All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors.

However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through links in this article.

There are several techniques a colorist might employ when they’re dyeing your hair.

woman looking up with natural blond hair cut in a lob

Getty Images

finely-woven highlights placed throughout the hair, can make a huge difference in your color’s overall vibrancy.

They are brilliant yet subtle; you may even mistake them for really good natural hair color.

Another thing: babylights are versatile since they can be applied to pretty much every hair color and length.

Side view of woman with brown babylights hair color.

Courtesy Mark Ryan Salon

Let’s get into it.

Meet The Experts:

What are babylights?

How are babylights different from highlights, lowlights, or balayage?

Back view of a woman with blonde hair and lighter blonde babylights woven through. Her hair reaches the middle of her back

Mark Ryan Salon/Instagram

“Babylights and balayage are both highlights,” explains Ess.

“They’re just two different techniques of highlighting.

Babylights use foils, whereas balayage is painted on and processed in open air or under plastic.”

Angle view of woman with long brunette hair with brown babylights. Her hair is covering her face and she’s standing…

Maxine Salon/Instagram

Babylights typically aren’t added to the hair to create visual contrast.

Instead, they illuminate the overall background color.

Because the highlights are so delicately woven and placed closely together, the all-over color appears lighter.

woman with brown hair with lighter blonde babylights. Her hair is straight with a bend in the middle. She’s wearing a…

Mark Ryan Salon/Instagram

Lowlights, on the other hand, are the opposite of highlights.

Instead of lightening, they make strands darker to add depth and dimension.

Who are babylights best for?

Thicker and coarser hair requires more of a heavier highlight to be visible."

As an added bonus, babylights usually create less damage than other dye techniques.

“Because the thinner a section you have inside of a foil, the quicker it will process.

How much do babylights cost?

Babylights are a precision technique that involves a delicate program to maintain the integrity of the hair.

How to maintain your babylights

The good news is babylights don’t take much effort to maintain.

“They can grow out a bit more seamlessly than an average or chunkier highlight,” says Ess.

It’s really a personal preference,” she says.

Ultimately, how long the color will last depends on the babylights and the rest of the hair.

“Higher contrast will require more maintenance,” says Valdes.

In between salon appointments, Hazan recommends usingshampoo and conditioner for color-treated hairto keep your babylights looking fresh.

Also, using ahair glossmakes a huge difference in helping maintain the color.

Like anything, babylights have their pros and cons.

More hair-color stories to check out:

Check out Patrick Starrr’s makeup room: