If you've ever tried to find out what hair color costs before walking into a salon, you know the routine: "prices vary," "call for a quote," "starting at…" and then a number that doubles once you're in the chair. We think that's a bad way to treat people, so here's the actual math.
The short answer
- All-over hair color — $125, about 90 minutes
- Highlights — $195, about 2.5 hours
- Root retouch — $50, about an hour
Those are our standard prices in Garland, not teaser rates. The only honest caveat: very long or very dense hair can take more product and more time, and your stylist will tell you that before anything touches your head — not after.
Why highlights cost more than all-over color
It comes down to time and technique. All-over color is one formula applied evenly. Highlights mean sectioning, foiling or hand-painting, and usually a toner at the end — that's why the appointment runs closer to two and a half hours. You're paying for a stylist's full afternoon, not just the product in the bowl.
The cheapest way to stay colored: root retouches
Here's the thing most people don't get told: you don't need a full $125 color every time your roots show. If you're keeping the same shade, a $50 root retouch every 6–8 weeks maintains the look for less than half the price. We'd rather see you every six weeks for a retouch than twice a year for a correction — and honestly, so would your hair.
What about upkeep between appointments?
Two things stretch the life of any color job. First, a conditioning treatment ($50) keeps colored hair from drying out, which is what makes color look faded even when the pigment is still there. Second, wash less often and cooler — hot water is the fastest way to send your $195 highlights down the drain. We wrote more about that in our balayage aftercare guide.
Budgeting a full year of color
A realistic year for someone who colors regularly in Garland looks something like this: one full color or highlight session ($125–$195), four or five root retouches ($200–$250), and a treatment or two ($50–$100). Call it $400–$550 a year, spread out — noticeably less than what you'd guess from the scary "up to $300 per visit" numbers you see quoted for the Dallas area.
If you're not sure which service your hair actually needs, book the cheaper one and ask. Our stylists will tell you straight if a retouch will do the job — you can grab a time online and pick "any stylist" if you don't have a favorite yet.