Balayage vs AirTouch: what's the difference and how to choose

Balayage vs AirTouch is one of the questions I hear most often at consultations in Bathgate, closely followed by "or should I just have highlights?". All three techniques lighten the hair, but each does it differently, grows out differently and is priced differently. Here is how I explain the difference, and how I help my clients choose.

Balayage vs AirTouch: what actually happens in the chair

Highlights are the classic. I take fine sections right from the root, apply lightener and wrap them in foil. This usually gives the most even result and the most lift. If you want a clear, cool blonde across the whole head, it is usually the way to go.

Balayage is painted freehand. I sweep lightener over the surface of each section, heavier towards the ends and lighter near the root, leaving your natural colour at the top. The hair looks sun-kissed: soft, with depth and no hard lines.

AirTouch starts with a hairdryer. I blow through each section so the shorter, finer hairs fall away, and I lighten only the strands left in my hand. That tends to give the softest blend of the three: the transition from your natural shade into the lightened lengths has practically no visible edge.

Finish and regrowth: what you'll see a few weeks later

How a colour looks a few weeks on matters more to me than how it looks on the day.

• Highlights grow out with a more visible line. If you like a strong blonde, you will want them refreshed most often.
• Balayage grows out gently, because the lightening starts below the root. You can comfortably leave longer between appointments, and a toner or gloss is often enough to bring the shine back.
• AirTouch usually grows out the least noticeably. The blown-through sections have no hard edge, so the hair still looks "done" long after the appointment. It suits anyone who wants bright hair and fewer visits.

I don't promise anyone a number of weeks. Regrowth depends on how fast your hair grows, how much contrast there is with your natural colour and how you look after it at home. At your appointment I'll tell you what you can realistically expect.

What's included and what sets the price

At Hair Majesty, colour is priced by two things: hair length (shoulder length, below shoulder, mid-back, waist, below waist) and how much of the head is coloured, half head or full head. A half head usually covers the top and the sections around the face; a full head includes the underneath as well.

A few things worth knowing before you compare me with other salons:

• Balayage includes toner and gloss. A root melt, which deepens the root for an even softer blend, is an add-on.
• AirTouch includes toner and bond protection. I lighten carefully, and the bond-protecting product is part of the service, not an extra.
• Colour after lightening is always priced individually. If your hair has been lightened before, or you want lightening and a shade in one visit, you hear the figure once I have seen your hair — before I start, not after.

The whole colour category sits between £70 and £365, and the exact prices are in the colour price list. As a guide, a colour appointment takes between 2 and 5 hours, depending on the technique and your hair length. You get the exact time with the price before we start.

How to choose: the questions I ask at a consultation

I don't choose the technique for you, but I do help narrow it down. I usually ask four things:

1. How much blonde do you want to see? A lot, and even: highlights. Soft and natural: balayage. A glow that looks like your own hair: AirTouch.
2. How often do you want to come back? The less often, the more I lean towards balayage or AirTouch.
3. What is your colour history? Previous colour, henna or damaged ends change the plan, which is why I always start by looking at your hair, not at a swatch book.
4. How much time do you have that day? The longer the hair and the more sections, the longer it takes — and a half head takes less than a full head, whichever technique you choose.

Those answers plus an inspiration photo are usually enough for me to say what is realistic, and I give you the exact figure after a short consultation.

If you are still torn between balayage and AirTouch, message me or request an appointment through the booking calendar. At the salon in Bathgate, West Lothian, I'll look at your hair and tell you which technique makes sense for you. See my clients' results in the before and after gallery.