What the difference is between a balayage and an ombré

A lot of clients ask what the difference is between a balayage and an ombré. Both are common styles involving lightening ends, however, there is a difference. An ombré involves lightening the bottom portion of a clients hair, showing a nice fade between the darker roots and lighter ends. With a balayage, the lightened portions are blended seamlessly in with the clients natural color. While an ombré is more of a style, balayage is a technique performed by the stylist to add a natural looking highlight to the clients hair.

The color is hand painted on to each section, blended up to create an effortless transition. This is why a balayage service typically takes longer than your standard foil highlights. Both styles result in a decently low maintenance routine, due to the gradual color placement.

A balayage creates more dimension at the ends hair, since darker pieces are left in the bottom layers. An ombré typically leaves the client with a nice fade of color, from dark to light.