3 Balayage Mistakes & How To Fix Them

3 Common Balayage Mistakes & Quick Tips To Fix Them
Do you keep seeing splotchiness and uneven blending in your balayage application? Are you properly saturating each section, but still not seeing enough brightness? We’ve got you. Here are some hair painting tips to help you avoid AND fix these common mistakes from balayage specialist Sarayah Politi (@hairbysarayah). Keep scrollin’ for techniques and Instagram videos that will have you painting like a pro! 

Products Used

Hair Color

Air Libre Bleaching Powder

TRUSS Professional

Hair Color

Blanc Blond Lightening Powder

TRUSS Professional

Hair Color

8X Powder

TRUSS Professional

Mistake #1: Not Properly ‘Building’ Lightener On Each Section
The easiest way to avoid splotchiness and uneven lift? Knowing where and how to properly apply lightener on each balayage section. Here’s a step-by-step, visual breakdown of Sarayah’s technique for painting the perfect blend on every section:

1. Start by ‘cleaning up’ the section, aka taming flyaways and scattered hairs that might prevent a clean and even lift.
2. Start the lightener application at the mids and build saturation.
3. Then, feather the lightener upward for a smooth and gradient transition.
4. Walk down to the ends, building the saturation up heavier. Here’s the key—there should be complete whiteness and zero transparency for maximum lift. 

Watch The Technique Step-By-Step Below!

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sarayah|New Jersey Balayage 🌊🌴 (@hairbysarayah) on Apr 20, 2019 at 9:10am PDT

Mistake #2: Under-Processing Painted Sections
Properly saturating but still not seeing enough brightness? You might be under-processing your balayage application. Let’s start with formulation: Sarayah mixes two lighteners (yes, TWO!) from TRUSS Professional—Air Libre, Blanc Blond and she adds 8X Powder for clay-like consistency—so the hair doesn’t dry out. Why? Its argan oil-based additives and collagen give total protection for maximizing lift. 

That being said, LET IT LIFT 🙌🏽 “I leave lightener on my clients for no less than an hour,” says Sarayah. “[Only] leaving balayage on for 30 to 45 minutes is why people don’t get that much lift.”

We Could Watch Sarayah Paint All Day 😍

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sarayah|New Jersey Balayage 🌊🌴 (@hairbysarayah) on Mar 31, 2019 at 10:31am PDT

Mistake #3: Over-Painting & Painting Too Often
A common mistake colorists make with balayage is painting too much and too often—this causes lack of dimension and unwanted damage. If a client wants to see super blonde brightness, it might initially make sense to paint everything. But in reality, without creating depth, the brightness won’t feel as light.

“I tell my clients to wait a minimum of six months in between to do a full service again,” shares Sarayah. “The best service to do in between for clients who like a lot of brightness around the face would be just a hairline [application] and not touch anything else.”

The Hair Left Underneath Surface Painting = Internal Depth

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sarayah|New Jersey Balayage 🌊🌴 (@hairbysarayah) on Jun 27, 2019 at 11:48am PDT