It is not always easy to find one's way between all the technical terms, nor to know what the desired result corresponds to. Gloss or Balayage ? Color or Balayage ? Granted, there are a few basic “facts” you should know, shared by all salons. But each hairdressing professional has his own two cents and contributes his own personal idea.
To help you, here is an article that recalls the basics of coloring , and then declines Thomas's vision 😄
COLOR OR BALAYAGE: THE BASICS
The colour
Traditionally, coloring is a technique that consists of applying a coloring product to all of the hair , from root to tip. It allows a harmonious and monochrome result, while offering a wide range of reflections.
This technique is permed : it penetrates inside the hair and covers its pigments. Thus, it deeply modifies the structure of the hair, and only the regrowth makes it possible to find natural hair. It is also called oxidation staining .
In general, one proceeds to a coloring to preserve its natural color* while covering its white hair . You can also darken the hair. If you want a color but also want to lighten your base, you will then have to proceed in the first step with a discoloration . The principle is to open the scales of the hair to remove the pigments.
Good to know: You can lighten up to 8 tones for a radical change!
* Here, natural color means the color of our hair when it grows, without any coloring technique over it. Of course, if you proceed with coloring, the hair will no longer be “natural” since it will be chemically modified.
The Sweep
Balayage is a technique that consists of “sweeping” all the hair here and there with a brush, to create many shades and reflections .
It can be worked with a coloring product such as a bleaching product, or both!
Unlike coloring, balayage allows more depth because it creates dimension in the hair, where the coloring will be more even (but just as intense!).
Balayage allows completely different results because the colorist can play on various parameters : highlight the contrasts more or less, make small or bigger highlights, make the highlights go higher or lower, etc.
Thus, it does not necessarily have a “wicking” effect, which is sometimes found under the name of “Flash” in certain salons.
Depending on the customer's request, the effect can be marked or more natural, faded .
COLOR
- It is permanent;
- It covers white hair;
- But it does not lighten the hair;
- For a uniform result.
SCANNING
- Discoloration is permanent, gloss is not;
- It does not cover white hair;
- It lightens the hair;
- For a highlighted or more blended result.
COLOR OR BALAYAGE: AT THE TUCCI SALON
We do not use permanent coloring during our Balayage Signature technique, but “ semi-permanent ” coloring : it does not penetrate deep into the hair and does not modify its structure. Be aware that in other salons, you can be offered a permanent coloring worked in sweeping.
We proceed in two-stroke to perform our Signature Balayage :
Time 1
First we apply the bleaching product to lighten the hair in the most strategic places. The lightening can be more or less pronounced according to your request, and according to the resistance of your hair.
Time 2
Then we apply the coloring product which we call “ Gloss ”. Semi-permanent, it respects your hair. It allows both:
- to correct unwanted reflections;
- to intensify existing reflections;
- to bring new reflections.
These two products are applied with the sweeping technique , that is to say with a brush and strand by strand.
Signature Balayage is fine and delicate, for a subtle and luminous result . We work the roots so that the regrowth is natural and aesthetic.
Finally, we reserve the oxidation coloring for the roots only , to cover white hair, if desired. We complete it with a Gloss on the lengths.
If you want to know more, discover our article dedicated to the difference between Gloss and Balayage 😄
Also find the details of our services in a complete summary article.
Adele, Content Manager