Difference Between Freehand Balayage & Foilayage.

Difference Between Freehand Balayage & Foilayage.

Despite years of disappointment, my client never gave up on her search for the perfect Balayage hair painter. Time and time again, she walked into hair salons and requested a balayage, only to be given foils instead. She knew she wanted an authentic balayage, not just a balayage-inspired look with foils.

And that’s the lesson here - it’s crucial to know the difference between a hand-painted balayage and creating a balayage look with foils. They may seem similar, but they are not the same. Each requires a unique skill set and approach, and it’s important to be clear about what your client truly wants.

Why is the outcome different when someone paints the hair with a brush compared to painting the hair in a foil, which is known as foilayage?

1. When we use a brush for painting, we can apply less lightener near the scalp and blend the natural regrowth into the brighter blonde colour on the lengths for a seamless regrowth.

2. With brush painting, we are able to touch many different strands of hair with the lightener, resulting in varying shades of blonde seamlessly blended throughout the hair creating a multidimensional look.
On the other hand, when lightening the hair in a foil, the foil acts as a barrier between the hair with lightener and the natural untouched hair, preventing those strands from lightening.

3. Using a foil creates a stronger contrast between the lightened hair and the natural hair because all the hair within the foil lightens to the same degree or level, resulting in a more uniform look.
Whereas, hand-painting with a brush produces a more natural look as it allows the hair to lighten to varying degrees or levels creating far less contrast between the natural and lightened hair.

The choice between using a brush or foils ultimately depends upon the look your client wants to achieve.