Which Highlighting Technique Is Best For You?

Adding depth and dimension to your hair is a surefire way to banish flatness and create a head-turning mane. But with techniques like highlights, babylights, and balayage all promising a dimensional boost, how do you choose the right one? Making decisions for your hair can be overwhelming sometimes, especially when you have tons of choices in front of you and very less information about each choice. To help you make a better and more informed decision for your tresses, read on. We’ll be talking about babylights, highlights, and balayage which are all very popular choices for adding depth and dimension to hair.                                                                                                                  

The Classic Choice: Highlights

Highlights have been a go-to technique for decades. This technique adds streaks of color to different sections of your hair to keep it from looking flat. It often results in a bolder and more dramatic look as the highlighted sections create interesting contrast against the base hair color. Here's the breakdown:

Technique: Hair is sectioned, and lightener is applied to create noticeable streaks of color. Thicker sections of hair are typically used.

Result: Highlights offer a clear contrast between your base color and the lighter strands, creating a bold and defined dimension. Think chunky blonde highlights in dark brown hair.

Maintenance: Frequent touch-ups are required as the root growth becomes more visible due to the stark contrast.

The Subtle Shimmer: Babylights

For a more natural-looking dimension, babylights might be your answer. Instead of adding chunks of contrasting sections of hair, babylights call for subtler and more delicate pieces of highlighted hair to create an almost-natural look.

Technique: Similar to highlights, but much finer sections of hair are used, mimicking the delicate highlights children often have, hence the name.

Result: Babylights create a soft, sun-kissed effect with a subtle lightening effect. They blend seamlessly with your base color, adding a touch of brightness and texture.

Maintenance: Due to the subtle nature, touch-ups are less frequent compared to traditional highlights.

The Handcrafted Masterpiece: Balayage

Balayage offers a more freehand approach to dimension. This is the technique you want to go for if you want the most natural, most seamless look. 

Technique: Hairstylists hand paint lightener onto the hair in a sweeping motion, focusing on the mid-lengths and ends to mimic natural sun exposure. Think beachy waves with a gradient of color.

Result: Balayage offers the most natural-looking dimension, with a seamless blend from dark roots to lighter ends. It creates a lived-in, sun-kissed look that’s pretty hard to achieve using other techniques. 

Maintenance: Balayage requires minimal touch-ups due to the blended nature of the color.

So, Which Technique Should You Choose?

The answer depends on the kind of look you’re trying to achieve. Want something bold and dramatic with tons of contrast? Highlights would be perfect for you. If you want something subtle and delicate, go for babylights. Lastly, for the most natural-looking way to add depth and dimension to your hair, balayage is the way to go.