What Is Blonde Balayage? What to Know About the Low-Maintenance Highlights

There are plenty of ways to become a blonde, but if your dream color is hair that looks naturally lightened, you’ll want to ask your colorist for a blonde balayage. The technique has become synonymous with soft, dimensional color and a forgiving grow-out, but “balayage” can mean different things depending on the colorist, the starting point, and the result you want.

It also doesn’t automatically mean a subtle, barely there blonde. “I think that people often associate balayage with ombré or muted blondes,” says Emaly Baum, colorist and founder of Beauty Supply in New York City. “While you use balayage to achieve softened blondes or more ‘grown-out’ looks, balayage is simply a technique.” That means you can go seriously blonde with balayage; it’s the placement and blending that give the color its characteristic softness. Whether you’re starting with dark brown hair and want strategically placed blonde or you’re already fairly light and want a more dimensional result, the service can be customized considerably.

We asked colorists to explain what blonde balayage involves, who it works best for, what to request when you’re in the salon chair, and how to keep those blonde pieces looking fresh—not faded or brassy—long after your initial appointment.

What is balayage and how is it different from traditional highlights?

Technically, balayage is a highlighting technique, not a hair color. The word has traditionally referred to hair being hand-painted, creating a more customized distribution of lighter pieces, but its meaning has evolved over time.

“Balayage originally meant painting highlights directly onto the hair without using foil,” says Ian McCabe, colorist and owner of Navy in Washington, DC. “In recent years, it has become a catchall term for dimensional highlights that grow out with more ease.” That means modern balayage can involve some foil. According to McCabe, colorists may use foils alongside techniques such as back-combing to create a softer result. A root shadow can also help gradually transition from a slightly darker shade near the roots into lighter lengths, helping blur the line between the natural hair color and blonde highlights.

The biggest visual difference between traditional blonde highlights and blonde balayage is the way the blonde transitions through the hair. “Traditional highlights are generally evenly light from root to ends, whereas balayage creates more of a gradient effect,” McCabe explains. The goal is a dimensional result with a softer, more seamless grow-out.

Baum describes balayage as “much softer and diffused” than a traditional foil highlight, often creating a sun-kissed appearance. “This doesn’t mean that you can’t be super blonde with balayage,” she says. “It just means that your grow out is going to be that much better.”

Paige Van Ryswyk, a colorist and hairstylist at Scotch Bonnet Hair Studio in West Palm Beach, Florida, agrees that balayage is particularly suited to a lived-in effect but that it doesn’t rule out a brighter impact. “Blonde balayage is simply best for a more low-maintenance client,” she says.

If you’ve been avoiding balayage because you think it means you’ll end up with barely perceptible beige ribbons, reconsider. Blonde balayage can be very blonde. But if those barely perceptible beige ribbons sound right up your alley, good news: Blonde balayage is also right for you. It’s just that adaptable.

Who is blonde balayage best for?

One of the technique’s biggest advantages is flexibility. “Because balayage is so customizable, it’s suitable for most people,” Baum says. It’s particularly appealing if you want fewer salon appointments and don’t want to see an obvious line of demarcation. “I think the client who is opting for blonde balayage definitely wants an easier grow-out with fewer appointments to maintain their roots,” she says.

Brunettes can absolutely get blonde balayage, although the amount of maintenance depends on how dramatic the transformation is. Someone with a dark base who wants a few dimensional blonde pieces has a different journey ahead of them than someone seeking an overall very light blonde effect. Your starting color also affects what blonde tone makes the most sense. “If someone has an incredibly dark base color, a platinum blonde balayage will probably not complement them as well as a bronde dimensional look,” Van Ryswyk says.

That doesn’t mean dark-haired clients are excluded from blonde balayage. It just means the consultation should be about finding a blonde tone that works with your existing color rather than treating Pinterest photo inspo as a promise of what you’ll be able to achieve.

How do you get blonde balayage?

Bring photos, but don’t just show your colorist a picture and say, “I want this.” Talk through what you actually like about it, and listen when they tell you what is and isn’t feasible. Do you want blonde concentrated around the face? Lighter mid-lengths and ends? A subtle, sunny effect? A bold contrast between your base and blonde? Do you want your natural roots left mostly untouched? These are all factors in how your colorist will proceed.

Van Ryswyk says that, regardless of the overall look, the goal is to create enough blending that you don’t feel desperate to get back into the salon before your scheduled appointment. For an especially low-maintenance version, your colorist can strategically keep the roots natural. For a brighter result, they may create more lightness and contrast throughout the hair.

There isn’t one correct version of blonde balayage—there’s the version that fits your hair and your willingness to maintain it.

How do you maintain blonde balayage?

Van Ryswyk generally recommends booking clients three to six months out, compared with closer to two months for a highlight that goes to the scalp. The beauty of balayage is that it can go a long time between appointments, but your home routine still matters.

All of the colorists we spoke to emphasize the importance of a gentle, color-safe shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner. “I really like the Rōz Foundation Shampoo and Conditioner,” Baum says. “They leave the hair feeling clean and moisturized, but the conditioner is not too heavy.”

Foundation Shampoo and Conditioner

Leave-in treatments are also a must—especially ones that promise heat protection if you’re not just air-drying. “Always use heat protection when using a blow-dryer or hot tools, and keep your tools set to a lower temperature to avoid burning the hair, which can increase fading or discoloration,” says McCabe, who recommends the Milbon Color Retaining Primer because it also defends hair against UV exposure. For deeper conditioning, he recommends, use a mask like the Davines Nounou Mask weekly or every other week.

Nounou Mask

Color Retaining Primer

For extra credit, try an at-home gloss—even if it’s just a colorless one. “An at-home hair gloss can be really beneficial for keeping your balayage looking fresh and shiny,” says Baum, who suggests the clear version of Glaze Supergloss to her clients because it restores movement to the highlights. “The shade Vanilla Lights is also a great option to help neutralize brassiness.”

Supergloss

Blonde balayage inspiration

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

• Emaly Baum is a colorist and the founder of Beauty Supply in New York City.
• Ian McCabe is a colorist and the owner of Navy in Washington, DC.
• Paige Van Ryswyk is a colorist and hairstylist at Scotch Bonnet in West Palm Beach, Florida.

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