My color instructor told me to stop using foils for balayage

Back in beauty school my instructor said foils were outdated for balayage and to use plastic wrap instead. I ignored her because every YouTube video I watched used foils. After 8 months of clients complaining about patchy highlights and uneven blending, I finally tried the plastic wrap method. She was right. The wrap lets the color breathe and keeps it from bleeding into sections. It cost me maybe $15 for a roll that lasts forever. Has anyone else had a teacher give advice that seemed wrong but turned out to be the real deal?

3 comments

3 Comments

terryr461mo ago

I mean that's a good point about trusting what's been tested over time, but just to be fair, conventional oil isn't exactly the same as low heat balayage wrapping. Plastic wrap and foils both have their place depending on the look you're going for, you know?

spencer_sanchez671mo ago

Balayage wrapping uses way lower heat than conventional oil changes though, that's comparing two completely different things. Plastic wrap is better for soft root blends while foils give you more precision for highlights, they're not really interchangeable depending on what you're doing.

the_thomas1mo ago

Seems like there's this thing in every trade where the old school way gets forgotten because people want to look modern. I see it all the time with customers who think the newest synthetic oil is a miracle cure when really their engine just needs a good conventional oil change on schedule. People get convinced that new and flashy means better, but sometimes the simple stuff works fine because it's been tested for decades. Your instructor probably learned from someone who learned from someone who actually made money doing it right, not just following YouTube. It's like how I still use a breaker bar on stuck bolts instead of an impact gun because it gives me more feel for what's going on. Sometimes the boring answer is the right one.