How Much Does Balayage Cost?
How Much Does Balayage Cost?
On average, you can expect to spend $150 to $200 on your balayage hair highlights. For short hair, prices start at $70, while a full head of hair with multiple colors can cost as much as $250.
$150 – $200 ($70+ For Short Hair)
On average, you can expect to spend $150 to $200 on your balayage hair highlights. For short hair, prices start at $70, while a full head of hair with multiple colors can cost as much as $250.
Balayage Cost
The average cost of balayage highlights starts at $70 for light, partial coverage on short hair, and from $150 to $200 for doing a full head of extra-long hair in several different tones. In comparison, a full-head of highlights may cost $60 to $150 in a salon.
| National Average Cost | $175 |
| Minimum Cost | $70 |
| Maximum Cost | $250 |
| Average Range | $150 to $200 |
Balayage is a unique hair-painting technique which means "to sweep" in French. Balayage lasts longer between retouches than highlights and is popular with many celebrities.
Balayage offers a natural, multi-dimensional look by adding a light feathering of color near the roots and blending it artistically into ends saturated in vibrant color. To determine your balayage hair cost, you'll need a consultation from a hair salon near you.
Balayage Price Factors
Everyone will pay a slightly different price to get balayage hair coloring depending on the following cost factors:
Experience level of your colorist – Salon professionals who've studied the balayage technique in-depth are more in demand, so they charge more. They may have received certifications from places such as the Redken Academy or studied as an apprentice to an expert.
Your salon location – Metropolitan boutiques cost more than rural ones to compensate for the higher cost of living in that area.
Your hair length and style – Shorter hair takes much less time to work on and uses less products; thus, it costs less than to create a balayage effect on a full head of hair that hangs down to your mid-back. You'll also need to pay additional fees for each additional color tone that you add to your style. Proper hair care will prevent the need to correct with a customized root tinting before coloring.
| Style | Average Price |
|---|---|
| Partial Balayage | Starts at $70 |
| Full-Head Balayage | $150 – $200 |
| Full-Head of Highlights | $60 – $150 |
| Ombre | $130 – $200 |
Balayage and other highlighting techniques typically include the coloring application, shampoo, and blow-dry.
Balayage Cost For Long Hair vs. Short Hair
Partial balayage for short hair—or to highlight only the top layers—costs between $70 to $130, or about $30 cheaper than a full-head of balayage, which is most common for long hair. Each salon has slightly different pricing methods, but the amount of product used is a major determining factor in setting the price.
What Is Balayage?
Balayage is a modern form of hair highlights that does not require the use of any foils, making it less-damaging for hair. Balayage is a unique coloring technique invented in France. This art form features sweeping, creative strokes of blended color applied in a bespoke way to suit each client.
You cannot simply call it free-style highlighting because this technique requires the proper education and experience to do it properly. Stylists must train to learn about different color-saturation methods as well as particular product and color selection for each customer. Balayage is not the same as "babylights" or highlights either.
How Long Does Balayage Take?
All in all, you can expect to be at the salon for at least 1 to 2 hours to get beautiful balayage hair. Longer hair also takes longer than shorter hair to highlight.
In most cases, a stylist must first see the current condition of your hair to determine how long it will take. If you've had traditional highlights before, then you'll have a sharp contrasting line in your hair between your new growth and the old color that the hairdresser will first need to correct with a customized root tinting. They'll need to do that before they start applying your highlighting colors by freehand.
How Long Does Balayage Last?
On average, most people enjoy their balayage highlights for up to 3.5 months before needing any touch-ups. Balayage is low-maintenance and looks better longer than the traditional foil highlights because balayage doesn't leave a well-defined, harsh line between your natural color and your lighter shades as the hair grows. Instead, it maintains the look of sun-kissed, natural highlights.
How long does balayage hair last with hair that's going grey?
If you want to keep your new growth completely covered at the roots, then you'll need root touch-ups at the salon every 4 to 6 weeks. If you have a full head of balayage grey tones, however, then you can wait longer since the grey roots would blend in pretty naturally with the rest of the hair.
Grey Balayage
Grey balayage is a fashionable trend for women of all ages these days, especially when combined with both grey and lilac tones. Balayage grey hair looks exceptionally classy with darker roots that gradually blend out into lighter, pale tips. Plus, it looks more natural to draw attention away from greying roots as your hair grows out.
If you're choosing balayage to cover grey roots, then it can take more time at the salon since they'll need to apply a darker permanent color first. Also, take some time to choose your highlighting colors carefully when discussing with your hairdresser how to balayage grey hair.
Experts warn to avoid shades of black, burgundy-red or bright-golden blonde since they often wash out your complexion, making you look older. Instead, choose slightly warmer tones. If you're feeling adventurous, then adding coppery red tones can add a lovely dimension to your hair.
Balayage vs. Highlights vs. Ombre
Difference Between Balayage And Highlights
When you compare the balayage vs. highlights, then you can expect to pay a little more for balayage because it takes more expertise to do it well. For example, experienced stylists at the AScend® Salon in New York City offer balayage treatments that typically cost around $86 to $200. By comparison, the Aaron Emanuel Salon in New York City offers partial highlights ranging from $55 to $150 or more for full highlights.
Remember that while the cost of highlights done with foil is usually less than balayage, foil-made highlights leave a harsh line between your natural hair color and your color of choice when they grow out. That means they require more-frequent salon visits to maintain your look.
Difference Between Balayage And Ombre
As well-illustrated by StyleCraze, balayage and ombre have two different goals. In balayage, the hairstylist aims to give you a well-blended, almost-natural look with artistically placed highlights that generally frame your face. They prefer to choose colors that complement your natural hair color so that it adds dimension and depth to your look, drawing more attention to any natural curls you have and your hairstyle.
In ombre hair coloring, the hairdresser aims to create a dramatic, two-toned effect to make a fashion statement, without trying to look natural. Ombre almost always features the darkest shade of color at the roots that transition into the lightest shade of color at the tips. Those with naturally dark hair often need their tips bleached to achieve this look. About halfway down the length of hair, you'll have a semi-blended yet highly visible line where the two colors meet.
How Much Does Ombre Cost?
The average ombre hair cost at salons ranges from $130 and $200. The cost to dye your hair ombre will be more if you've dyed your hair significantly lighter or darker than your natural color recently. That's because your stylist is likely to need to do some extra color correction to your base color first to achieve the look of the smooth ombre-shading transition.