AirTouch Balayage in Abingdon
Understanding balayage and its benefits is very simple: think sun-kissed, low-maintenance hair that suits most hair types. When someone says “AirTouch balayage”, think the same — with the volume turned up.
Balayage is arguably the most popular form of hair colour service, and that’s reflected across most salons. AirTouch is a technique that’s becoming increasingly popular for its improved subtlety, definition, balance and softness. If you want to take your balayage to the next level for a standout finish, AirTouch could be for you.
Below we answer the most frequently asked questions about AirTouch balayage.
What is an AirTouch balayage?
AirTouch is a technique that can be applied to either balayage or highlights. With more traditional highlighting methods, stylists use foils, bleach (or colour), a colour brush and a comb. Tension is placed on the longest section of hair so the bleach or colour can be applied more easily, and a comb is then used to push or remove hairs closer to the root for a better finish. Until recently, this was the accepted method of application.
AirTouch instead uses heat and pressurised air from a hairdryer to achieve the same thing — without backcombing, and with greater efficiency and accuracy, leading to a better overall result. What you’re left with by the end of your appointment is a softer, cleaner and greatly improved balayage.
Why is AirTouch balayage so popular?
Very simply, it looks amazing. If you want your balayage to stand out from the rest, AirTouch is absolutely the route to take.
What is the difference between AirTouch balayage and a normal balayage?
It’s still a balayage. AirTouch is simply a technique that can be applied when delivering one. If you compared one balayage against a second that used AirTouch, both would strongly reflect the client brief: the colour would be identical, the number of lighter pieces the same, and the ability to style the hair similar too. What separates them is that the balayage using AirTouch will be noticeably softer, and over time the regrowth will appear much softer as well.
That doesn’t make a balayage without AirTouch “bad” — far from it. Most clients still opt for a normal balayage. But if you’re looking to elevate your colour to the next level, with budget in mind, it’s worth considering.
What does AirTouch balayage do to your hair?
A balayage lightens your hair for a sun-kissed look, typically from around the top of your eyebrow or the bottom of your ear for a natural blend. Your stylist is trying to replicate what the sun does to your hair when you visit somewhere hot. The sun doesn’t lighten hair from one area exclusively — the ends pick up lighter pieces, working from the ends up towards the roots, so not every strand lightens from the same starting point.
AirTouch is a technique to soften, add dimension and improve that blend even further than a normal balayage would.
What does AirTouch balayage cost?
The key factor is your starting point, so balayages can vary quite a bit. As a guide, a typical AirTouch balayage — assuming virgin hair of average length and thickness, and including a haircut — is around £250, compared to roughly £190 for a normal balayage and haircut. The difference is usually down to the additional time required: where a more traditional balayage application can take around an hour, AirTouch can add 30 minutes to an hour on top of a typical appointment.
For comparison, the average cost for the same service in central Oxfordshire often exceeds £300–£400.
