Balayage vs Ombre vs Highlights

Highlights, lowlights, babylights. Ombre, balayage, dip dyed…. The list goes on. Confused? Don’t be. We are just going to dive in a discuss the difference between the most popular trends today.

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Highlights, lowlights, babylights. Ombre, balayage, dip dyed…. The list goes on. Confused? Don’t be. We are just going to dive in a discuss the difference between the most popular trends today.

 What Is Balayage?

Balayage is graduated natural-looking highlights. With this technique, stylists apply highlights by hand in a freestyle manner.

As with any highlights, balayage involves the use of bleach, however with a balayage, highlights start away from the scalp, preserving your natural roots whilst getting lighter toward the ends. This means there are no blunt roots, so you can go longer between salon visits and touch-ups.

Key Difference – Tends to look more natural and requires less maintenance than traditional foil highlights.

What Is Ombre?

Ombre is when a stylist uses balayage to create a seamless graduation of colour from dark to light, creating a dramatic, graduated effect. Ombre hair is such a popular look thanks to its low level of maintenance. The most popular colour combination is a medium brown that graduates into golden tips, but the colour combination can be something more dramatic.

Key Difference – A dramatic, gradated look, which can be created using a balayage technique.

What Are Highlights?

Highlights are small sections of your hair that are coloured to be lighter shades than your natural colour. Darker hair wanting lighter highlights will be achieved using bleach.

There are different techniques to apply highlights. The most common method is foiling, which involves sectioning out pieces of the hair with a comb before using a lightener.

Key Difference – Highlights are lightened hair strands, which can be achieved using a few different techniques.

If you’re still a little unsure, we are always here to offer you advice and tips on the best treatment for your hair type. Just give us a call and make an appointment with a member of the team.

Check out our blog on the Top Five Foods for Healthy Hair

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