For those who may not be familiar with hair coloring techniques, let us briefly explain what balayage is before we introduce the holiday week dedicated to it. Balayage is a freehand technique for adding highlights to hair, creating not only a natural gradation of lightness on the hair strands but also a soft glow.

It’s this effect that people seek when they have their hair done in this way. It’s also why so many people observe National Balayage Week—a week that takes place during the week of August 16th and encourages individuals to have their hair highlighted in this manner.

The History of National Balayage Week

This holiday week is a relatively new addition to the calendar. It was created in 2020 by Matrix, a hair color and professional haircare company based in the United States. They use this week to promote their ever-evolving line of hair lighteners and hair care products.

Some Quick Facts About Balayage

Below are some quick facts about balayage that we think people might find interesting.

• Balayage originated in France.
• This technique mimics the effects of the sun on the hair.
• This hair color is easy to maintain.
• Balayage does very little damage to hair strands.
• It doesn’t require the use of foil to achieve the perfect tint.

Observing National Balayage Week

Most people observing this week will probably do so by choosing to have summer highlights added to their hair, either alone or with friends. We just don’t see how this week can be observed in any other way; after all, no one is celebrating it with special events.

Sure, some individuals will post pictures of their hair on social media using the hashtag #NationalBalayageWeek, but most will simply have this technique performed on their hair.