Balayage is the colour technique we are asked for most often, and also the one most often misunderstood. It is worth knowing what it actually is before you book, because in this climate the choice between balayage and a full colour changes how often you will need to come back.

What balayage actually is

Balayage is painted on by hand, freehand, without foils. That is the whole difference. Because the colour is swept on rather than applied from the root in a uniform block, it fades into your natural base instead of stopping at a hard line.

The practical consequence matters more than the technique: there is no visible regrowth line. With a full colour, the line where your roots start showing is obvious after a few weeks. With balayage there is nothing to grow out sharply, so you can go much longer between appointments. For anyone living in Bangkok and already spending enough on hair maintenance because of the climate, that is usually the deciding factor.

Why colour needs more attention here

The UV index in Bangkok stays high nearly all year, and sun oxidises pigment faster than washing does. On top of that, the humidity keeps the cuticle open, so colour rinses out more readily. A shade that would hold two months somewhere cooler starts moving after four or five weeks here.

Blonde and balayage suffer most from this, because the lightened sections have already had their natural pigment removed and there is nothing underneath to protect them. Expect to need toning between full appointments. Anyone who tells you otherwise is setting you up to be disappointed.

Colour correction

A good part of our colour work is fixing colour done elsewhere, and the most common case is blonde that has turned brassy or uneven. This is repair work, not a standard appointment, and the honest answer sometimes is that we should do it in stages rather than all at once. Lifting damaged hair further in a single sitting is how you turn a colour problem into a breakage problem.

If your hair is already porous from previous lightening, we will usually suggest repairing the fibre before adding more colour. What each repair option actually does, and what it costs, is set out on our keratin treatment Bangkok page.

Before you book

Bring photos of what you want, and be honest about what your hair has already been through. Previous box colour and previous bleaching both change what is achievable, and we would rather tell you that at the start than halfway through.

The full colour service list and prices are on our hair colour salon in Bangkok page. If you are still deciding between techniques, we have written about balayage compared with ombre and how long balayage lasts.

46 Studio, Sukhumvit 46, Phra Khanong, Bangkok 10110. Walking distance from BTS Phra Khanong. Open until 19:00. Call us on +66 99 906 9746.