Airtouch Balayage Guide: Pros, Cons, Airtouch Vs Highlights

   

Airtouch balayage became a trend this year and the demand continues. Those days when almost everyone was doing those stripy, colourful highlights are gone. Now, it's time for wispy and perfected blended colours that look natural and picture-perfect.

The softer transitions of colours add visuals of volume to the hair. The strokes starting from the middle goes down to the ends making the transition seamless. Styling your Airtouch balayage hair with soft waves will give you an effortless look.

The experts say that the AirTouch technique is best for hair that doesn’t require colour correction. If you have virgin hair, it's perfect for them. However, it's not recommended for henna hair. Dyes used in AirTouch do not contain any damaging oxide or ammonia. Thus, they have become a safe option for many.

We have curated a perfect guide around Airtouch balayage. We talk about how it is done, to hair tips you can follow to maintain healthy hair before and after getting Airtouch balayage.

   

 

 

Airtouch Balayage: What is it?

Airtouch balayage has taken the hair colouring industry to another level. Traditionally, the balayage effect is achieved by combing and tweaking the hair which could result in breakage and long-term damage to the hair.

Now you can achieve that seamless blend of colours with the AirTouch technique. As opposed to the standard balayage, highlights, or ombre, AirTouch balayage is a much safer and faster way to colour your hair.

You can also check out our guide to find out everything about blonde balayage. From design, process, meaning to FAQs, we cover eveything in detail.

   

 

How Is Airtouch Balayage Done?

The technique of AirTouch is quite simple and effective. Many hair salons provide this facility with different colour options as well. There are several steps that hair stylists take to achieve this trendy hair look.

The below steps summarize the steps involved in doing this hair colour.

Step 1: The process starts by taking small sections of the hair diagonally and with a hair dryer they push down all the small strands by giving tension to the longer hair strands. When they blow dry the strands, almost 30-50% of the strands remain, and the rest gets blown down. All the longer hair strands are then foiled in to get bleached.

Step 2: The stylists move from the bottom to the middle and as they reach the top section cover all hair in foils using the same technique. Only the upper surface of each section gets coloured.

Step 3: They make sure to give appropriate time to each section and then rinse away all the product section by section. And since the back portion of the head started bleaching first, they get removed first.

Step 4: This leads to the shampooing and conditioning of the bleached hair. All the foils and removed and the hair is properly washed before moving forward to the next step.

Step 5: The next step includes hair toning. The toner is applied generously on the middle portion of the hair to get that smooth blend between the two colours. The toner is applied using a tint brush and after application, they comb out the hair.

Step 6: The process is then completed with a final shampoo and conditioner session and voila!! Now you can style your AirTouch balayage however you want.

If you are looking for stunning new hair color ideas do check out our guides on red balayage and caramel balayage.

   

  

5 Reasons To Go For Airtouch Balayage

   

1. Saves Time

Airtouch balayage or Airtouch highlights use a hair dryer to weave the air. This eliminates the time for continuous tweaking of the hair which takes up hours to complete. With the AirTouch technique, the complete process only takes around 45 minutes to an hour.

   

2. Provides The Perfect Hue

Airtouch technique is one of the best methods when it comes to getting a certain hue or brightness in the hair. You can go lighter or darker. Since the AirTouch balayage only covers the upper surface of the hair, the stylist can easily push down more hair if you want a dark colour and vice versa.

  

 3. A Safe Choice

Among all the other hair colouring methods, AirTouch balayage is considered the safest option. In highlights, most people end up having stripy-coloured strands that look very unflattering. While with Airtouch balayage, the colours blend perfectly and look very natural. Also if compared, the hair damage caused is significantly lesser.

  

4. Easy Touch Up 

When it comes to hair growing out and looking patchy, you don’t have to worry if you have AirTouch balayage or AirTouch highlights done. As long the stylist uses the same technique as before, hair touch-up becomes quite easy.

