Balayage and Highlights Look Similar, but They're Not the Same — Here's the Difference

The word "balayage" is actually French, and it translates to "paint" or "sweep" in English. Simply put, it's not really a hair colour as much as it is a application technique that involves painting the strands of hair with a brush in a sweeping motion, gradually lightening the hair toward the ends.

"[Balayage] can be a bit more freehand than traditional highlights," celebrity hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein told POPSUGAR. "It's intended to give a natural sun-kissed look. If done well it should look seamless and have very soft regrowth lines."

Unlike highlights, balayage typically doesn't require the hair to be painted with foil, and because the gradation is more natural, you can wait longer (up to eight weeks) in between touch-ups with balayage.

Highlights tend to be done using a different, more targeted technique. "Highlights is the act of lightening pieces of the hair with the use of colour or bleach and folding them into a foil to let the colour process," Rubenstein said. "Typically there is a structured pattern the colourist follows when applying highlights."

Maria Elizabeth, hairstylist and owner of Salon deZEN agreed, adding: "Foil highlights start directly at the roots of the hair to create anywhere from lower contrasting highlights called babylights to highly dimensional hair colour. The amount of the contrast is visually created by taking larger or smaller sections and not just by making the hair itself lighter."

The technique to ask your colourist for all depends on the final look your after. Balayage tends to have a natural effect, with the hair gradually lightening down the strand. Highlights have a tendency to appear chunkier, or more strategically applied, and typically requires more frequent touch-ups.

If you don't see your colourist often and want to lighten your hair but be able to grow it out without it being too noticeable, balayage is the technique for you. Alternatively, according to Elizabeth, if you want to colour your hair several shades lighter than your natural colour "and/or want a high contrast hair colour," foils will work best.

If you're still stuck, your best bet is to find a stylist you can trust and listen to their suggestions. "As someone who has done many colour corrections, a good colourist is worth investing in," Rubenstein said. "I always listen closely to what the client wants, but to avoid getting anything lost in translation, you and your colourist should look at some photos together. Find photos of people who look like they have a similar base colour and texture as you."

She continued, "The final step is to listen to the professional. They should guide you in the right direction based on what will look best while also keeping your hair in great condition."