Balayage (pronounced bah-lay-ahge) is one of the most-coveted hair looks around, with Cara Delevingne, Chrissy Teigen and Jessica Alba all firm fans. It’s a hair colouring technique in which colour is applied freehand to create natural-looking highlights that give a sun-lightened effect around the face and at the tips.
As with any hair colouring process, balayage can result in some dryness, especially if you’re going significantly lighter. So, here are my top tips for keeping your balayage hairstyle looking stunning long after you’ve left the salon!
Consider getting a Olaplex Treatment BEFORE you Balayage
Balayage works best when the colour is applied to healthy hair. So, in the weeks leading up to your balayage, I would be more than happy to chat to you about a pre-colour moisturising treatment such as Olaplex or switching to a fortifying shampoo and conditioner. These will add in vital nutrients and proteins to get your hair in tip top condition for the application of the balayage colour.
Prolong the colour with a hair toner
For some clients I also recommend a hair toner as part of the treatment, as this can help to prolong the vibrancy of the colour and the condition of their hair.
Get the right shampoo
It’s important to avoid shampoos and conditioners which use sulfate, as these can weaken the hair strands and make them brittle. I recommend something like the Moisture Repair Shampoo from Moroccanoil or the OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo. A weekly mask or conditioning treatment will also give your hair a boost and add gloss and natural shine too.
Wait 72hrs before washing your hair
When colouring hair, your cuticle layer is opened, making it easy for colour to penetrate the hair shaft. When you wash your hair too soon after your appointment, the cuticle layer could still be open which then leads to your colour being washed down the drain. It takes up to three days for the cuticle layer to fully close, so the longer you wait to shampoo your hair after you colour your hair, the more time the colour pigment will have to soak into the hair cuticle – which will help your colour last longer in between salon visits.
Turn down water temperature when shampooing
Though hot showers feel amazing, it isn’t so great for your Balayage!
When washing hair with hot water, your hair’s cuticle is opened, allowing your colour to wash out while shampooing and conditioning.
To prevent seeing all of your colour go down the drain, try shampooing with slightly warm water and then rinse with cold water after conditioning. The warm water will allow the shampoo and conditioner to penetrate and cleanse, while the cold water will help seal in the moisture from your conditioner while preventing colour from fading by sealing the hair’s cuticle.
Use leave-in treatments to protect hair colour when styling
Balayage hair needs extra hydration and protection from the sun to prevent damage and loss of nutrients to the hair. Leave-in treatments will help keep your hair smooth and hydrated, and it’s important to find one with UV protection so that the sun won’t fade your hair colour.
Protect your hair from heat
Excessive heat can lead to damaged hair. To help prevent these problems from happening while using hot tools, try using a heat protection spray before blow drying or styling.
Heat protection sprays will help reduce moisture loss from inside the hair, smooth the outside of the hair, and protect your hair from humidity after heat styling which, in all, will help maintain your colour.
Bonus Tip - Keep up with trims
Dead ends won’t hold colour and will fade even faster, so make sure you are cutting off those dead ends every 6-8 weeks so your colour looks fresh from root to tips, so get yourself booked in for your next appointment today!
Serena
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