When it comes to lightening up your look, balayage and highlights are two buzzwords that colorists and clients alike can't stop talking about. But what exactly sets them apart—and more importantly, which one’s the right match for your lifestyle, hair goals, and maintenance routine?

Whether you’re a seasoned color chameleon or new to the salon scene, understanding the differences between balayage and highlights can help you make the most confident choice for your next transformation.

What is a Balayage?

Balayage (pronounced bah-lay-ahzh) is a French word meaning "to sweep," and that’s exactly how this coloring technique is applied. The lightener is hand-painted directly onto sections of your hair in a sweeping motion, creating a soft, natural gradient that mimics the way the sun would naturally lighten your strands.

Think effortless, low-maintenance glow. Balayage typically starts mid-shaft and gets brighter toward the ends, which means you won’t see harsh regrowth lines as your hair grows out. It’s ideal for achieving that "just got back from vacation" vibe, even if the only thing you’ve been soaking up lately is your morning latte.

What Are Highlights?

Traditional highlights involve sectioning the hair and wrapping pieces in foil to isolate and saturate the strands with lightener. This technique allows for more precision and brightness from roots to ends, giving you a more uniform and defined contrast compared to your natural base color.

If you love bold dimension and a lighter overall effect, highlights are your go-to. From full highlights (all-over brightness) to partial highlights (targeted areas like the crown or face-framing pieces), there’s a wide range of customization to suit your style and desired maintenance level.

How are highlights and balayage different?

While both techniques are designed to lighten and add dimension, the key differences lie in application, result, and upkeep.

- Application: Balayage is painted freehand; highlights are applied with foils.

- Result: Balayage delivers a subtle, natural gradient. Highlights offer a more defined contrast.

- Upkeep: Balayage tends to grow out more softly and requires fewer touch-ups. Highlights often need more frequent salon visits to maintain that fresh-from-the-chair look.

Bonus Tip: Balayage can also be layered over old highlights for a softer grow-out or used to refresh previously lightened strands with a more modern edge.

Which style of highlighting is right for me?

Choosing between balayage and highlights depends on a few personal factors:

Your style goals: Want natural and beachy? Go balayage. Prefer bright and bold? Highlights are your best bet.

Maintenance preferences: If you’d rather not commit to regular touch-ups, balayage is your low-fuss friend. If you love that fresh root-to-tip brightness, classic highlights will deliver.

Hair texture and type: Balayage works beautifully on wavy or textured hair where the dimension adds movement. Highlights can help add contrast and volume to finer strands.

Your lifestyle: From busy schedules to budget, think about what kind of upkeep fits seamlessly into your routine.

Still can’t decide? Let our colorists help create a plan that will work for your color goals.

Whether you're team balayage, team highlights, or somewhere in between, the beauty of hair color today is that the sky is the limit. If you’re ready to switch up your look at home, connect with one of our colorists to create a hair color that is 100% unique to you.