How to do balayage at home on your own – before and after photos, TOP best paints

A popular hair coloring method that gives your hair a natural, sun-kissed look is called Balayage. Many people believe that getting this look requires going to the salon, but you can accomplish it at home with the correct supplies and advice. It’s not as hard as it sounds to do balayage yourself, and it gives you a cozy space to play around with your look.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to create balayage at home, along with before and after photos to show you the transformation. We’ll also recommend some of the best hair dyes to help you get professional-looking results.

Whether you want to try something new or update your appearance, this simple method will make DIY balayage enjoyable and fulfilling.

Step	Description
1. Preparation	Gather tools: balayage kit, gloves, clips, comb, and foil. Section hair for even application.
2. Apply Color	Paint from mid-length to ends, focusing on a natural blend. Use a brush or your fingers for a soft gradient.
3. Process	Let the color sit for the recommended time on the box, usually 20-30 minutes.
4. Rinse and Condition	Rinse thoroughly and apply a deep conditioner to restore moisture.
5. Style	Dry and style your hair to reveal the new balayage look.

Features of balayage coloring at home

The word "balayage," when translated from French, means "sweep," "smear," and "sweep." In fact, the master’s brush strokes are similar to light ones, letting you apply the dye to the hair at random. The transitions are smooth and gentle, and the effect is natural, giving the hair the appearance of having minor sunburns.

The method is unique in that the paint is applied from the tips rather than the roots. The root section is processed last, and a smooth color transition is then achieved by drawing a special brush along the strand.

Selecting the appropriate shade is crucial when dying at home. You can experiment with bold colors; the palette doesn’t have to be natural. But there is one requirement: they have to be connected to one another and fall into the same spectrum.

Balayage dyeing at home: pros and cons

It is up to you to decide if dying your hair at home is worthwhile. However, you must first balance all the benefits and drawbacks of the at-home procedure.

Benefits of DIY balayage at home:

• saving on hairdresser services – the procedure can be carried out independently, attracting a girlfriend or household;
• saving time – no need to sign up for the procedure and wait in line, the session can be arranged at any convenient time (especially if the daily schedule is very busy);
• changing the color according to your mood – a boring shade can be changed at any time;
• availability of coloring products – you can buy any professional paint for any type of highlighting.

What kind of danger exists?

• difficulty in choosing shades to get high-quality balayage;
• mass-market paint can give an unexpected result due to questionable quality;
• the technique of performing the coloring is quite complex, requires skill, dexterity and a sense of style.

Crucial! The current state of the hair (thickness, elasticity, moisture, damage) and prior coloring can have an impact on the outcome of balayage.

How to do balayage at home: a simple and quick technique

Using a single dye to color specific zones rather than the full head of hair is the simplest way to complete the process. For instance, paint the tips of your hair only, or only dye the top layer. By doing this, you can avoid burning your hair and ruining your entire hairstyle, and the outcome will be natural. Selecting a dye that closely resembles the original hair color rather than one that contrasts with it is preferable for the same reasons.

The paint is ready once the strands to be highlighted are marked. It must be thick and creamy in order to prevent the mixture from oozing out of the curls and ruining everything.

Start at the tips of each chosen strand and work your way down to the middle to finish each one with the dye. The motions ought to be "sweeping" and light. Paint should not be applied all the way through the strand’s thickness because this will prevent simple, fluid transitions from working. The paint is removed with a wash after the instructions’ recommended holding period has passed.

What it looks like, photos before and after

Any natural hair color, from blond to chestnut, will look presentable when applied with skill using a beading technique.

On dark hair

Brown-haired women are thought to have the greatest potential for contrasting coloring. They can afford a natural color scheme that complements fashion as well as vibrant hues. Additionally, you can achieve a subtle highlight when the sun’s rays appear to play in your curls by haphazardly coloring only the upper strands. On dark hair, bedraggling can visually add volume and give the look of more airiness and freshness.

Crucial! When coloring someone with dark hair, it is best to leave the root zone natural. In this manner, color correction won’t be necessary for two to three months and the growing roots won’t be apparent.

