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Photo Credit: Instagram via @lo_wheelerdavisArtist—Lo Wheeler Davis
By Rachael Gonzalez·June 26, 2026
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Placement size impacts more than just brightness—it influences how much contrast, diffusion and dimension you'll see in the finished result. While many stylists assume smaller sections create a softer blend, celebrity colorist and Kenra Professional Brand Ambassador Lo Wheeler (@lo_wheelerdavis) says the opposite is often true.
The difference comes down to how light and depth interact throughout the hair—a principle that's at the core of Lo's signature Surfed-In Hair™ technique. Below, she shares why bigger isn't always bolder and how panel size can completely change the way balayage reads in the finished result.
But first, check out the finished result, then keep tapping to see more of Lo's work:
One of the biggest misconceptions Lo sees from stylists is assuming lighter-handed balayage placement automatically creates a softer result.
In her BTC University class, Surfed-In Balayage, she compares traditional open-air painting with the larger panel placement she uses throughout her Surfed-In Hair™ technique. "I often get asked in classes the difference between a little light-handed open-air painting." Here's an example of the big panel placement she's referring to:
According to Lo, these larger sections create a very different visual result than finer painted ribbons. "When you see tiny little ribbons, you're really creating more contrast."
Lo says one of the questions she's asked most often when teaching is the difference between traditional, light-handed open-air painting and the bold panel placement (pictured below) she uses in her Surfed-In Hair™ technique.
That existing canvas is one reason Lo can be more aggressive with her placement. "What I always like to encourage stylists to do is try to be bold; take it to the heavier placement." According to Lo, larger panels diffuse more seamlessly throughout the hair rather than creating stark separation between light and dark.
"The bolder the placement, the more diffused the outcome," she explains. "When you see big bold ribbons, you're creating more dimension, which is tone-on-tone reflection."
These placement strategies are just one part of Lo's complete Surfed-In Hair™ system. In Surfed-In Balayage, she shares her signature panel placement techniques, strategic pockets of depth and high-impact balayage approach designed to create effortless, beach-washed dimension.
Press play to access the full class and learn her technique:
