Soft Balayage in Abingdon
If you’re considering a balayage either for the first time or you want to soften your existing balayage, there are options to lighten, offer a more striking result or to soften your balayage look. If you’re seeking the latter and want to explore a seamless blend with a softer finish, a softer balayage can really help. A balayage with a softer finish looks great, blends well and last for longer, so what’s not to love?
In our daily this blog, we explore what a balayage is, how softening your balayage can work for you and everything you need to know to help maximise your balayage between appointments.
For more hair colour information and advice, visit our balayage service page. Finally, if you’re new to the salon and not sure how to get the most value from your next appointment, need a consultation or would value a conversation before booking, call or send a WhatsApp message on 01235 534705.
Soft Balayage FAQ’s
What is a soft balayage?
Balayage is largely misunderstood and there are various terms which are often merged into one. You will often here salons and their stylist mention common buzzwords such as balayage, ombre, sombre, babylights and airtouch. For the purposes of this, the softest balayage doesn’t necessarily take on one approach. The terms we will look to in order to achieve a softer balayage are ‘airtouch’ and ‘babylights’ which we have outlined below:
- Babylights: Think highlights but less chunky, much smaller and more of them. Babylights can be applied in highlights or balayage form. Here’s more information about babylights.
- Airtouch: Whereas most blends are used to achieve using a brush or with fingers, airtouch is a technique to soften your colour using heat from a hair dryer to achieve a more natural sun-kissed blend. The end result is a much softer end result and whilst the process is more extensive, the results are unmatched. Here’s more information about airtouch balayage.
The application of babylights alone greatly supports a softer balayage however the introduction of airtouch does make a big difference in softening your overall balayage. It’s also important to consider that your Stylist won’t automatically opt for airtouch nor babylights so this is a seed which may need planting.
What can make a balayage look softer?
If you’re looking for a natural effect, there are a few ways to ensure your balayage stays soft and understated:
- Complimentary colours: A softer balayage embraces a shade which gently marries your natural hair colour, skin and eye colour. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the shade, the harsher the blend. The trick is to find a balance between not going too light and not too dark. For example, if you have dark brown hair, a warm caramel balayage would work well for a gentle blend.
- Blend: As mentioned above, what technique you employ to achieve a softer blend matters. The common technique Stylist’s use is feathering which offers a means for your Stylist to ‘flick’ colour to gradually blend.
- Babylights: Babylights are a non-negotiable if you desire a softer balayage. More delicate sections rather than bold highlights is essential for a soft balayage. This gives a gentler contrast between your natural and highlighted hair.
- Think natural: The goal of a softer balayage is to make it look as natural-looking as possible. Your stylist might add just a few highlights around the face for brightness and keep the back subtle for a balanced, natural effect.
How long will a softer looking balayage last for?
The softer the balayage, the longer it lasts. Whilst it’s not necessarily good practice nor common, some balayages can exceed six months (some as much as 12 months between applications). In an ideal word, a soft balayage typically lasts between 3 to 6 months, depending on factors like your hair’s growth, texture, and aftercare.
The two components which can’t be controlled are hair growth and lifestyle. Toners are your desired colour which ‘coat’ bleach and the frequency at which you wash your hair, the products used, excessive heat, exposure to different environments all contribute to how well your hair is preserved. Toners will inevitably fade so there is an argument to schedule toners more frequently than balayages if your intention is to stretch your balayage appointments further apart.
How does a softer balayage compare to other balayages?
Very simply a ‘normal’ balayage offers lighter pieces from the mid to ends of your hair. However whilst the end result is designed to look sun-kissed, some clients prefer chunkier and more obvious lighter pieces whereas others prefer a softer approach. A soft balayage reduces colour options, embraces different techniques yet the end result intends to create a natural gradient, almost as though your hair has been lightly kissed by the sun.
Conclusion
Achieving a soft balayage is all about embracing natural colours, embracing new techniques and looking for subtly that compliments your base hair colour, skin and eye colour. If you want to take your balayage to the next level, airtouch is a brilliant technique to further soften the introduction of babylights to maximise your babylights without compromising on the end result.
For more information, please call or send a WhatsApp on 01235 534705. Before making a booking, we would encourage you to discuss your options with us to establish if and how we can help.