Lighten individual strands close to the face to conceal skin imperfections and create a gentle image of a woman with brown hair. Light golden hues for bangko will be traditional. For spring and autumn color types, a mix of bronze roots and amber-toned strands works well. Cool color schemes work well as a foundation for burgundy and eggplant roots.

For light brown hair

A fun way to liven up a dull color is to apply balayage at home to light brown hair. Wheat strands and warm hues will draw attention to the facial tone and add emotion to the picture. Consider nutty and honey shades more closely if you have light brown hair and blue eyes. A seamless change from bronze to amber will appear equally beneficial.

Pearlescent hues have been very fashionable lately, and they let you highlight your uniqueness. Use a vibrant palette of purple, pink, and blue if you really want to stand out.

For light

A dark, mid-strength palette is used on blonde hair. To create a stretch of color, apply a dark tone at the roots as well as the ends. Color schemes that work well on a blonde:

• pearl or ash roots plus nutty ends;
• silver-platinum roots plus chocolate or burgundy tips;
• root zone of the style natural blond plus chocolate or chestnut ends;
• beige roots and chestnut-brown tips.

Additionally, coffee, caramel, wheat, golden, light brown, and even red will be appropriate tones.

Step-by-step instructions for coloring balayage at home

Everything counts when doing balayage, from the dye selection to the initial strand preparation to the stretch formation step at the end.

How to choose the right color?

The outcome is more ornate and fashionable the more shades of a single palette are employed within the parameters of the method. Purchase a dye that lightens the pigment in dark hair by 6–8 tones if your goal is only to highlight the ends.

The original color of the hairstyle is taken into consideration when choosing a natural color scheme. You can use two or more shades, with a maximum of three levels of difference between them.

You can consider the woman’s color type when selecting shades:

• spring (light curls) – ash, honey, beige, caramel, wheat, amber;
• summer (blond hair) – cool shades with a predominance of platinum, mother-of-pearl and pearls;
• winter (chestnut strands) – coffee, chocolate, nut, red, eggplant, berry, burgundy;
• autumn (red-haired girls) – chocolate, bronze, nut, copper, caramel, mahogany.

Crucial! Dark hair usually doesn’t need to be completely bleached before applying balayage. The right palette choice creates the illusion of color stretching.

How to prepare for the procedure

Observations for getting ready for balayage

• do not wash your hair for at least 2 days before the session – a lipid layer will appear on the skin, which will protect the strands from damage by the dye;
• 5 days before the procedure, stop using styling products – sprays, varnishes, as well as care products (masks, oils, balms);
• try not to injure the scalp. If there are damaged areas on the skin, you need to wait until they are restored;
• check the paint for an allergic reaction – the test is performed according to the algorithm specified in the instructions;
• prepare a cape for the shoulders (a special waterproof one, an old towel or sheet) and gloves.

Necessary tools

What equipment you’ll need:

• massage comb;
• flat comb with frequent teeth and a pointed handle;
• bowls for paint (according to the number of coloring mixtures);
• brush (one or more);
• foil, cut into wide strips;
• rubber bands or hairpins.

TOP 5 best paints

• Matrix Socolor Beauty. Long-lasting cream paint with a huge palette of warm and cold shades, including the ultra-blond, high-lift blond and bright shades series. The paint has a self-adjusting technology that can adjust to the original color of the strands and always gives the expected shade, as on the package.
• Syoss series of lighteners. Suitable for balayage of dark hair, as well as hairstyles with gray hair no more than 30% of the volume. The product has an anti-yellow effect and gives the curls noble light shades.
• L’Oreal Professionnel Inoa Mix 1+1. Gentle ammonia-free paint with an oil component in the composition. The oil increases the efficiency of the coloring system and at the same time preserves the natural protective layer of the hair. Suitable only for balayage of natural hair – not used on pre-lightened strands.
• Estel Professional De Luxe High Flash. A universal product that allows you to perform balayage at home on dark, light brown and light hair. The palette consists of bright shades suitable for performing extravagant coloring options.
• Estel Professional Essex. Long-lasting cream paint for home use with the effect of salon coloring. It is distinguished by its economy – one package is more than enough for balayage of long hair. With the help of the product, you can achieve tone-on-tone coloring, lighter or darker than the base color.

