The quickest way to spot extensions is a colour that doesn't quite match. A line where your own hair stops and the extensions start, or ends that are a shade too warm or too flat. The good news is that it's completely avoidable.
Balayage and extensions work beautifully together. Done in the right order, by people who talk to each other, your own hair and your extensions look like one. This is how we do it at our Walton Street salon in Chelsea, and how to keep the colour looking fresh at home.
Can you have balayage with hair extensions?
Yes. In fact, balayage is one of the easiest colours to match with extensions. Because it's soft and graduated, with lighter pieces running through darker ones, it hides the point where your own hair and the extensions meet. Many of the results in our before and after gallery combine a half head or full head balayage with tapes or bonds.
The thing to get right is the order you do it in.
Colour first, then extensions
If you're planning a balayage, highlights or a toner, have it done at the same visit as your extensions, or just before. That way we match your extensions to your new colour, not the old one.
If you have extensions fitted first and change your colour later, the extension shade you chose may no longer match. You'd then be looking at toning the extensions or swapping hair, which is more time and more cost than doing it in the right order from the start.
Why multi-tonal extension hair matters
Natural hair is never one flat shade, and balayage even less so. A single-colour extension next to dimensional hair looks solid and heavy.
All of our extension shades are multi-tonal, with lighter and darker strands running through them, so they blend into real hair. Where your colour has a lot of dimension, we mix two or even three shades. Our tape-in hair comes in 16 shades, named after London places like Dover, Portobello, Belgravia and Notting Hill, which gives us plenty to work with.
Why one salon is better than two
At Walton Street our colourists and extension specialists work side by side. Your colourist knows exactly which extension shades we have, and can tailor your balayage so it sits well with them. Your extension specialist can then see your finished colour in the same light, on the same day.
When colour and extensions happen in different salons, each person is guessing what the other will do. That's usually where mismatches come from.
As a guide, half head highlights or balayage at our salon is £290, full head highlights or balayage is £350, and a toner is £85. You'll find everything on our prices page.
Matching clip-ins to balayage
Clip-ins follow the same rule. Match your mid-lengths and ends, not your roots, because that's where the clip-ins sit. Check your hair in daylight, by a window, rather than under bathroom lights.
Balayage often sits between two of our shades, so mixing works especially well. These are pairings we use in the salon every day:
- Belgravia + Dover + Portobello for bright, lived-in blonde
- Portobello + Notting Hill + Dover for soft beige blonde
- Eaton + Dover for honey brunette with lightness through it
- Knightsbridge + Marylebone + Soho for deep, glossy brunette
The Volume Edit (18 inch, £110) is ideal for adding fullness through a balayage, and you can mix two sets for the most natural dimension. The Full Edit (22 inch, £290) adds length as well as volume. If you're not sure of your shade, text the salon a photo of your hair in daylight on 07752 143 822 and one of our stylists will tell you which shades to choose.
Can extensions be coloured?
Our extensions are 100% human hair, so they can be toned to fine-tune a match. We'd always rather match the shade properly from the start, though. Repeated colouring dries out any hair, and extension hair can't repair itself the way your own hair grows out.
If you want to change your colour while wearing extensions, talk to us first. We'll tell you honestly whether it's better to tone the extension hair or match a new shade at your next refit.
Keeping the colour looking fresh
Balayage and extension hair both fade with harsh shampoos, heat and sun. A few habits make a real difference.
- Use sulphate-free haircare. Sulphates strip colour as well as moisture. Our Extensions Shampoo and Extensions Conditioner are free from sulphates, silicones and alcohols, and made for extensions and your natural hair.
- Protect before heat and sun. The Extensions Extender protects against heat, styling and UVA. Use it before you blow dry and before a day outside.
- Keep your toner appointments. A toner every so often keeps blonde balayage bright and stops brassiness creeping in.
- Brush gently. A soft brush made for extensions, like our Universal Hair Brush, avoids roughing up the cuticle, which makes colour look dull.
For the full washing routine, read our guide to the best shampoo for hair extensions.
Shop the routine
- The Complete Kit: Shampoo, Conditioner and Extender, £90
- The Complete Kit + Brush, £120
- The Volume Edit clip-ins, £110
- The Full Edit clip-ins, £290
Your questions
Should I get balayage before or after extensions?
Before, or at the same appointment. That way your extensions are matched to your new colour.
Can you balayage hair extensions?
Extension hair can be toned to fine-tune a match, but we'd rather choose the right multi-tonal shade from the start. Repeated colouring shortens the life of any hair.
How do you match extensions to balayage?
We match to your mid-lengths and ends, often mixing two or three of our multi-tonal shades so the extensions carry the same dimension as your colour.
Will my extensions fade?
All hair fades over time with sun, heat and harsh products. Sulphate-free haircare and heat and UV protection help keep the colour fresh for longer.
Which clip-in shade should I choose for balayage?
Look at your hair in daylight and match your ends. Balayage often sits between two shades, so mixing two Volume Edit sets usually gives the most natural result.
Find your perfect match
Shop our clip-in extensions and extensions haircare online, with free UK delivery on orders over £50.
For colour and extensions together, book a free consultation at our Walton Street salon in Chelsea. We'll look at your colour in person and plan the match with you.
