, doing some type of highlighting will make your hair look spectacular and shiny.

The difference between balayage and highlights is that balayage is a lighting effect on the hair that fades from the middle to the ends, and highlights are a lighting effect that starts from the roots. The balayage keeps the roots of your hair in its original color, and with the highlights the entire area is illuminated.

Both techniques are wonderful and flattering, but it is important that you choose the one that best suits your hair and lifestyle.

In this article you will discover the biggest differences between balayage and highlights, and you will know how to identify which one is better for you.

The difference between balayage and highlights

Highlights have been in fashion for many years and have always been the favorites to lighten hair. Regardless of your hair color, adding a few pieces always makes your hair look more attractive and shiny.

But since 2011 the balayage trend began to enter our lives. Little by little it was gaining more strength until today balayage is one of the favorite trends of women, surpassing even the traditional highlights.

The main difference between the two is that the highlights start from the roots and the balayage starts from mid-points.

But choosing one or the other is not so easy! Both techniques are very different in their maintenance and application, so it is important that you choose the one that best suits you.

Now I will explain the differences in detail between the two and give you several examples so you can identify the best style for you:

The highlights technique

The technique of highlights from the root is a classic that has been in fashion for many years. This technique is perfect to illuminate the hair and lighten it in greater proportion.

There are many ways in which you can do the highlights technique. Basically you can decide if you want something subtle and highlight it thin for a light touch, or you can do lots of highlights throughout your hair in a thicker way to look blonder.

It is up to you how many highlights and how thick you want them. The more you get the blonder you will look, and the less you get the more natural you will look.

The main difference between highlights and balayage is that they are applied directly from the roots. This makes them great for certain hair types but less so for others. Let’s see its main pros and cons:

PROS OF GETTING HIGHLIGHTS

• If you are looking to see yourself blonder, it is the best option because the lightening is done in a general way.
• It makes your hair look very light because they start from the root.
  If you have oily hair, it helps a lot to make your hair less dirty and look more voluminous.
• If you have gray hair they make them fade very well.
• The highlights technique helps to lighten the hair more because the foils are more saturated with bleach.

CONS OF GETTING HIGHLIGHTS

• Highlights are high maintenance. For this reason, you should touch them up every 10 weeks.
• If you have very thick hair they do not look very attractive.
• When your roots grow, you see a strip with the line of growth of the wicks.
• Your hair is damaged more by having to do them more often.

When I most recommend that you choose the highlights technique is if you want to look quite illuminated and you have no problem going to the hairdresser often to touch up your hair.

The balayage technique

The balayage technique is perfect for making your hair look sexy and feminine without having to worry too much about having to go to the hairdresser too many times.

You can get a balayage regardless of your hair color or how long your hair is. The only thing you can’t do a balayage is if your hair is very short, like a pixie. But having your hair below your ears is enough!

Unlike highlights, the balayage technique consists of lightening the hair from the middle to the ends in a faded way to illuminate it. There are many ways to style balayage, as you can wear it higher or lower, and more or less.

Although as a general rule balayage favors all types of hair, there are certain cases in which it is not highly recommended to do it. Let’s see the pros and cons of this technique so you can identify if it is good for you:

PROS OF GETTING BALAYAGE

• This technique is very low maintenance, so you only have to go to the hairdresser once or twice a year.
• Balayage is perfect if you want to make a subtle change in your hair and you’re scared. It’s perfect for the first few times you dye your hair.
• This technique is very flattering and makes the hair look shiny and elegant.
• With balayage you keep the roots of your hair in your natural color. This is wonderful because your scalp is healthier, and your hair will match your eyebrows.

CONS OF GETTING BALAYAGE

• If you have gray hair at the roots, it is not a good option, since you will not cover them and make them stand out more.
• You have to be very careful if you have damaged ends because it is the area that will lighten the most.
• If you have very dark hair you will not be able to lighten it much, since in the blending technique the bleach is applied gently and this does not have much lightening power.
• When the balayage is not applied well, the hair looks patchy and gives an unpleasant visual effect.

Where balayage will be your best friend is if you don’t have a lot of gray, you have a lot of hair, and you’re looking for a low-maintenance color.

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How to maintain highlighted hair properly

Once you have beautifully colored hair, it is very important that you maintain it properly. If you don’t take care of your hair, it can start to break and look dull and dull.

If you are going to wear your hair with highlights or balayage, make sure it looks good. Otherwise it’s not worth it. Remember that in 95% of cases they bleach your hair to lighten it, so you should always take special care.

I highly recommend that you take care of your hair with your daily habits so that you do not weaken it. The best you can do is:

• Wash your hair maximum twice a week. The less you wash your hair the better.
• Brush your hair very gently to avoid breaking it.
• Use heat tools maximum twice a week. Don’t use the hair straightener too often!

Another important point is that you should always use professional quality products to maintain your hair. This is not only so that the color lasts longer and prevents it from going brassy, ​​but also so that it is always healthy.

The point is that when we bleach our hair we lose protein and the cuticle of our hair weakens. It is of great importance that you use products full of protein so that you recover your hair from the damage of discoloration.

My best advice is that every time you wash your hair, use this kerastase shampoo and conditioner kit. The technology of this product makes your hair shine like a mirror, cares for the color of the hair, and repairs the damage of the bleaching.

If you have a chance, use a protein-packed mask like this one once a week to make your hair stronger and avoid breakage. Taking care of your hair is worth it, and it shows when a color is healthy and cared for.

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Let’s get better hair

I hope this article has helped you to know the difference between balayage and highlights.

Lightening your hair is always very flattering. If you have never done it, I highly recommend that you cheer up! You don’t have to do anything too extreme, a few little highlights will make your hair look phenomenal.

Take advantage of what you have read in this article to decide if traditional highlights or balayage are the best option for you. Until next time!