The Art of the Express: Why Express Foiling is the Ultimate Win-Win for Your Hair and Your Business
In the ever-evolving world of hair color, the pendulum is swinging away from the grueling six-hour "marathon" sessions toward something more intentional, more sustainable, and frankly, more sophisticated. Welcome to the era of Express Foiling.
I’m Trent Matthews—the resident "Hair NERD"—and if there is one thing I am passionate about, it’s the intersection of high-level chemistry and efficient artistry. Whether you are a client sitting in my chair or a fellow stylist looking to level up your technical game, express techniques are a game-changer.
Express techniques are phenomenal for so many reasons for everyone involved, stylist and client alike. Let’s break down why this "less is more" approach is actually the highest form of hair care and business strategy.
For the Client: Luxury Results Without the Time Toll
We live in a fast-paced world. While the idea of a "spa day" sounds lovely in theory, the reality for most modern clients is a packed calendar. Between career, family, and a social life, committing an entire Saturday to a foil service can feel like a chore rather than a treat.
1. Reclaiming Your Time (and Your Budget)
An express foiling service is the ultimate "refresh." It allows you to maintain that bright, lived-in, or high-contrast look without the day committed away. By focusing on the areas that matter most—the face-frame, the parting, and the crown—we can achieve 80% of the visual impact in 20% of the time. Not only does this get you back to your life faster, but it also takes a lighter toll on your bank account. It’s the perfect mid-point service between your "big" annual or bi-annual transformations.
2. The Hair Health Factor (The Nerd Stuff)
This is what I really love as a colorist: the way express foiling prioritizes your hair’s integrity. When we are doing lightening services, even with all the growth in products and bond-builders that have developed to protect our hair over the past few years, lightening is—and in my opinion, will always be—a stressor to our hair.
By lightening smartly with a few well-placed foils, you are helping keep that healthy, un-lightened hair longer. We aren't overlapping unnecessarily, and we aren't putting the hair through a chemical process more often than needed. This "strategic placement" allows your hair to rest and recoup between major visits. You get the blonde you crave while keeping the strength and shine of virgin hair.
For the Stylist: Working Smarter, Not Longer
Now, let’s talk to my fellow stylists. Why should you invest your time in learning express techniques? If you’re still booking every highlight as a "Full Foil" or a "Global Blonding," you might be hitting a ceiling in both your creativity and your income.
1. Expanding Your Booking Potential
Clients are actively searching for ways to maintain their hair without the burnout. By offering specific express services, you open up "micro-slots" in your book. Instead of having a gap in your schedule that’s too small for a full color but too big for a haircut, you can fit in an express foil. This increases your "dollars per hour" and ensures your chair stays full and profitable.
2. Differentiation in a Crowded Market
The "Hair NERD" philosophy is built on education. By getting into education focused on express placement, you can grow your business by offering things not every other colorist can. It’s about working with intention. Anyone can put 100 foils in a head, but it takes a true artist and technician to achieve a seamless, high-impact blend with only 15 or 20.
When you explain the "why" to your clients—focusing on hair health and customized placement—you move from being a service provider to a trusted consultant. That builds a level of loyalty that a standard foil service never could.
The Technical Edge: The 16-Foil Transformation
I’m a firm believer that you don’t need a million foils to create a massive impact. In my signature Express Foiling Techniques Class or also bookable w/ Redken “Principle of Foil Placement class”, I teach a specific method that utilizes just 16 foils.
This isn't about cutting corners; it's about maximizing geometry. By understanding the "fall" of the hair and how light hits the head shape, these 16 foils provide incredible coverage for blonde touch-ups.
What does 16-foil placement look like?
The Money Piece: Strategic ribbons around the face to provide instant brightness.
The T-Zone: Softening the regrowth along the natural part.
The Pivot Point: Foils placed where the hair naturally moves to ensure no "holes" appear when the client swishes their hair.
If you want to see this in action, check out a recent before and after on my Instagram @trent_matthews_. You’ll see that the result is bright, blended, and looks like a full service, despite taking a fraction of the time.
Why "Express" is the Future of the Industry
The "More is More" era of the 2010s—where every client was a "platinum card" or a 10-hour transformation—is evolving. The modern client wants hair that looks expensive but feels effortless. They want hair that stays on their head, not on the floor.
Express Foiling is the answer because:
Oxidative Stress is Real: The less time lightener sits on the hair, the less the cuticle is compromised.
Sustainability: It’s easier for a client to maintain a 90-minute appointment every 8 weeks than a 5-hour appointment every 12 weeks.
Creative Freedom: When you aren't bogged down by "standard" patterns, you start looking at the client's face shape and hair movement. You become a sculptor.
Let’s Get To Work: In-Salon Education
To my fellow pros: are you ready to change the way you look at your color book? If you want to master the art of the 16-foil refresh and learn how to market these services to your clientele, it’s time to invest in your craft.
I offer specialized in-salon education bookings where I come to you. We dive deep into the "NERD" side of things—pH levels, lightning curves, and the physics of hair movement—while mastering the physical placement that will save your wrists and your schedule.
To the Clients: Next time you’re feeling like your blonde is looking a little dull but you don't have the time for a full overhaul, ask me about an Express Refresh. Your hair (and your schedule) will thank you.
To the Stylists: Stop working harder and start working smarter. Click here to book your in-salon education session or DM me to discuss how we can bring these techniques to your team.
Keep learning, keep growing, and keep being a Hair NERD.
— Trent Matthews