Balayage: How To Make It Work For Every Hair Type

Not sure if balayage is right for you? If you don't have long, straight, brunette hair, you'd be forgiven for thinking that is one trend you might have to side-step.

But, that's quite simply not the case. We spoke to Nicola Clarke, Creative Colour Director at John Freida, who gave us the low down on balayage for every colour and texture.

First things first? "Balayage is for all colours from black to blonde.", Nicola assured us. Glad that's been cleared up.

READ MORE: What is balayage?

READ MORE: 8 Easy Steps To DIY Balayage Highlights At Home

How does balayage work for blonde hair?

"The thing with balayage is that it’s more about the technique than the colour. If you are already very blonde and its not too damaged you could add some lighter balayage sections around the face or to the ends- think summer holiday childhood blondes."

If we have red hair, how can we do balayage?

"The colour doesn’t have to be blonde with balayage. You can add it in with normal, lighter auburn highlights or just do the free-painting on its own. Remember, you can balayage with tint or bleach depending on the quality of your hair and how damaged it is."

If we have very dark/black hair, how can we do balayage?

"Normally on very dark browns to black, you would only want to lighten the hair a few shades lighter to keep it looking natural." Opt for brown hues around the face.

Does balayage work on afro and tightly curled hair?

"You can definitely do balayage on afro hair - but if you've had a lot of processes beforehand like relaxing, make your colourist aware as this can affect the outcome." We advise choosing a colourist who's an expert in your field.

Browse more balayage beauties in the gallery below...

Holding image credits: Make-up: Mel Arter at CLM Hair & Make Up using Givenchy. Hair: David Wadlow at Premier Hair & Make Up using SHOW Beauty. Model: Maria Konieczna at IMG London.