People looking for a subtle hair makeover often go for highlights or balayage instead of a full hair color change. In 2025, consumers are looking for more elegant and layered hairstyles. With colorful and strategic highlights or balayage, hair enthusiasts will achieve a sophisticated hairstyle without compromising hair health.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the differences between balayage and highlights, the pros and cons of each hairstyle, and how to maintain them.
What is the Difference Between Balayage and Highlights?
Both hair techniques are popular and can be customized. However, their application and effect on hair can be different.
Balayage:
Balayage is a freehand hairstyle that originated from the French word “swept.” It is a technique in which lightening or bleach solution is hand-painted on the surface of random strands of hair.
Gwenda Harmon, PowerYourCurls hairstylist, said the main goal is to add more depth, style, dimension, and layers in a more natural and lightened look.
“Hairstylists would choose a lighter color from the base color of the hair to add dimensions and create a lifting effect or illusion,” said Harmon.
Harmon added that the strokes on the hair also grow stunningly, which is great for face framing and coats the ends of the hair.
Regarding cost, balayage is pricier but also a perfect option for changing it up this summer.
Highlights:
Similar to balayage, highlights can also color some portions of hair, but in a different technique. Traditionally, highlights use foils, mesh, and paper while sectioning hair and adding brighter colors. It also makes hair saturated from root to tip.
Highlights also need to be reapplied to maintain their hair colors.
There are also two different highlight methods, including lowlights and baby lights. With baby lights, these are usually mini highlights, which don’t look like an illusion but give a more sparkly outcome.
It’s also more intricate and time-consuming. You need smaller sections of hair to color, because those are mini highlights.
Meanwhile, lowlights help create dimension and the illusion of depth by applying darker colors or tones to your hair. By doing so, it lightens the strands because it darkens specific sections of hair, which is often one to two shades darker than your darker hair color.
Which Is Better for Hair?
So, which is the best for your hair? It boils down to your preference, hair type, customization, maintenance, and flexibility. Harmon breaks down some of the factors that can affect your decision:
Hair type – If you have lighter hair or adaptable textures, balayage is for you. Meanwhile, highlights may be ideal for dark hair.
For longer locks, balayage is a great option because it creates a color sweeping style more easily. Shorter hair may need highlights because it brings closer to the scalp, which creates a more natural look.
Ideal look – For those eyeing a natural look, balayage is the perfect choice, while for more dramatic or illusionary, highlights are the better choice.
Hair maintenance – Balayage requires 3-4 months between touch-ups, which can be preferred by those who seek low-maintenance. But highlights need to be reworked every 6-8 weeks. You can also check how much you can spend on touching up compared to paying for the styling itself.
Hair Growth – Hair with balayage will grow blended and naturally, while regrowth for highlighted hair will have more noticeable regrowth.
Hair damage – Balayage on hair is more gentle because it creates a natural saturation and spacing, but highlights on hair could create more possible damage because of heat exposure and frequent coloring.
Can You Get a Balayage on Highlighted Hair?
Some customers would like an ombre color or deeper natural hair color, so balayage can be a better option. For more lightened hair, traditional highlights are a better choice.
Customers also seek more structured and natural hair. For this, they can request balayage highlights or the combination of the two hair coloring techniques. They could do this by mixing foil highlights sectioning with balayage application techniques.
“Stylists usually combine the two techniques. One example is American tailoring, which starts with foils and then is painted with balayage highlights in between new highlights to soften and put together color,” explained Harmon.
“Foilyage is also being done, which begins with painted color and finishes with foil accents,” she added.
Can You Get Balayage Without Using Bleach?
Customers can request balayage even without using bleach. This is especially for those who have virgin hair. Clients do not want bleach because it would lessen maintenance and can also prevent any allergies or bad effects, especially when it can affect a person’s roots.
Having warm hair color or natural hair color can already guarantee lighter highlights without getting bleached hair.
Those with damaged, fragile, or highly damaged hair should also skip bleaching when getting highlights to ensure their hair’s health.
Can Balayage or Highlights Cover Grey Hair
It’s possible to apply balayage on grey hair, but it will not fully cover it, especially when the person already has a lot of grey hair.
You can also ask the stylist to apply highlights and lowlights to achieve a natural look when blending grey hair.
However, it may require a lot of maintenance to keep balayage and grey hair color. Regular touch-ups and aftercare are required to keep hair looking natural.
How Long Does Balayage or Highlights Last?
Balayage and highlights have different methods of maintenance. As mentioned above, balayage takes between months for touch-ups, while refining highlights is more frequent.
Longevity of highlights and balayage can be affected by hair texture, porosity, hair washing, color-safe products, and environmental factors.
Here are some tips for maintaining and taking care of your balayage or highlights:
Wash your hair at least two days after the treatment
Wait at least 48 hours to wash the hair. Highlights work by opening the cuticle, and in the first few days after coloring the hair, the cuticle is still open.
If you wait two to three days to wash, it will allow the hair to absorb the colors as the cuticle closes. If you wash it with shampoo, it will strip out the color. You can wear a protective hair cover to avoid dirt from affecting your hair.
Hair oils
When hair is getting color treated with highlights and balayage, hair oils would be needed to style and prevent frizz and flyaways. Hair color could turn the hair dry and lifeless.
You may want to try these products to help style and nourish your balayage:
12-In-One Amazing Serum No Frizz Repair Serum
Deep conditioning mask
Much like hair oils, applying a deep conditioning mask will help prevent dry, dull, and lifeless hair. Deep masks also help moisturize and nourish balayage-treated hair.
PowerYourCurls’ Iva Curls Deep Conditioning Masque or Afro Naturals: Deep Conditioning Masque may do just the trick.
Use the correct shampoo/conditioner
If you have highlighted or balayage blonde hair, use purple shampoo to prevent brassy or orange tones. This will also retain your hair’s blonde color. You can use purple shampoo into your routine once or twice a week.
For those with red and brown tones, use color-depositing shampoo to intensify or brighten up the colors of your highlights and balayage.
Here are some shampoos or conditioners for hair with color treatments:
Color Treated Hair + Curls Cleansing Oil Shampoo
Vogue Hair Color Cream (Black)
Vogue Hair Color Cream (Dark Brown)
Protect hair from harmful UV rays and pool water (chlorine)
Prepare protective gear like hats or swimming caps to shield hair from chlorine, pool water chemicals, and UV rays. You can also rinse your hair before swimming in the pool.
Learn more about protecting hair against UV rays and chlorine from our blogs.
