There’s nothing worse than knowing exactly what you’d like done to your hair without knowing the specific terminology to describe the technique. Aside from it being a little embarrassing, holding up a picture on your phone to show the hairdresser, it can be really difficult to find a good picture without knowing what to search for. If this rings true for you and your experiences at the hair salon, fear not. In today’s blog post, we are going to go over some of the terminology for the most common types of hair dying techniques so that you know exactly what you’d like to have done to your hair. Let’s dive in. 

Balayage

This term sounds just as gorgeous as it looks. Balayage means to sweep or paint, which is exactly what a hairdresser will do. This particular technique is known for being a method of highlighting, where the color specialist bleaches or colors the hair freehand. Given that this particular technique is freehand, the hair isn’t saturated with bleach or dye, giving it a much softer look. Overall this particular technique results in a more natural look and is also incredibly easy to maintain.

Ombre

The second hair color treatment that we’re going to cover is one that is frequently confused for balayage. This particular technique is when your natural hair color gradually fades into a lighter hair color at the ends. At first, this was most commonly seen with blonde at the ends of the hair, but has now developed into a variety of hair colors. One of the many benefits to choosing an ombre technique for your color treatment is that it is incredibly easy to maintain since the roots of your hair will remain their natural color. 

The primary reason that these two are confused is because balayage is the technique used to achieve this look. In order for you to have a beautiful blend of your natural hair color and the lighter color, your color specialist will need to hand paint the variations of these colors. All in all, balayage is the technique used, ombre is the completed look.

Hair Painting

This technique of color treatment is similar to balayage in that the color specialist is going to work color onto the surface of the hair by hand, the main difference is how the hair is laid out. In order to give the color specialist more control over the end look of your hair, the hair painting technique has you lean your head back while your hair is on a table. At this point, the hair stylist will fan your hair out and have the ability to paint your hair as desired. The primary reason that someone will choose this technique is because of the depth that can be achieved when applying a hair color treatment. This is a popular technique used for color treatments that use a variation of colors but also for the more natural look that want both high and low lights incorporated into the look.

Highlights

One of the most popular hair dying techniques is, without a doubt, highlights. This dyeing technique adds warm colors that are, in most cases, lighter than the rest of your hair. The hair stylist strategically applies these colors so as to create dimension in the hair. The primary reason that people choose to get highlights is not only to glam their hair up, but also because it adds a natural warmth to their color. 

Lowlights

The same way that highlights can transform a hairstyle, lowlights are capable of creating an entirely new look with just the slightest bit of color added. This hair dye treatment will look at the underlying color of your natural color and apply darker colors that complement your hair and add some depth. Lowlights are often added when seasons are transitioning to the cooler time of the year or, again, when looking for a quick and easy change for a hairstyle. 

Dip-Dye

A color treatment that comes and goes in waves is the one-of-a-kind dip dye. This was a look that was popular before it was common for people to dye their entire head a bright color, leaving just the ends dyed. If you had light hair, you could dye the ends of it just about any color that you dreamed of. The best part was, by dying your hair at the ends, it was incredibly easy to cut them off and start with a fresh canvas when you were ready. 

This color treatment process simply dyes the ends of the hair in a clean and straight manner. The process itself will vary from color specialist to color specialist. The look, however, will always be a perfect section of the ends of the hair dyed a different color. 

Underlayer

Temporary hair dye is a great way to get a taste for what beautiful, bright hair would be like, but there are various ways that you can incorporate color into a hairstyle without going all in. The underlayer dye technique is one of them. This method of hair dying simply treats the underlayer of your hair. So, whether you decide to dye the underlayer a candy apple red, bubble gum pink, or an electric blue, the top layer of your hair will cover it. This can make for a fun splash of color when styling your hair certain ways or a great way to see how you feel about styling your hair with color. In our opinion, underlayer dying treatments are a fun way to go as wild as you want. Why stick with one color on your underlayer dye treatment when you could use them all? Seriously though, rainbow is one of the most popular underlayer dye options around.

Shop Manic Panic

Whatever hair dyeing technique you’re thinking of getting, Manic Panic has the professional hair dye gels to get the job done. Our team has worked tirelessly to create quality, vegan hair dyes that yield gorgeous results. Whether you’re looking for the perfect product for your salon or for yourself, you can’t go wrong with our Classic High Voltage® hair color. Browse the selection ofelectric hair colors that we have available for purchase online, and place your order today.