by Kaleena StroudUpdated March 2018 Do you often wonder what the difference between the scanner and the shadow is? Both are among the hottest hair trends for everyday women and celebrities alike; a gradual color transition from dark to light scanning and shadowing gives us low-maintenance living-in color. If you know you want highlights, but you don’t know what to ask in the salon, knowing the difference between scanning and shadowing is important. Hang tight and we can give you a peek into the world of these two best techniques so you can see the look that suits you best and perhaps just get it yourself!
What Is Balayage
Balayage is a French word for painting or sweeping. It offers from root to end a gentle sun-kissed sweeping hue. It is technically a technique of highlighting, but should not be confused with the past’s foiled highlights. Gone are the days of sitting under the heat in the living room with a pound of foils in your hair to be blonde. The traditional foiled highlights have now been taken over by balayage as the new way to brighten and lighten your hair. Balayage involves the hair colorist painting from the roots soft pieces of color that gradually become saturated towards the end. Because the highlights at the root are much lighter, the lines of regrowth are less visible, making it the perfect choice for those who want the look every two or four weeks without sustaining it. 
What the process looks like You’ll want to bring inspiration pictures for your perfect hair look as each stylist can freely highlight your hair heavily or not. If you like the lived-in color, you can ask for a rooty look, which means they start the highlights a couple of inches down from your root. Alternatively, for a fresher atmosphere, the hair stylist can place the highlights further to the base or directly at the root. No foil or mushroom is used. The best way to differentiate it from the shadow? It’s a look that is illuminated. Perfect for those without the harsh lines who want customized highlights. It is also perfect for brunettes who want a blonde that looks natural. 
What is Ombre Hair
Ombre means shadow or shadow. Ombre is a technique of hair painting in which the colorist keeps the hair from the roots to the midshaft darker and then from the midshaft to the ends. Ombre was probably the trend you first heard of and could be regarded as the O.G. Technique of hand painting. It is the perfect way to transition brunettes into blonde or bold women to rock a vibrant hair color without saturating their roots and possibly overpowering their skin complexion. Ombre doesn’t have foils and it’s a great look for low maintenance. 
The process involves painting on the color from dark roots to saturated light ends. The hair stylist can paint on roots at the base that match your natural hair color if hair is already colored or highlighted. Bringing a picture of your perfect tip color is a good idea so that your hair stylist can work the color from mid-shaft to the ends slowly. The best way to distinguish it from the balayage? It’s a gradual, solid look. Perfect for those who want blonde hair that is super saturated but without the high maintenance. Rocking this trend in a softer way by allowing the roots to remain a natural color is also very popular among those with crazier colored hair (such as green purple or silver). 
Balayage vs Ombre
Two low-key looks from dark to light are easy to confuse. You might even think the same thing is the shadow and the balayage? By comparing them side by side, there are subtle but important distinctions. Ombre was the first technique to take over the looks of the A-lister and lead the way to have a place at the table for other painting techniques such as balayage. Ombre pushed us in a more imaginative and modern direction from foils. Nevertheless, balayage quickly became famous and left ombre in the dust due to its more organic, lived-in and sun-kissed appearance. Because the hair stylist can choose where the scanning technique will make the face more accurately as the colorist positions highlights where the sun will normally reach.
Other Look In Techniques
If shadow and scanning were not enough to make your head spin, there are even more common trends to understand. Here are some examples. Sombre Born in the way it moves from dark to light, those who thought shadow was too harsh. Meaning soft shadow it offers subtle shadow hair that changes from root to end but still offers the touch of the color look lived-in to take any hair color from dull to inspiring. Sombre rings still popular with the pattern of gray / silver hair. 
Flamboyage Approximately the same technique as balayage flamboyage adds even lighter ends to the mix, making it essentially a mixture of scanning and shade. Highlights for a super subtle look are the new alternative. Babylights 
Very fine subtle highlights. Ideal for fine hair, these basic highlights require foils such as typical highlights, but they are not as startling and harsh. 
Time to Transition into One or the Other
Because both shadow and scanning have become so demanded over the past six years and counting (and seemingly only increasing in popularity) just about any hair salon you enter can give you a look. And if you’re still unsure how to teeter, ask your hairstylist to go over which technique meets your ideal hair goals best. Simply select a photo inspo and voila from your favorite look! Low-maintenance color that adds to your lovely locks depth and brilliance. What else can the woman of modern times ask? Featured Image Through Instagram Related Post Honey Balayage Pictures That Really Inspire Try Highlights On-Trend Brown to Blonde Balayage Looks That Will Make You Jealous The Fullest Guide to Balayage Hair Must-Try Subtle Balayage Hair Natural-Looking Brunette Balayage Jaw-Dropping Partial Balayage Hair Cuts and Styles Stay Connected Get inspiration from hair style. No matter what your hair type is, we will help you find the best hairstyles The Best Hairstyles © Copyright 2019 Menu HomeAgeOlder Women