Your Guide to Choosing the Right Hair Color Service
Choosing the right hair color service can feel overwhelming. Balayage, highlights, lowlights, color correction, gloss treatments—the options seem endless. As professional colorists, we hear the same questions every day: What's the difference? Which technique is right for my hair? How do I know what will actually work?
This guide breaks down the most requested hair color techniques, explains who they're best for, and helps you make an informed decision before your next salon visit.
Understanding Color Techniques
Balayage: Hand-Painted Dimension
Balayage is a freehand painting technique where lightener is applied to create dimension. Unlike traditional foil highlights, balayage can be customized to the unique shape of your haircut and style. You may also consider a hybrid balayage and foil technique - "Foiliage"Â Here roots can be blended for a softer grow out and transition and create a more lived in look.Â
Best for:
- Anyone wanting a sun-kissed, natural look
- People who don't want frequent touch-ups (grows out softly)
- First-time color clients nervous about commitment
- Busy professionals with limited salon time
What to expect: Tailored to your haircut and style, your colorist paints pieces throughout. The result is dimensional color that blends seamlessly as it grows.
Maintenance: Touch-ups are typically needed every 3-4 months, making this one of the lowest-maintenance color options.
Traditional Highlights: Precise Brightness
Highlights use foils to lighten specific sections of hair in a more uniform pattern than balayage.Â
Best for:
- Clients who want to lighten their hair significantly from their natural color
- Gray coverage that looks natural
- Creating dramatic contrast, brighter dimension or more natural looks
What to expect: Your stylist sections your hair and weaves select pieces in foil with lightener. This method can lift hair color more dramatically than balayage.
Maintenance: Root touch-ups are recommended every 6-8 weeks for optimal results.
Bleach and Tone and Fashion colors
Get the perfect blonde to suit your style. From golden honey to vibrant platinum, your hair can be safely lightened to create a new, all-over solid shade.
From intensely bold and vibrant all over color to washed out pastels, fashion color can help create your dream color. Starting with lightened hair
Best for:
- Uniform blonde color
- No dimension in lightness
- Fun colors
What to expect: Your colorist applies lightener all over form roots to ends. Depending on length there may be multiple steps in the process.
Maintenance: These are very high maintenance services. Touch-ups are typically needed every 3-4 weeks. For fashion color, must be refreshed or glossed frequently to maintain vibrancy.Â
Color Correction: Fixing Existing Color
Color correction addresses unwanted tones, uneven color, or damage from previous coloring. This is specialized work that requires advanced training.
You might need color correction if:
- Your home color turned out wrong
- You unwanted tones (brassy, orange, or green)
- Previous highlights are now too light or dark
- Your color is patchy or uneven
- You want to go from dark to light (or vice versa)
What to expect: Color correction often requires multiple sessions. A skilled colorist assesses your current color, hair condition, and desired result before creating a custom plan. Rushing this process can damage hair.
Timeline: Simple corrections may take one session; complex transformations can require 2-4 appointments spaced weeks apart.
How to Choose What's Right for You
Consider Your Natural Hair Color
If you're naturally dark: Balayage or subtle highlights create dimension without the harsh grow-out line that comes with all-over lightening.
If you're naturally light: You have more flexibility. Highlights can add brightness, while lowlights add depth.
If you have gray hair: Strategic highlights blend gray naturally, making regrowth less noticeable between appointments.
Think About Your Lifestyle
Low maintenance: Balayage, foiliage, or techniques that don't start at the root
Don't mind frequent appointments: Traditional highlights, all-over color, root touch-ups
Active lifestyle: Techniques that look good even when grown out, avoiding harsh lines
Factor in Hair Health
Healthy hair can handle most color services. If your hair is already damaged, compromised, or over-processed, your colorist may recommend:
- Glossing treatments to refresh color without lifting
- Conditioning treatments before coloring
- Spacing out color appointments
- Lower-commitment techniques like balayage
Questions to Ask During Your Consultation
A good colorist wants to understand your goals before mixing color. Come prepared to discuss:
- What are you hoping to achieve? Bring inspiration photos, but understand that your starting point affects what's possible.
- How much time can you commit to maintenance? Be honest about how often you can (or want to) return for touch-ups.
- What's your styling routine like? If you rarely heat-style, your colorist can create a look that works with your natural texture.
- Have you colored your hair before? Previous color affects what's possible now. Always disclose any at-home color, even if it was months ago.
- What's your budget for maintenance? Color is an investment. Understanding the long-term commitment helps you choose techniques within your budget.
Red Flags: When to Seek a Specialist
Some color goals require advanced expertise. If you're attempting any of these, choose a salon with master colorists:
- Going from dark to light or vice versa
- Fixing previous color disasters
- Working with very damaged hair
- Creating vivid fashion colors
- Correcting uneven color from box dye
What to Expect During Your Appointment
Consultation (10-15 minutes): Your colorist examines your hair, discusses your goals, and explains what's realistic.
Color application (1-2 hours): Time varies based on technique and hair length. Balayage and highlights typically take 2-3 hours.
Processing time (20-45 minutes): Color needs time to develop. Your colorist monitors this carefully.
Toning or glossing (optional, 10-20 minutes): Many colorists apply gloss after lightening to perfect the shade.
Styling: Most color services include style.
Cut: Schedule your haircut post coloring service to address and clean up dry or damaged ends.
Making Color Last
Invest in color-safe shampoo and conditioner. Purple shampoo helps maintain cool blonde tones. Deep condition weekly.
Heat Protection: Always use a heat protectant before drying or styling with hot tools.
Sun exposure: UV rays fade color. Wear hats or use UV-protectant hair products.
Where Expertise Matters
Hair color is both art and science. The same technique applied by different colorists yields different results. Experience, training, and understanding of color theory separate adequate color from exceptional color.
For clients throughout the Puget Sound region, Gene Juarez locations feature Goldwell Color Experts who have received specialized training in advanced techniques. Whether you're in Lynnwood near Alderwood, Bellevue, Redmond, Gig Harbor, Seattle, or any of our locations across Western Washington, our colorists stay current with the latest techniques while maintaining the technical foundation that creates consistent, beautiful results.
Ready to Book Your Color Visit?
The best color decisions start with professional consultation. Each of our services begins with a personalized consultation to assesses the condition of your hair, discuss your goals, and creates a realistic plan to achieve the look you want.
New to Gene Juarez? Save $20 on your first service.
📞 Find your nearest location: genejuarez.com/pages/locations
💻 Book online: Select your preferred location and book a visit or call us to find the best time to walk in for a complimentary consultation (425) 373-3700