Technique for short hair

A comb is used for balayage on short hairstyles. The following is the algorithm:

1. Intensively comb individual strands – the ends should stick up.
2. Backcombed curls are sprayed with hairspray.
3. The first piece of foil is smeared with the finished dye and applied to the combed strand so that it does not touch the roots.
4. Shathe the composition with light strokes, wrap the strand with foil and proceed to the next.
5. Stand for the time indicated in the instructions for the product, wash off with water and shampoo.

For medium hair

For medium-blond and dark hair, apply Balayage at home using the following method:

1. All hair is divided into segments, separating each with an elastic band. The elastic band will be a conditional border for combining colors.
2. Prepare a lightener and brush the separated segment, moving from the tips to the level of the rubber bands. Brush movements should imitate backcombing.
3. Paint the top and bottom sides of the bun and move on to the next segment.
4. Wait the required time and rinse the ponytails with water.
5. Do not remove the elastic bands, but paint the buns again – with a darker paint, trying to make the ends of the hair the lightest.
6. Wait the required time and wash off the composition.

For long

Balayage method step-by-step at home:

1. Divide all the hair into working zones, securing them with clips.
2. In the first zone, separate a narrow strand and place a strip of foil under it.
3. Apply the paint to the bun in the shape of the letter V, making free intermittent movements. The distance from the roots should be at least 3-4 cm.
4. Wrap the treated strand with foil and move on to the next. To achieve a careless effect, you can select strands of different widths, and at the end, go over the top layer of hair with chaotic movements.
5. After the time specified in the memo has elapsed, the preparation is washed off.

Crucial! As thinly as possible, divide the hair strands close to the face for coloring. Draw vertical stripes on the bangs that are 0.5–1 cm apart and 1–2.5 cm in length.

Advice from professionals

• Buy cream paints instead of powder paints for the home procedure – they are easier to work with.
• For a pronounced color contrast on dark strands, choose a 9% oxidizer.
• It is better to start coloring from the crown, moving down to the back of the head and temples.
• When using several shades, use a product from the same manufacturer and the same series.
• To prevent skin coloring, lubricate the hairline with a rich cream.

How much does it cost in a beauty salon

The price of balayage coloring in Moscow ranges from 5,000 rubles for short hair to 10,000 for long hair. They will charge less for the service in the regions, starting at 3,000 rubles.

Popular hair coloring method Balayage can give your hair the appearance of natural, sun-kissed hair without the expensive salon visitation. By following easy steps and using high-quality hair dyes, one can achieve balayage at home with the right tools and a little perseverance. The best paints on the market will be demonstrated, along with before and after pictures to help you see the finished product, as this guide will walk you through the entire process.

Hair care after the procedure

The following guidelines apply to taking care of colored hair:

• regular use of nourishing and moisturizing masks;
• use of care products marked “color protection”;
• restore hair ends with oils;
• protect your head from the sun with a Panama hat (in summer) and from frost with a hat (in summer).

Do not comb through wet hair after washing. Use as little as possible of a hair dryer, straightening iron, and curling iron to avoid dulling the color and damaging the hair shaft.

When done correctly and with patience, balayage at home can be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Without going to a salon, you can achieve professional-looking results by using high-quality hair dye and properly prepping your hair.

To achieve that authentic, sun-kissed look, the secret is to select the best paint from the top brands, apply the color carefully, and blend it smoothly. Try different colors and feel free to modify them to fit your hair type and style.

You can become proficient at the balayage technique and have gorgeous, colorful hair from the comfort of your own home with a little perseverance and practice.

Related videos

Hair coloring at home

Coloring using the balayage method (ombre / shatush) at home

Hair coloring | Step-by-step balayage at home | How to wash off hair dye | Hair coloring dark