How long does balayage last?

Two things fade at different speeds

A balayage colour is really two layers. The first is the lightening: where the lightener has lifted your natural pigment, that hair stays lighter until it is cut off. The second is the toner or gloss on top, which sets the exact shade, from cool and bright to warm and golden.

Toner sits on the surface of the hair and washes out a little with every shampoo. As it fades, the natural warmth in lightened hair shows through again, which is why blonde can look brassy or flat a month or so after a colour even though the lightness is all still there.

Why balayage lasts longer than foils

Balayage is hand-painted softly near the root and builds toward the ends, the way hair naturally lightens in the sun. There is no sharp line as your hair grows, so a few centimetres of regrowth just looks like a slightly deeper root.

Foils lift brighter and more evenly right up to the root, so regrowth shows sooner. Toner fades at the same rate with either technique. Balayage vs foils ›

What makes it fade faster

• Washing often, in hot water. Every wash takes a little toner with it, and heat speeds that up.
• Sun, salt water and chlorine. UV fades pigment, and salt and chlorine break down the hair’s structure, so colour lets go faster.
• Humidity. Brisbane’s humid months mean more frizz and, for many people, more washing. Coloured hair in Brisbane’s humidity ›
• Heat styling without protection. Hot tools on unprotected hair dull the tone and dry out lightened ends.

How to make it last

• Wash less often, and rinse in cool or lukewarm water.
• Use a sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner made for coloured hair.
• Use purple shampoo once a week, not every wash.
• Use a heat protectant before blow-drying or hot tools.
• Wet your hair and add a little conditioner before swimming, and rinse straight after.

When to book what

A toner or gloss refresh when your blonde starts to look yellow, dull or less shiny, usually every 4 to 6 weeks. It is a shorter visit than a full colour and starts from $60. How often to tone blonde hair ›

A full balayage refresh when the root feels deeper than you would like or the brightness around your face has grown down, usually every 10 to 16 weeks. Tara suggests a date for your next visit before you leave each appointment, so you have a plan from the start. Balayage in Teneriffe ›