Today I’m breaking down a few different hair color techniques commonly used to highlight and brighten hair. As someone who books appointments online and usually tells my stylist to do what she thinks is best, I’m not always sure what type of appointment to select when I’m booking - partial highlight, full, or balayage.

All of these techniques can produce beautiful results, but knowing the pros and cons of each will help you make the best decision for your hair, wallet, and time, as maintaining hair color can add up and require more frequent appointments.

what is balayage?

Balayage is a hair technique that involves hand-painting the color onto your hair without foils. You get a much more natural result, and the color is typically more warm-toned. Balayage mimics what your hair would look like after spending the summer in the sun; the color is applied in thinner sections closer to the root, and gets thicker as you hit mid-length and the ends of your hair.

Balayage is best if you have never colored your hair before and want subtle highlights without a long-term commitment. This will give you depth and dimension, but you may not love the results if you have darker hair as the balayage technique can pull more warmth (red and orange tones) that would otherwise be controlled and adjusted during a foiled technique – but there are toners available to cancel out the warmth if desired.

what’s the difference between babylights, partial, and full highlights?

Highlights are strategically placed pieces of color that lighten your hair, adding dimension and brightness. The color is woven into foils by your stylist, using a specific pattern with your natural hair color and goals in mind to give you the best result. Highlights are more controlled than balayage, as your stylist can use multiple shades to create a softer blend between your natural hair color and the brightness you’re looking to achieve.

A partial highlight is a more natural look, designed to lighten your hair similar to how the sun would. It brightens up your hair without requiring strict upkeep, and is ideal if you part/ style your hair similarly each day. Ask your stylist what they include in a partial highlight; most include the top half and side sections of your hair, but not the bottom half, which might be important to you if you wear your hair up often. A full highlight applies color to every section, and the color can be as subtle or bright as you’d like. Full highlights are ideal if you change your part or wear your hair up.

Another style of highlighting, babylights, are even more detailed than a partial highlight as your stylist sections your hair into finer, more delicate pieces, creating more detail and dimension. Babylights tend to cost more than highlights as they’re more labor-intensive for your stylist, require more detail, and take a little more time, but they require less up-keep and you can go longer between appointments.

partial highlights vs full highlights

Partial highlights give you a more natural look – Your base color is still noticeable, so your highlights are softer than a full highlight.

Partial highlights are low maintenance – The regrowth is subtler, ideal for those who don’t have a lot of time or want to extend the time between touch-up appointments – also making the up-keep less expensive.

Partial highlights are less damaging – Less hair is color treated, as you’re only highlighting a few sections in a partial.

Full highlights are perfect for a bold look – Because you’re highlighting more hair, this is a great option for those who want to go from dark to light hair.

Full highlights are more versatile – Because you’re highlighting throughout your hair as opposed to just a few sections, you can then wear your hair up or down, or switch your part without worrying about how the color will look.

what is better for beachy hair - balayage or highlights?

This is ultimately a personal preference and one that you should discuss with your stylist, as the answer varies depending on your natural hair color, desired up-keep, and how bright you’re looking to go. I’ve done both techniques in the past - balayage was great for me when I was in college and only getting my hair done 2-3x a year, but I currently stick to babylights, partial or full highlights as that technique gives my fine hair more dimension, and my stylist is able to add more depth every appointment.

For more on exactly what I ask my hairdresser for when getting my hair cut and colored, view my blog post breaking it down (with reference photos) here.

what is cheaper - balayage or highlights?

Highlights (full or partial) are typically cheaper than balayage, at least initially. For reference, my salon prices a full balayage at $220 and a full highlight at $185. You typically have more upkeep with highlights, so booking frequent appointments for maintenance will drive your overall cost up, but my stylist paints the highlights in a way where I can go up to 16 weeks between appointments (although I aim for 12 weeks maximum). To save money, I always recommend asking your stylist for “low maintenance, lived in color” - read more here.

what is better for your hair - balayage or highlights?

While both techniques cause damage to your hair as they require lightening agents (like bleach), highlights are more damaging in the long-term as they require more upkeep. Balayage causes more short-term damage as you typically need stronger lightener to lift the color and cancel out brassiness. Going to a reputable stylist is key as they will take preventative measures to protect the integrity of your hair with your short and long term goals in mind - I started out with a balayage over a decade ago and later transitioned into highlights, and my hair is damage is very minimal.