Full vs Partial Balayage: What’s the Difference and Which Is Best for You?

Balayage is a popular hair color technique that not only gives your hair a beautifully blended, sun-kissed glow. It also grows out naturally, making balayage an incredibly low-maintenance, go-to hairstyle.

If you’ve been searching for the perfect balayage look, you can opt between a full or partial balayage. But what’s the difference, and which one is right for you? A full balayage lightens majority of your hair through the mid-lengths and ends, while a partial balayage is placed on specific sections on your head for a softer look.

Let’s explore both options, with hair care and product tips to keep your balayage looking and feeling fresh.

What Is a Full Balayage?

A full balayage is the go-big version of the trend. Your colorist will use a free-hand technique to paint lightener across all your strands, through mid-lengths and ends, giving you brightness all over and a seamless blend.

Full balayage is perfect if you:

• Want a noticeable, all-around lighter look.
• Love a beach-blonde or high-contrast style.
• Want a total hair transformation.

When having a balayage service at your nearest Wella salon, colorists often reach for BlondorPlex to create healthy-looking brightness that also keeps the hair strong. For extra shine after lightening, a glossing treatment will help to refine your tone for that salon-fresh glow.

How Often Should You Get a Full Balayage?

A full balayage is designed to grow out gradually, which means you won’t need a refresh as often as traditional highlights. We recommend scheduling a full balayage every 3 to 6 months, depending on your hair goals and how blonde your highlighted pieces are.

If you choose a high-contrast blonde balayage, a toning or gloss service every 4-6 weeks is great to maintain your shade and shine. This depends on how often you wash your hair, if you use heat and UV protection and also, your hair’s condition. However, you can stretch your appointments a little longer if you’ve gone for softer, natural blends.

Balayage can leave your hair feeling a little drier than usual between appointments, keep that silky shine and combat frizz with our ULTIMATE SMOOTH Intense Mask followed by the Miracle Oil Serum to deeply nourish your hair from the inside out.

Even when your balayage still looks great, regular glossing and deep treatments will help to maintain the health, shine and smoothness of your lightened hair.

What Is a Partial Balayage?

A partial balayage only adds brightness to the top and front sections of your hair. This style is more of a gentle refresh that keeps your natural color shining through while also having lighter pieces that catch the light.

It’s the ideal choice if you:

• Want a low-maintenance color update.
• Prefer a subtle and sun-touched finish.
• Already have lightened hair but want to refresh it.

Partial balayage is all about natural-looking highlights, so your stylists may use Wella Blondor Freelights. This is a freehand lightener that’s perfect for precise and soft placement. Keep your hair feeling silky and strong at home with the Fusion Intense Repair Mask.

How Often Should You Get a Partial Balayage?

With a partial balayage, most people can wait between 4 and 6 months before getting a refresh.

However, if you prefer to keep your highlights bright with a fresh tone, you can book a toning or glossing service every 4-6 weeks. This will help to neutralize any brassiness and keep your color looking freshly blended.


As with the full balayage, maintain your color with the ColorMotion+ range of shampoo, conditioner and a structure mask that keeps color vibrant and hair strong. Want to touch up color? Use our Color Fresh Masks for a zero damage, temporary color that helps to maintain or transform your color at home.

How to Decide Between Full and Partial Balayage

If you’re unsure whether to choose a full or partial balayage, a few factors can help you decide. The best option for you depends on how bright you want your hair to be, how much time you have to maintain your hair and your natural hair color.

1. Think About How Much Brightness You Want

If you’d like a dramatic transformation and want your overall color to appear much lighter and brighter, a full balayage is the way to go. A full balayage brightens all sections of your hair for a sunlit and more radiant effect. If you’d prefer a softer look that enhances your natural tone, then a partial balayage offers the right number of lighter pieces around your face and crown.

2. Consider How Often You Want to Visit the Salon

A partial balayage is a great choice if you prefer more of a low-maintenance routine. It focuses on the top layers and face-framing pieces, as well as growing out more seamlessly with fewer salon visits. If you don’t mind regular upkeep and prefer a consistently bright and polished look, then a full balayage may be worth the extra maintenance.

3. Look at Your Natural Base Color

Your starting shade influences whether a full or partial balayage suits you best. If you have darker hair, a full balayage gives you a noticeable contrast and depth while also keeping some of your natural, rich color. If your hair is lighter, a partial balayage can enhance your tone in a subtle way without changing your overall color too dramatically.

Still unsure?

Ask your Wella colorist for a personalized consultation. They can help you to choose tones and placements that suit your skin tone, lifestyle and hair goals — whether you want a golden or cool-toned finish.

Both full and partial balayage create that effortless, sunlit effect that everyone loves. The difference is in how much brightness you want and how much time you’d like to spend maintaining it.

Full vs Partial Balayage FAQs

What’s the main difference between balayage and highlights?

Balayage and highlights both involve lightening the hair. However, balayage is painted freehand, creating a soft finish without harsh lines. Meanwhile, traditional highlights use foils for precise and uniform brightness.

Is balayage suitable for all hair types and colors?

Yes, balayage works on all hair types from straight to coily. It can also be customized for any base color; whether you’re brunette or red-haired, your Wella colorist can tailor the tone and placement to complement you and your preference.

Does a partial balayage damage hair less than a full balayage?

Both styles are gentle when performed by a professional using bond-protecting products such as Wella BlondorPlex. Although partial balayage lightens fewer sections, which can mean less processing overall, proper aftercare is what truly keeps your hair healthy.

For more color and hair care inspiration, check out our blog. Want to know more about your locks? Take our hair quiz for an expert consultation.