What is Balayage? - Fox and Jane Salon

BALAYAGE
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What is Balayage?
Balayage means “to sweep” in French. You’ve seen it used on celebrities known for having gorgeous,
healthy hair, including Kim Kardashian, Rachel Bilson and Sarah Jessica Parker. Balayage is a specific
technique Fox & Jane has become known for, which involves applying color to the hair using a brush
allowing the stylist to “paint” highlights onto the hair.
How do I pronounce it?
It is pronounced bah-lay-ahjh. Still not clear? Here’s another way of looking at it:
ballet-odge. (Ballet as-in the dance form, and odge as-in the word lodge.)
Why is balayage different from foil highlights?
Because the application is less structured, the results of balayage tend to look more tailored to the individual. If you
think of the way foil highlight look as they grow out, where there is a clear line where all the highlights begin, you
will see why balayage can achieve a more varied application which makes the outgrowth blend more easily into the
highlighted hair.
What do the results look like?
Balayage is great because it gives you and the stylist a lot of control over the finished look, from natural to edgy. Like
an artist with a paintbrush, they can handpaint color on the canvas of your hair, freestyle. Balayage is used to achieve
a wide variety of looks, from the popular ombre look (a gradual change from one color to another, generally darker
at the roots, becoming lighter towards the tips of the hair) to subtle sun-kissed highlights that look like you’ve done
nothing but spend some leisure time on a fabulous beach for a long weekend.
What if I want really dramatic highlights?
If you’re looking for a very dramatic effect--going from black hair to blonde highlights, for instance, it may take up to
3 visits to achieve your desired look. The reason for this is that it is generally safe to lighten only 1 to 4 levels at a time
to maintain the integrity of the hair’s delicate structure.
Trying to lighten more that 4 levels at once can be very damaging to the hair and is not recommended. It is best to
wait at least 5 weeks to allow the hair to regain its natural pH balance before lightening again. We know how great it
feels to leave the salon with a new and dramatic ‘do, but the texture and health of your hair are so important to the
look, manageability and strength of your hair overall, that we don’t want to sacrifice those to get quick results.
Here is a chart of the range of hair color levels from lightest to darkest:
10 Pale Yellow
9 Yellow
8 Gold
7 Reddish Gold
6 Golden Red
5 Red
4 Red Brown
3 Brown
2 Brown-Black
1 Black
BALAYAGE
101
What will happen during my
balayage appointment?
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Before
Toner
After
Toner
To
r
e
n
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Your appointment will start with a consultation with the stylist.
This will be your opportunity to tell the stylist what results
you are hoping for and to share any photos you may have to
illustrate what you like and even what you don’t like. This is
also the time to come clean with your stylist: have you colored
your hair at all? This includes temporary colors that are
supposed to wash out and henna. Coloring your hair changes
the way your hair responds to the process so this is important.
The stylist will mix the color and begin to apply it to the hair.
This is your time to relax and trust your stylist as they work.
It’s important to maintain good posture and keep your legs
uncrossed so the application will be symmetrical.
Once the application is complete, the stylist will allow the
color time to process.
Once the stylist is satisfied with the amount of lift achieved,
they will wash your hair thoroughly.
While you are still at the sink, the stylist will most likely apply
a toner to your hair. Toner is a semi-permanent color used to
counteract unwanted pigment that the lightening process
may reveal, remove brassiness, and help blend the colors of
the hair in a more harmonious way. The effect of the toner
lasts from 4 to 6 weeks.
If you’ve scheduled a haircut, the stylist will now cut your
hair. This is done after the color is applied and processed to
protect the ends of the hair as much as possible during the
coloring process.
Finally, your hair will be blown dry and styled, and you are
ready to be on your way out into the work with your new ‘do!
BALAYAGE
Sara Jessica Parker
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How can I main y
the color after m
appointment?
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Use sulfate-free hair products. Following any
color or highlight appointment it’s important
to protect your hair and color. The shaft of the
hair was opened in order to deposit color and if
you use harsh detergents on your hair including
shampoo with sulfates, the color will leave the
hair at a faster than desired rate.
Condition your hair regularly. It’s important to
use a good conditioner every time you wash. You
may also like to invest in a reconstructive protein
masque or deep moisturizing treatment to be
used for 5 minutes once a week to help restore
the health of your hair after processing.
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Lily Aldridge
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Come in for a quick glaze or a toner. As the time
since your last service increases, but before it’s
time to come in for your next color service, you
might like to boost the smoothness and shine of
your hair with a clear or tinted gloss treatment.
If you’re looking for a minor adjustment or
refresh of the color you had when you left the
salon, you can come in for a toner appointment.
Both of these services are quick (a glaze takes
about 40 minutes while a toner takes about 20
minutes) and can usually be scheduled with any
stylist or an assistant on relatively short notice,
especially if you don’t need a blowout. They will
help maintain the look of your hair in between
services which will prevent unnecessary damage
and keep your hair looking fresh and gorgeous.
BALAYAGE TIPS provided by
Fox and Jane Salon with 3 locations
in NYC and 1 in San Diego
foxandjanesalon.com