What are the Different Types of Hair Highlights?

At Belt Salon, we pride ourselves on offering our clients a range of hair highlighting options to suit their unique preferences and styles. Whether you're looking for a subtle touch of dimension or a bold statement look, our skilled stylists can help you achieve the perfect hair color.

So, what are the different types of hair highlights? Let's dive into some of the most popular highlighting techniques we offer at Belt Salon.

Balayage Highlights

Balayage is a French hand-painting technique where color is swept onto the hair surface in freeform strokes, creating a graduated, natural-looking effect with no visible grow-out lines. Processing time is typically 45 to 90 minutes. Balayage requires less maintenance than foil highlights — most clients return every 12 to 16 weeks — making it the most popular highlighting method at Belt Salon.

Foil Highlights

Foil highlights (also called traditional highlights) use aluminum foil to separate and process individual hair sections, producing brighter, more uniform results than balayage. Foils lift more consistently because they trap heat and isolate the lightener. Full foils take 90 to 120 minutes; partial foils take 60 to 90 minutes. Touch-ups are needed every 6 to 8 weeks as regrowth becomes visible.

We recommend using Aveda Color Control Shampoo to maintain your highlights.

Babylights

Babylights are ultra-fine, delicate highlights that mimic the natural sun-kissed dimension found in children's hair. The technique uses very thin foil sections — sometimes as fine as 1/16 inch — creating subtle, blended brightness without obvious streaks. Babylights work especially well on fine or thin hair and pair beautifully with balayage for added depth.

Ombre Highlights

Ombre is a gradient technique where hair transitions from darker roots to lighter ends with a noticeable contrast line in the middle. Unlike balayage, ombre creates a dramatic, two-toned effect. The technique requires minimal maintenance since the dark root area grows out naturally, with most clients returning every 12 to 20 weeks.

Sombre Highlights

Sombre (soft ombre) delivers the same root-to-tip gradient as ombre but with a much subtler, more blended transition. The contrast between dark and light is less dramatic — typically two to three shades rather than five or more. Sombre is ideal for clients wanting low-maintenance dimensional color without the boldness of traditional ombre.

Chunky Highlights

Chunky highlights use wider, bolder sections of contrasting color for a retro, high-contrast look that's cycled back into trend since 2023. Unlike fine highlights, chunky pieces are intentionally visible and graphic. This technique works best on medium to thick hair and can incorporate multiple tones for a modern, editorial effect.

Money Piece Highlights

Money piece highlights are face-framing sections of lighter color placed on the front two pieces of hair flanking the part line. Named because they give a 'money' effect with minimal commitment, money pieces brighten the face instantly and take only 20 to 30 minutes to apply. They pair well with any other highlighting technique for added impact.

This is our favorite shampoo for thinning hair.

In conclusion, at Belt Salon, we offer a range of hair highlighting techniques to suit our client's unique preferences and styles. From subtle, natural-looking highlights to bolder, more dramatic styles, our team of skilled stylists can help you achieve the perfect hair color. Book an appointment with us today, and let us help you achieve your dream hair.