What Is Reverse Balayage? [no more root growth!]
There are many trendy color techniques, but what is reverse balayage? As its name says, it comes from the original balayage technique. It is a technique that has revolutionized and has come to give texture to bold colors and traditional highlights.
Reverse balayage is a technique based on medium and dark tones. Provides texture to light colors such as blonde and can be used to completely renew a balayage. I could say that reverse balayage is best applied to an existing balayage. The idea is to give depth to blond hair by shading the roots and mid-lengths.
Its effect is very attractive and original. Likewise comfortable to wear due to its low maintenance for people with dark natural roots, so it will be effortless to maintain your balayage color.
The truth is that this type of technique is one of the favorites of this year, and with good reason! With this effect you can get light and beautiful hair while keeping your natural roots darker.
Next I will teach you the most important tricks that you have to take into account when doing a reverse balayage.
What is the reverse balayage Effect?
Reverse Balayage is a technique created for darkening blonde or light hair, adding shades to create texture. The good thing about it is that with this technique your hair will be healthier, because opposite as getting highlights that will damage your hair, the reverse balayage is done mostly just with permanent color. Therefore, it will be less harmful to your hair!
Here are a few aspects that it must have:
- You need to have the roots fadedly darkened to add deepness.
- Get just a few sections darkened and not everything.
- Have darker tones at the roots, a medium tone in the center, and more clarity at the ends.
All of these will highlight your eyes immediately.
I think this is a cute style because brings a natural look for a winter change and also lets you keep your blonde but with much more control, modern taste, and freshness. Also, in this technique, you can easily have a brown balayage that will look stunning and will save you a lot of money in root touch-ups.
This is definitely a great choice to give it a try on this year.
How to get a nice reverse balayage
Here you can see how this image has the 3 key points of a reverse balayage.
- The roots are darker
- You can see the difference in the 3 tones
- There are light and dark hairs interspersed providing texture.
This is a good example of a well-done reverse balayage. You can perfectly notice each one of them and you can see how it is very different from a traditional balayage. You may wonder about which balayage suit you and if this effect is for you. I recommend that you read all the FAQs to the end because I feel that they can clarify a lot about this style so you can be sure.
On the other hand, a traditional balayage keeps only the dark color of the roots very subtle, and the light tones of the ends are more noticeable. Even though there is a texture you can just see light and shadow. The horizontal divisions don’t exist and everything blends together very well and so the effect looks much blonder instead of the medium and dark tones that a reverse balayage should have.
If you are already bleached and blonde is when you may be interested in Reverse Balayage On Bleached Hair. The more you know about what your hair looks like and your options, the better decision you can make. You will be much happier with the result.
FAQs about reverse Balayage
There are many questions about this effect because it is still fairly new. It is even easy to confuse it with other fashionable ones.
In many professional salons, it is not even clear how to do this effect so I will tell you the most important keys.
Also the answer to several basic questions that come up such as :
- Is the reverse balayage for me?
- Do I need to bleach my hair?
- How long does it last?
- What is the difference between reverse balayage and an ombre effect?
- How to maintain a reverse balayage?
Also, I think some others will help you understand more simply and in-depth what a reverse balayage is with more information and examples.
Is the reverse balayage is good for me?
To know if this color technique is for you, just ask yourself these questions:
- Do my roots have light color?
- Would I like to be darker than I’m now?
- I like slow changes.
If you answered yes to 2 of these 3 questions you are ready to try this technique.
But if you answer no to the first question and you have dark roots now, the reverse balayage is not for you. Don’t worry there are different options for you too.
SUGGESTIONS FOR YOU: Bleaching Roots: Everything You Need To Know
Do I need to bleach my hair to get a reverse balayage?
In most cases it is not necessary to bleach your hair to perform this technique. Remember that reverse balayage focuses on darkening the hair that has been previously lightened to achieve a more natural and faded look at the roots.
Therefore, you will only need to use permanent dye or gloss to darken the blonde locks. The only thing you should bleach your hair is when, in addition to darkening the roots, you seek to lighten the strands at the ends a little more.
How long does it last?
Applying a balayage can take different times depending on the technique. However, the reverse balayage takes significantly less time because permanent dyes are faster to process than bleaching.
A reverse balayage color should last anywhere between 4 to 10 weeks before it starts to lose its vibrancy. However, this mainly depends on how many times you wash your hair in a weekly basics (the less the better), and the quality of the shampoo you are using.
You should always use a professional shampoo to maintain cosmetic color. Otherwise, the duration of the color could be dramatically reduced to just a couple weeks or less. The abrasion in the shampoo and porosity of your hair will determine the life of the color effect. The best shampoo to maintain a reverse balayage (or any type of color) is the Kerastase Chroma shampoo.
SUGGESTIONS FOR YOU: Reverse Balayage On Bleached Hair For A Blended Growth
What is the difference between reverse balayage and ombré?
Ombré does shade all the roots without leaving any light hair down. It is a more high contrast look where the top is quite dark and the ends are lighter overall.
On the other hand, the reverse balayage keeps most of the hair light and on the root area you still have a little bit more of dimension. Only 1/4 of the hair is darkened, maintaining a mixed and very natural effect insight.
How to maintain a Reverse Balayage?
Be certain that at the salon they are using good quality and permanent products, otherwise, you will only spend hours at the salon and a few days later you will return to your old look. Also, it will be beneficial to apply a color fixing treatment the same day you do this technique on your hair. It will help you to seal the color longer and achieve very good coverage.
Make sure to use shampoo and conditioner especially to protect color like the one advised in a previous section. This will help to maintain the pH of your hair to prevent color fading and make the color last at least x3 more times.
Finally, I recommend that you go to the hairdresser for a glossing service every 8 to 12 weeks to refresh the color. This service will refresh the dark color of the roots while toning the light areas so that they look shiny and without brasiness.
Let’s get better hair!
The reverse balayage is a great option to use in this year in case you want to give your hair some dimesion with a low maintenance color.
If you are afraid of changes, you can start with a slightly darker color than the one you have now at the roots, and as you get used to it, you can make it more intense. You will see that you love this color effect!
Until next time.
