Alaska Hairdresser and Barber Certification Practice Exam

What technique would likely be used to achieve a natural look with highlights?

1. Foiling

2. Balayage

3. Ombre

4. All-over color

The correct answer is: Balayage

Balayage is a technique that is particularly effective for creating a natural look with highlights. This method involves hand-painting the hair in a way that allows for a soft and seamless transition of color. The stylist typically applies the lighter color in a sweeping motion, focusing more on the mid-lengths and tips of the hair while leaving the roots darker. This approach results in an effortlessly sun-kissed style, which mimics the natural variations in hair color that occur with sun exposure. The beauty of balayage lies in its ability to provide depth and dimension without an obvious line of demarcation, contributing to a more organic and lived-in appearance. As a result, it requires less maintenance than some other highlighting techniques, since the grow-out phase can be more gradual and less noticeable. Other techniques, while effective in their own right, do not achieve the same natural effect. For example, foiling involves using foil sheets to separate and tightly wrap sections of hair that are dyed lighter, creating more defined highlights with sharper contrasts. Ombre typically features a gradient from dark roots to light ends, which, while stylish, may not provide the subtlety associated with a natural look. All-over color does not focus on highlights but rather saturates the hair