Is Air Touch the revolutionary way forward?

Is Air Touch the revolutionary way forward?

You would be forgiven for wondering what Air Touch means in the world of hairdressing! There are so many options to choose from depending on what your desired outcome is – whether that’s balayage, highlights, ombre, etc. And when you add Air Touch to the equation, it can become totally overwhelming. But this relatively new, up-and-coming technique may be the way forward when it comes to creating an ultra-seamless blend of colour with maximized comfort for the customer.

It is the most modern method of applying colour to the hair and stands as a separate category on its own. However, it’s neither traditional highlights, nor balayage! The name itself hints at the type of technique it utilises, but as a visual effect it sits right between full hair bleach and ombre. Nonetheless, the end result is a beautiful, flawless transition of colour, with hair that looks and feels healthy due to the non-damaging nature of the procedure.

What is Air Touch?

This new, exciting technique uses directed air instead of traditional teasing/backcombing to strategically separate sections of the hair for highlighting. The short layers of the hair are blown out and separated from the longer layers, enabling greater precision in colour application.

The method was invented in the early 2000’s by a renowned hairdresser in Russia called Vladimir Sarabashev. Due to a popular demand in customers wanting to have gradient colours from dark to light, he set himself a goal of finding a way to achieve these transitions in the most technical, seamless way. So, he simply replaced the teasing of the hair with air from the hair dryer to separate the different layers.

This meant that colour could be applied closer to the scalp and thus aided in customer comfort. (Teased sections are difficult, painful and time consuming to take out!)

Benefits of Air Touch – Natural looking results

The consistent, smooth blend of colour creates a highly natural look and mimics the lightening effect you would get from the sun. The final outcome looks soft, subtle and dimensional – leaving your hair picture perfect!

Less damage to the hair

The revolutionary method of blowing the hair layers out aids in the precise, uniform application of colour with each consecutive visit to the hairdressers. Essentially, this prevents damage as it diminishes overlap of colour or bleach, meaning that there won’t be any sections of the hair that receive a double dose of dye chemicals.

This vastly reduces the risk of chemical damage and subsequent breakage, so it’s ideal for customers with finer and more fragile hair.

Customised approach to highlighting

The natural condition, growth pattern and history of the hair are considered and evaluated at the consultation stage to determine exactly how the technique will be executed to craft the desired look. Multiple colour shades can be blended to create a multidimensional effect, so the Air Touch is not just limited to natural sun-kissed highlights (although this is the most popular and preferred style). Creative, bold shades can be intertwined strategically to produce dynamic, colourful looks.

Challenges

Although a worthwhile and rewarding procedure, the Air Touch technique does have some drawbacks associated with time and budget restraints.

The process usually takes longer than traditional highlights as it involves more technical, precise work. Depending on the amount and length of hair incorporated for highlighting, the total combined time of application and processing can take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours. If there are more complexities involved – even longer. The stylist will normally discuss this with you at the consultation stage and provide an approximate time frame so you can organise your day accordingly.

Additionally, as the technique is quite comprehensive and advanced, it usually costs a fair bit more than highlights and balayage. Again, the price heavily depends on the individual hair and how much work it needs, but the range is generally between £250-£350 for the year 2025.

Conclusion

Air Touch takes a truly transformative approach to crafting the most seamless, natural look for the hair. It utilises controlled, directed air instead of teasing to achieve the desired colour in a manner that doesn’t damage the hair and even optimizes comfort for the customer. Despite its time and budget limitations, it’s undoubtedly a long-term investment because it produces unmatched results that cannot be achieved from any other procedures.

And finally, it’s of crucial importance to book a consultation with a highly experienced and knowledgeable hair stylist that will be able to customise the technique for your unique hair. You will get your dream hair if left in the care of a real Air Touch expert!