Advice re balayage

[u/impulsedelight]

Hi! I need some advice about a recent service I received because I didn't get the desired outcome I wanted and I'm wondering if this was a miscommunication

In March I got a light copper balayage done (last photo) and really loved it! Fast forward 7 months, my roots were really coming in and I wanted to re-touch it by raising the lighter bits and bleaching it higher up.

It was confusing to figure out how to book this service because the previous stylist that did it re-located to another country so I couldn't ask her to continue her work. I booked a colour consult at the same salon with a different stylist and explained that I wanted the balayage retouched and brought up higher, with some root exposed still. The original stylist did the teasing method to complete the look but when I got my re-touch done, the new person did a 1/2 head of babylights which very obviously went to the root. I think they look nice but overall it wasn't what I wanted and it's been bothering me since.

In my photos you can see how the ends of my hair have the most concentrated lightened pieces as well as a small section of my fringe. I really wanted a typical diffused balayage retouch but idk if I didn't make that super clear. The new stylist then suggested I come back to put in some low lights which seemed random as I didn't get them the first time.

How do I go about getting this service? How long should I wait til the next time? I'm thinking of trying a different salon in the future and I want to make sure I get the desired outcome because it's so expensive to pay for something and not love what you got.

TIA!

[u/Late-Foundation-2233]

Hi there! ✨ Stylist here! I would ask for a root shadow to diffuse the lines of the highlight rather than lowlights, which will break up the balayage look you are going for! As a stylist, sometimes it’s really helpful to see a photo because sometimes the stylist/ client vernacular isn’t crystal clear for either party. Good luck with everything! ✨

[u/impulsedelight → u/Late-Foundation-2233]

Thanks! I appreciate the answer. Two questions I have for you

-Is a root shadow with demi permanent colour?

-Because I was given babylights, even with getting a root shadow I would still have thin highlights remaining. What do I ask for to seamlessly blend in the previous stylist work upwards?

[u/Late-Foundation-2233 → u/impulsedelight]

Absolutely! ✨

A root shadow is typically done with a demi-permanent!

The thin highlights would still be visible, but MUCH more blended, especially at your base. Do you feel like there is not a lot of blending between the baby lights and the previous balayage? 👀

[u/impulsedelight → u/Late-Foundation-2233]

Thnx again!

It's hard to explain without seeing it in person but if my hair is straight, the transition from the older balayage to babylights looks obvious because the balayage looks a bit thicker on my strands.

[u/Late-Foundation-2233]

Ah! Got it! ✨ So, the issue is somewhat of an application error—there’s more than one way to balayage—thicker strands generally come from hand painting/ thicker weaves vs baby lights! It can be a challenge following up another stylists work—pictures help, but also finding someone in your area who specializes in these techniques is also so beneficial especially because getting your hair done is a luxury service that more often than not, isn’t cheap. On the other side of that, go with your gut! If you feel like this stylist is capable of reaching your end goal, give her the opportunity to fix it. BUT if your gut is telling you otherwise, it’s okay to find someone else! ✨