Balayage: What It Is, What It Costs and How Long It Lasts

One balayage appointment can last up to a year before your next touch-up.

Foil highlights need more frequent salon visits, Wella Professionals says, because they start at the roots and show regrowth sooner.

Here’s how balayage hair color works, what it costs and how to pick your shade.

What Is Balayage?

Balayage is a hair coloring technique where a hairdresser paints lightener onto the hair freehand, in sweeping strokes, instead of wrapping sections in foil. The word is French for “to sweep.”

With this freehand painting, your hairdresser hand-picks the pieces and works mostly from the mid-lengths to the ends. The color stays deeper near your roots, and Wella adds that a few ribbons through the hairline flatter most.

In other words, balayage is a way of applying color, not one specific color.

How Do You Pronounce Balayage?

Balayage is pronounced “bah-lay-ahge,” the way Wella’s guide spells it out.

Balayage vs. Highlights vs. Ombré

Balayage, foil highlights and ombré hair color all lighten hair, but they place the color differently. Balayage is painted in soft ribbons, highlights are foiled from the roots and ombré fades from dark roots to evenly light ends.

Hair highlighting with foil traps heat, so the result looks brighter and more uniform. The catch is a visible line as your roots grow.

Ombré gives a starker dark-to-light shift, sometimes with a clear line where the change starts.

So which should you pick? Choose balayage over foil highlights for low upkeep, or ombré hair for a clear gradient.

On dark hair, compare balayage vs. highlights on dark hair first.

What Is Foilyage?

Foilyage is balayage processed in foils. The strands are still painted freehand, but Wella says the foil gives the pre-lightener plenty of lift.

How Much Does Balayage Cost?

A salon balayage costs about $150 to $300 or more, according to Madison Reed’s balayage page, from a hair color company that runs its own salons. Some salons also charge separately for toner.

The price swings with the salon and how much lighter you want to go.

Here’s what to ask when you call: “What’s your balayage price for my length, and does it include toner?”

Then compare the real balayage cost factors before you pay a deposit.

How Long Does Balayage Last?

Balayage lasts three months to a year, according to Wella Professionals’ balayage guide, published in March 2019. A lower placement lasts longest, while bright pieces near the roots need a refresh sooner.

The lightened strands stay put. What fades is the toner on top, which can turn brassy or dull.

How to Keep Balayage Fresh

The same Wella guide recommends a toner every 6-8 weeks, or a purple shampoo, to keep the tone fresh. Toner is a sheer color that adjusts the shade without lightening again.

Then add a few simple habits:

• Wash with a color-safe shampoo.
• Use a hydrating mask or conditioners on your ends.
• Spray heat protection before hot tools.

Will Balayage Cover Gray Hair?

Balayage won’t fully cover gray hair, because Wella says full gray coverage needs a permanent tint that saturates the roots. Balayage can only blend a few gray strands into lighter ribbons.

So if your roots are mostly gray, ask for root color plus balayage, or try gray blending with highlights instead.

How to Choose a Balayage Color

The best balayage color is a shade that flatters your natural base color, picked with your colorist from photos you bring in. Wella’s guide says to always bring photos, because your idea of subtle may not match your colorist’s.

On brown hair, stay soft with warm hues in balayage on brown hair or go brighter with blonde balayage on brown hair. For lighter pieces around your face, compare blonde balayage highlights with classic blonde highlights with brown hair.

Wella says balayage suits all hair colors, even the darkest brunettes, so look at balayage on black hair for ideas. With curls, start with balayage on curly hair.

Healthy hair matters more than your skin tone or eye color. If your ends are dry or snapping, repair the damage before you lighten.

Can You Do Balayage at Home?

You can do balayage at home with a kit, such as Madison Reed’s Light Works Balayage Highlighting Kit at $49. A salon is still safer for a full head, since you can’t see the back.

So start small and paint a few face-framing pieces first.

Is Balayage Right for You?

Balayage is right for you if you want soft, sun-kissed color with fewer appointments.

Save 3 balayage photos you love this week and bring them to a consultation.

Then keep your color healthy with a simple hair care routine.