Have you ever gone to book your hair color service and can’t decide if you should book Balayage or Highlights? A full or partial? What are the differences? I’m going to help you figure out what to book today.

So, what is Balayage? Traditionally, Balayage is a free-hand highlighting technique. Balayage is french for sweeping. This refers to the type of motion that the stylist uses to paint the lightener (bleach) on your hair. Typically this processes in open air, meaning no foil or other materials to cover the lightener. The reason for this is to give a very natural and subtle effect. It will also create a warmer result (think gold, copper, or caramel).

Now, with modern trends and new techniques coming out, balayage is no longer this strait forward. You can use the open-air technique, or you can use saran wrap, foils, cotton, etc. When you use material (foil, for example) to cover the lightener, you achieve lighter results. So, the more insulation, the more brightness.

This can create issues when choosing the right service. If you want a very subtle look, you probably want balayage. If you want super bright blonde with a dark root and a money piece, you probably want highlights. Even though it might look like Balayage, the technique used is primarily a foiling technique with some modern twists to give you a Balayage look.

To add to that, if you want to look super blonde all over, you definitely should not book a Balayage service. It's simply not a blonding technique.

When deciding if you should book a full or a partial service there's a couple of things to consider. If it’s your first service, or if it has been a year or longer since your previous service, you need to book a full service. Otherwise, you will have a very low impact. If you’re getting your regular maintenance, a partial might work. It all depends on your end goal.

The best choice is to schedule a consultation with your stylist so that you can decide what you’re looking for. Most stylists (including me) offer virtual consultations so that you don’t have to make an extra trip to the salon. If you can’t book a consultation, shoot a quick message asking what you should book. Most of my clients do this and it is totally fine!

I hope this clears things up for you. If not, feel free to reach out with your questions!