Everything You Need to Know About Reverse Balayage
What is Reverse Balayage Hair Color?
Unless you’ve lived under a rock these past few years, you’ve probably heard of a hair coloring technique called balayage. But have you heard of a similar technique called reverse balayage? If you’re looking to add more dimension to your hair color or just want to blend your outgrown highlights with your natural hair, those techniques would be the perfect option for you!
Read on to learn all about reverse balayage, who it’s for, and more.
Reverse balayage explained
To make things simple, reverse balayage is a coloring technique of painting darker shades on the roots and sometimes mid-lengths. This helps to give the hair depth and dimension. This method is typically used on people who have pre-existing blonde because it makes the lighter shades pop. It’s also great for people who dye their hair lighter colors to grow out their roots with ease.
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Reverse balayage has grown in popularity over the past few years because it provides a natural, dimensional look. It’s very low maintenance which means it doesn’t require much care or time in the salon. It also helps to blend your natural hair color once your roots start growing out.
With reverse balayage, the options are truly endless! That’s what makes it so great. The colors, shades, tones, and placements can all be customized to your skin tone, eye color, lifestyle, and preferences. Just make sure to talk to your stylist before your appointment so you can craft the right look together.
The ideal client
Reverse balayage works for all hair types, textures, and skin tones. The ideal reverse balayage client is someone who is looking to shift their highlights or light hair to a shadowed look. This means that the technique is usually most popular with blondes. It’s also popular among people who are looking to slowly transition into a darker color instead of fully committing to an all over color from the beginning.
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Reverse balayage can work for people with both short and long hair. With that being said, it is easier to achieve that lived-in look if you’re rocking longer strands. This is because there is more length to ease that transition from darker roots to strategically placed lowlights.
Balayage vs. reverse balayage
The word balayage means “to sweep”. It’s used to describe the technique of painting thin highlights throughout the mid-shafts to the ends of the hair. Unlike regular highlights, you don’t use foils or mesh sheets when doing balayage as the technique is meant to look lived in and natural. The result ends up as a gradual transition of darker shades at the root to lighter colors towards the ends.
With reverse balayage, the same technique is used but instead of sweeping on light tones, darker shades are painted on roots towards the mid-lengths of the hair. This really helps to give dimension and depth that may be missing with an all over color. Like with regular balayage, reverse balayage will still result in a seamless look without any harsh lines!
How much does it cost?
The cost of a reverse balayage service really depends on the experience of your stylist and where you’re located. A typical reverse balayage appointment will set you back anywhere from $75 to $120. Keep in mind that if you decide on reverse balayage, make sure to go to a seasoned professional who has experience. Reverse and regular balayage is an art (it is painting, after all!), so it’s important to go to someone you trust to ensure you get the results you’re looking for. Make sure to ask to take a look at their Instagram page before heading in for a consultation.
How to care for reverse balayage
Okay, so now that you’re rocking your reverse balayage, how do you take care of it? We got you covered. Although reverse balayage is low maintenance, it still requires some work to keep it looking fresh and on point!
- Always use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner formulated to be safe for color treated hair like Moroccanoil Color Continue Shampoo. While sulfates produce that lovely lathering effect, they can also dry out the strands which can cause your hair color to fade.
- Try cutting down on your wash days. While it can be hard for some people, washing your hair less means rinsing less of your hair dye down the drain! Try washing your hair 2-3 times a week instead of every day. Not only will your hair color last, but your strands will feel moisturized and healthy. I recommend to use Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo
- When using hot tools, make sure to spritz heat protectant like 12 Benefits on beforehand and turn them to the lowest heat setting you can. High heat strips color, dries out your hair, and ultimately leads to damage. Heat protectant sprays help to seal the hair and reduce moisture loss. This goes for hot water as well!
- While we all love to take a scalding hot shower, hot water can strip the dye out of the hair faster. Turn down the temperature of the water when washing your hair to avoid opening up the hair cuticle. This will help to avoid the dye molecules from washing out of your hair.
- Go in for regular trims and color touch-ups. Seeing your stylist regularly will keep your color in tip top shape and your strands healthy. Most stylists recommend that you come in every six to twelve weeks for color touch-ups and trims.
In Conclusion
If you’re looking to add dimension, movement, to blur the line of demarcation or just darken up your look for the new season, this technique is definitely for you. The main benefit of getting reverse balayage is that there really aren’t any cons! It’s low maintenance, looks very natural, will never go out of style, and doesn’t require total commitment like an all over color would.