Balayage on Curly Hair with Brian Haire and Matt Beck

Need some tips and tricks on how to balayage curly hair? Maybe you need to scratch up on skills, you're feeling experimental, or, you just want more hair balayage information. We have a written breakdown of tips and we're ready to get you curly confident with balayage's! 

This blog is a tip breakdown from a live show at our YouTube channel free salon education. We regularly update fresh content with the how's and why's of hair. Today were talking curly balayage. Giving you the opportunity to upskill for free! 

Not only that, but we have our very own FSEnow app. This app is a community designed for hair stylists wanting to connect and share, algorithm free! We have regular content and a great supportive hair community! So, let's get down to business... curly hair balayage tips 'n' tricks.

Approach curly hair differently with balayage 

Curly hair balayage needs to be handled differently to other hair textures. Have you ever noticed that when you do your detailed balayage on curly hair, wash off, dry it, and it disappears? This is because the hair kinks and twists differently to straighter types. The kinks can hide the color and should come into consideration when balayaging the hair.

Don’t brush out the curls 

Yep, we know the temptation is real! But we've got to work with this hair. Not against the curl. Curly hair has a curl pattern and even though day to day curls can look different and move there is a way of coloring to try to hit the right areas of the curls. Yes, it can change but there's 'memory in the spring' so it's good to try and hit on that. 

Let the curls lay 

It's worth speaking to your curly haired guests in advance, if they're booked in for a balayage/high-lights, ask them to arrive with their hair down, dried in its natural curl, no hat hair, tied up hair or blow outs. That way you have its true curl form. 

Use a balayage lightener 

Using good product definitely affects the outcome. Here at free salon education, one of Brians favorite lighteners to work with is Skylight by Paul Mitchell. This clay best lightener is perfect for curly hair balayage. Brian also likes his lightener mixed in a thicker paste, to avoid transfer of a runny lightener. We don't want to get in a mess with those springy curls!

Curly hair balayage lightener

The lightener is a no swell product that form a protective shell on the outside, keeping the Lightner moist on the inside. This provides transfer protection from the shell, and lighter lift from the internal moist area. Transfer can happen quite easily with curly hair balayage. The nature of curls means they can get in the lighteners with their twists and kinks, so Brian does recommend extra insurance be using a balayage wrap.

Section curls with care 

Sectioning is a little less precise when it comes to curly hair. This is to avoid disrupting that curl pattern. We section by the curls at the ends and picking them up in the curl form. Brian starts on the underneath and clips the hair on top. He recommends a 1-2 curl deep section. 

Start to balayage the curly hair 

Stretch out the individual curl with good tension, elevation and start sweeping the lightener on. Go in with a nice thick frosting like on a cupcake.  

Keep the look natural by not painting every curl. Brian likes to add a pop of lightener on the curl that sits behind the ear, this will pop through around the neck. You want a thick application so you can't see through the product. With an application of less high-lights, Brian goes thick because he definitely wants to see the lift. Brian also mentions you can be a bit thicker with the stripes because curls diffuse balayage paints.

Balayaging curls 

Balayaging curls can be very visual so step back, look at the hair and visualize where the lightener lands. Brian has done a balayage 101 class that talks about saturation and lift. Available here. After the hair has been lightened, and left to dry the curls add more effects as they separate and curl. 

FSE digital hair cutting system sale

There's alot of terminology and how and why's in hair cutting. Matt has created a virtual cutting class. This class contains 8 step by step cuts, terminology, a pdf book, head sheets and a certificate at the end. We're offering a holiday sale of $29.99!

Drying the curls. 

A little tip Brian adds is lifting the hair away from the head when wet. After the hair has been washed off, you want to encourage curl at root. Hang the head side to side and forwards with a scrunch to encourage root curl. A lot of guests' think their hair is not curly because the water pulls the hair flat and it only curls on the ends. So we need to educate!

Here we have Brians finished result – Hope you like it!