When MODERN reposted this image to our Instagram feed, it received more tan 14,000 likes and 627...
When MODERN reposted this image to our Instagram feed, it received more tan 14,000 likes and 627 comments.

Photo courtesy of

@juliejakobsenhair
“This is great if you try to use less single use items like cotton, foils or plastic. It was no...
“This is great if you try to use less single use items like cotton, foils or plastic. It was no problem at all to get the rollers out, no stress washing them and I really love the way they separate each balayage piece from each other. If I had smaller rollers I’d definitely use them, at least from the ears up."

Photo courtesy of

@juliejakobsenhair
Rollers are Your New Best Friend for Balayage

Photo courtesy of

@juliejakobsenhair
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When MODERN reposted this image to our Instagram feed, it received more tan 14,000 likes and 627...
1/3
 
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When MODERN reposted this image to our Instagram feed, it received more tan 14,000 likes and 627 comments.

Photo courtesy of

@juliejakobsenhair
“This is great if you try to use less single use items like cotton, foils or plastic. It was no...
2/3
 
Slider
“This is great if you try to use less single use items like cotton, foils or plastic. It was no problem at all to get the rollers out, no stress washing them and I really love the way they separate each balayage piece from each other. If I had smaller rollers I’d definitely use them, at least from the ears up."

Photo courtesy of

@juliejakobsenhair
Rollers are Your New Best Friend for Balayage
3/3
 
Slider

Photo courtesy of

@juliejakobsenhair

Over the past few years, the trend to make hair coloring more eco-friendly has continued to rise. In addition to companies seeking new ways to make their foils and meches more reusable and recyclable, stylists are taking their own initiatives inside the salon. Norwegian colorist Julie Jakobsen, @juliejakobsenhair, has found success using rollers. 

A colorist for six years, Jakobsen specializes in blondes and different color techniques, but mostly works with free-hand painting and melting. She is also a sales consultant for Oribe Norway. In addition to being passionate about education and spreading knowledge via social media, Jakobsen says she's always had a passion for ingredients and general product knowledge.

"I love learning about different chemicals/ingredients, and for just more than two years, I have been interested in the "less single-use items" trend," she says. "I've tried a lot, but nothing really worked well for me. Either things slid out or got too messy to clean after time. Cotton works, but it can also mess up the lightening, and it definitely plugs the drain over time."

The more she started thinking, the more she realized the importance of finding something that would stick. Her manager suggested a few things, but Jakobsen ultimately decided to try rollers. 

"As soon as I tried it, I realized how amazing they worked," she says. "So I just kept on using them. It's still a fairly new process to me, but it works like a charm every time. It’s absolutely no trouble taking them out."

Jakobsen begins by lifting the balayage piece up/out 90 degrees and in a quick motion, pulls it out/down over the rollers. She recommends trying a medium-sized roller from nape and halfway up, and a size or two smaller on top. She emphasizes that she only uses this technique to separate each balayage piece. 

"If you want to incubate more heat, you can of course use a couple plastic sheets to cover everything in the end, but it shouldn’t be necessary with most balayage lighteners," she says. "At least you’ll use less plastic!"

To wash the rollers, Jakobsen holds them under running water for a few seconds. The rollers dry quickly and are usually ready by the time her next client comes in. 

Here, Jakobsen demonstrates the roller technique in action:

Mary Kaleta

Mary Kaleta

Associate Editor

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