  

5. Natural Look

The colours from AirTouch balayage fade out slowly, hence the durability is high. This is because the lesser surface of the hair is coloured. And since the hair sections are not completely saturated like in highlights, AirTouch balayage looks even more natural. The transition from one colour to another is smooth. For beginners, this is one of the best options to start with.

   

Do check out our guide on ash brown balayage as we list 25+ stunning designs and hair ideas which have been trending this year.

 

  

5 Hair Care Tips If You’re Getting Airtouch Balayage

  

The process of hair colouring involves several steps of bleaching and putting products in your hair. Although the AirTouch techniques cause minimum hair damage, it’s still essential to take care of your hair.

• People mostly focus on moisturizing their hair, but it is beneficial to switch your hair care routine and add more hair-strengthening products before you go for hair colouring. The bleaching process can weaken the hair, thus switch to strengthening hair masks, and shampoos so that your hair can survive the heat from bleach
•  Switching to colour-protected shampoo and conditioner will help retain the hair colour for a longer duration. It is also important to not shampoo the hair for a couple of days after the hair colour is done.
• Coloring disturbs the protein in the hair, which results in dullness and breakage. Doing deep conditioning once a week will significantly enhance the shine and strength of the hair. We would recommend keeping the conditioning masks for at least 30 minutes on damp hair.
• Heat is another factor that can damage your coloured hair. To prevent damage from sun and heat styling tools, you should use leave-in conditioners made for coloured hair. This would also reduce the breakage caused by frizz and detangling.
• The last tip is to avoid going to swimming pools. The water in the pools contains chlorine which results in fading of hair colour. Sometimes, lighter-coloured hair turns in a weird green hue when they come in contact with chlorine. To avoid that, use a leave-in conditioner or swim caps to create a barrier between the hair and water.

If you are looking for a hair makeover for your dark hair, balayage on black hair can be another excellent option.

    

 

Airtouch vs Highlights

A lot of times people get confused between AirTouch and highlight. Well, there is one very obvious distinction between the two. The main difference between them is the technique that is used to create them. Before moving on you must know that balayage can be done by both AirTouch and highlight methods.

Coming onto the difference, the AirTouch technique uses an AirTouch hair dryer to apply lightener or colour to the lengths of the hair. Here the weaving is done through the air. While in the traditional technique, the stylist has to tease the hair before applying any solution. They have to make sure that the colouring doesn’t overlap or the hair does not get too bleached.

The sectioning method done on the hair is where the second difference lies. In the AirTouch method, the stylists take diagonal sections of the hair, and with a hair dryer, they push down the small strands of the hair. The colour is then applied to the length which allows them to achieve a perfect mix of blended hair. The hair sectioning in highlights involves backcombing and lots of teasing so that the colours don’t come out looking chunky and uneven.

You can also check out our guide to find out balayage vs highlights comparison to find out the exact difference between the two.

    

 

Airtouch Balayage Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

   

   

1. Is it easy to AirTouch hair at home?

The AirTouch technique looks simple but it requires immense patience, technique, and precision. It is not recommended to do AirTouch hair at home because there are so many ways it can go home.

   

2. What much is the AirTouch balayage price?

The exact AirTouch balayage price cannot be quoted because it differs from salon to salon. A standard balayage can cost around $76 to $452, depending on the procedure. Adding the AirTouch to it, the price can go from $320 to over $500.

  

3. Do you need to buy a separate Airtouch hair dryer for AirTouch balayage?

No, it is not necessary to purchase a separate AirTouch hair dryer to do AirTouch balayage. However, it is essential that the hair dryer you use is strong and have different settings so you can make adjustments as required.

  

4. How to do AirTouch highlight?

In highlights, the colour starts from the top of the head and goes all the way to the end. The technique of using the hair dryer to blow down the baby's hair remains the same for both balayage and highlights. To create highlights, the remaining hair is then bleached and coloured from the top and then covered in foils. The rest of the steps include shampooing, conditioning, and toning.

    

    

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