What is Airtouch? The incredible technique for natural-looking colour
Get beautifully blended colour with the help of a hairdryer.
Balayage is often seen as the gold standard for seamless colour, and while we love the freehand dye technique at Paul Edmonds London, we’re also big fans of Airtouch, an innovative method that uses the flow of air from a hairdryer to enable smart colour placement and reduce damage.
“Airtouch is a great option for colourists, because we're able to achieve results that we may not be able to achieve with highlights or a freehand technique in the terms of lift,” says creative director Joe Savine. “We can personalise it to be really natural and actually more seamless than highlights in some cases.”
Wondering if it’s right for you? Here, our colourists explain everything you need to know about Airtouch and why it’s ideal for creating naturalised colour looks…
WHAT IS AIRTOUCH?
The Airtouch colour method uses a hairdryer to separate the shortest hair on the head from the strands that are to be coloured.
“First, you section the hair, then you hold a lot of tension on the end of the hair and use the hairdryer to blow out the shorter hairs from underneath,” explains colour technician Sonia Surani. “Then all you're painting is the longest and the strongest hairs on the head, so you get a really nice blend of colour.” Shorter hairs may be weaker if they’re caused by breakage, or it could be that the “hairs that are shorter underneath are just not at their full growth stage yet,” Sonia says.
Similar to highlights, Airtouch always uses foils to develop the colour, but it differs because the colour doesn’t go all the way up to the root. “You're getting a balayage root effect, but through the ends you're getting a highlighted hair effect, so it's kind of a combo of both.”
Because Airtouch creates a soft demarcation rather than a strong line, it grows out naturally and doesn’t need to be redone frequently. “You can go for a good two or two and a half months before toning your hair,” Sonia says. “And you can go up to about three or four months before actually having to put any more bleach or lightener into your hair, which is a lot longer than your traditional highlights.”
WHAT KIND OF LOOKS DOES AIRTOUCH SUIT?
The beauty of Airtouch is that it can be used for virtually any shade, as long as the client wants a seamless transition from the root to the lengths of the hair.
“Airtouch fits into the Paul Edmonds aesthetic because it’s effortless, beautiful hair,” Joe says. “We wouldn’t do solid colours with it or overly heavy application.” He has used “the whole spectrum” of colour “from brunette to bronde to blonde. It's really good for a natural, sunkissed brunette look without having any red or orange undertones.”
Sonia loves how she can personalise each client’s look. “If someone wants a full head of blonde highlights, but they don't want it right from the root, we can use Airtouch. It looks more blended and airy without looking stripey.” She particularly likes how it looks on wavy or curly hair and says the only type of hair Airtouch wouldn’t work on is very short hair, because “there's not enough hair to get the tension on.”
As always, our colourists will take into consideration the same factors as they would with highlights and balayage when recommending shades. “That would be eyebrow colour, eye colour, and skin tone, and then you would decide what kind of tone you're going for and how much you need to lift the hair,” Sonia explains.
Hair must also be strong enough for the colouring process, Joe says, although Airtouch isn’t as harsh as some other techniques because “when the hair is going in a foil, you can be a little bit more precise with the lifting.” If hair is too weak to be coloured, he will usually recommend a treatment plan. “I suggest alternating between a Collagen Infusion Treatment and an Ulitmate Protein Repair, so alternating between moisture and protein to rebuild and strengthen the hair.”
HOW SHOULD YOU MAINTAIN AN AIRTOUCH COLOUR LOOK?
While the Airtouch method creates brilliantly long-lasting colour in terms of root regrowth, to keep the lengths looking fresh it’s best to have a top-up appointment in between your colour services.
“After around six to eight weeks we recommend coming in for a glaze, which will refresh the tone on the ends or through the roots if needs be,” Sonia says. “That allows the colour to last for another month and a half or even two months.”
Our colourists will always use a bond-building treatment, either Olaplex or Innoluxe, mixed in with the dye, and Sonia recommends following up with a Redken SAM treatment. “It's a mix of protein and moisture, which is what you lose when you're using bleach. Because it’s in the foil, the hair can sometimes be slightly drier after, so we want to add the moisture back in.”
As for at-home products, she says, “Shampoo-wise I recommend the Shu Uemura Color Lustre range because it helps to stop the fading of the toners.” Sonia also warns against using clarifying shampoo on coloured hair. “A lot of clients feel like it's really good for them because it makes their hair less greasy, but if they’re using it too much it actually does the opposite.”
After blow drying, finish with a smoothing serum to lock in the colour. “However you've styled your hair, use a light serum through the ends or Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Overnight Hair Serum which is really nice.”
The magic touch
Airtouch is a fantastic technique for creating chic, seamless colour that’s easily customisable, from the brightest blondes to the darkest brunettes.
With subtle regrowth and minimal damage, Airtouch is ideal if you want long-lasting colour and a natural finish.
Want to experience Airtouch yourself? Book a colour consultation at Paul Edmonds London.
