How to Foilyage highlight hair
Check out this video from our YouTube channel free salon education. Brian Haire explains how to foilyage highlight hair and why this hair lightening technique is useful.
This look is great for those guests that love melty sun kissed highlights. This technique uses finer sections, keeping it really gentle. Using foil helps get a cleaner bright level of lift as the lightener is incubated in a metal foil and keeps the product moist. It's a great technique for predictability and precision placement.
Choose a good lightener
Brian chooses to work with syncrolift+ and 20vol developer. This is for a predictable foilyage. He loves the way the lightener indicates its mixed by the top sheen the mixed product makes.
The overall look is being created on a shag hair cut that has no color history. Brian is working on creating a face framing structure for a good understanding of the placement. He is utilizing two different foiling techniques. One using a tease, and one using our classic weaving technique. These are not painted the way we classically paint highlights so hold on for more information.
Start the foilyage with a tease
We start on one side of the hair using a backcomb/teasy technique. We are alternating the two techniques as we foil to get some roots lightened and some mid-ends lifted.
For the teasy foils, we take a fine section and weave with our classic pin tail comb – thick sections can be too wide to tease and blend, creating lines. Once weaved we loosely pinch the ends and tease mid-root gathering teased hair at the base. Build up can tease unevenly. So, look at it, the more tease the lower the lightener will appear. Brian likes higher lightener near the hairline so he teases the opposite side a little more.
Painting your teased foilyage highlights
There's two techniques Brian demonstrates you can use to create a nice rooty blend on the foilyage.
Technique one is recommended if you have hard bristle brushes to paint with. You twist the brush to paint vertically and paint out in a vertical motion. This technique is familiar in balayage. Technique two is for use with a soft bristle brush. With a little product, swipe backwards for a swift soft flick in an upwards motion. We are utilizing the ''swipe technique''. Also, all teasy foils are lightened below the tease.
TIP- elevation needs to be higher when teasing. This creates space to tease and also space to place the foil, making it easier to do.
Alternate the foilyage highlight techniques
The next section Brian is using a highlighting comb. This separates the hair into fine strands to make the foilyage quicker and consistent.
The foil is placed into the root like a classic highlight. Brian decides to paint the foil differently to a classic highlight and blend with intention. The mid-ends are thoroughly painted but at the root he paints a diagonal back in a vertical technique. This keeps lightness higher around the face. This gives a natural sun kissed look around the face with the foilyage.
Change the angle of the Foilyage highlights
Near the fringe area, we need to be aware of the how's and why's of the foilyage placement. We can go stronger money piece or more organic.
Brian changes the angle of the highlight as he works towards the fringe/parting area. He wants to foil the fringe in a different direction for diffusion. He is pivoting the foil so when he gets to the part area to foil the foil placement has gradually changed and transitioned towards the part, giving a more natural overall look.
Repeat these steps on the opposite side and then foilyage the part.
Once we have reached the part section, the foils are horizontal to the hairline. This will help diffuse the look and avoid blockyness.
On awkward layered areas of the hair, Brian likes to still tease the look. He pulls the hair in directions he can still tease it to give flow throughout the look. He is also still alternating up top, ensuring that roots receive a highlight too. This gives a flow from root to end and an all-over natural look. Follow Brian on Instagram @hairestyle and download the FSEnow app to keep up-to-date!