What is hand-painted balayage and how to choose one for your hair

The soft transitional hair colour on super-soft, silky tresses are what we see celebrities and common women donning nowadays. And this perfect look can be achieved through the technique called hand-painted balayage.

So, what is hand-painted balayage?

A hand-painted balayage is a freehand hair colouring technique where the hair colour is applied directly to the hair without using foils. This method mimics the natural colour of hair, creating a soft, sun-kissed look with a gradual transition from dark to light, and are typically lighter near the ends.

Here's a quick break-up of the procedure

No foils:

Unlike traditional highlights which use aluminium foils to separate hair sections, in hand-painted balayage hair colour is appled directly to the hair.

Freehand application:

The hairstylist "paints" the hair colour onto the hair, creating a more natural and organic look.

A gradual lightening of hair colour:

The hair colour would typically get lighter towards the ends and darker closer to the roots, mimicking the way your hair to would naturally look when out in the sunlight.

Easy to maintain

Hand-painted balayage usually offers a more low-maintenance grow-out compared to traditional highlights, as the transition between the new and old growth is softer.

How to choose the right balayage shade

To choose the right balayage shade, consider the undertones of your skin, which are either warm, cool, or neutral. While warm undertones (golden, yellow) would work well with honey, caramel, and golden blonde shades, cool undertones (blue, pink) would be well-complemented by ash blondes, ash browns, and platinum. Neutral undertones can typically pull off a wide range of shades.

How to understand your skin undertones

People with warm undertones often have green veins, and gold jewellery tends to look better on them. Cool undertones are characterised by blue or pink veins and silver jewellery often looks more flattering on this skin type. Neutral undertones have a blend of warm and cool.

A few other factors to consider

While thin or fine hair may benefit from lighter shades, thicker hair might need darker tones for contrast.

Balayage shades should complement your natural hair colour, creating a balanced look and adding to the depth and dimension.