Best Salons For Highlights

Official published amounts and what each covers

These 7 lines come from published sources and are grouped by what they actually are. Averaging a penalty charge in with service prices is how misleading "average" figures come about, so they are listed separately.

Published prices change without warning. The review date on this page tells you how current this set is.

National price context for these services

This table is market context, not a brand price list. Its purpose is to show whether a quote you have been given is normal, cheap or expensive for the U.S. in 2026.

Compiled national figures for context only. No brand on this page has published these numbers, and none of them is a bookable rate.

Regional price bands for this service

Rent and wages flow straight into the menu. Applying published metro cost bands to the $135 national median for partial highlights gives the following planning ranges.

Your own market may sit between tiers. The point is the 2.5x spread, not the exact figure in any one row.

Where the extra money goes

Ranking these matters. Most of us compare the headline price of two salons and overlook the next few lines below it that actually decide the bill.

• Provider experience+15–60%

  Junior through master tiers are priced in bands.

• Required add-ons+$20–$70

  Some finishes are effectively mandatory but quoted on a separate line.

• Service complexity+$20–$120

  Length, density, area size and condition all add time.

• Tax and gratuity+20–30%

  Neither appears on the menu price.

• Geographic market+30–90%

  The same service swings widely between metros.

Related cost breakdowns: Full Highlights Cost, Partial Highlights Cost and Peekaboo Highlights Cost.

The sensible total, worked through

Work it forwards once and you will never be caught out again. A $67 service does not cost $67.

Illustrative. The 7.3% tax figure varies by state - several states do not tax personal services at all.

Plan for the total, not the base. The $38 gap between the two is the part people forget when comparing two salons.

Prefer not to do the arithmetic? You can try it with your own figures.

The real annual cost of keeping this up

Most budgets break at the cadence, not the price. Partial highlights maintained every 10 weeks works out to approximately $810 per year once gratuity is included.

Assumes 5 visits a year. Adjust the visit count and every figure here shifts with it.

Before hunting a less expensive provider, look at the interval. One fewer visit a year is about $162 kept; two fewer is $324. Neither costs you any quality.

Tipping: the numbers rather than the etiquette

Tip on the pre-tax service amount. If a discount or promotion applied, the norm is to tip on the original value of the work, not the discounted price.

• On a $135 service, the gap between an 18% and a 20% tip is $2.70. It matters less than whether you tip at all.
• If the salon owner performed the service, tipping is optional by norm - though rarely refused.
• An automatic service charge ought to be disclosed when you book. If you see one at checkout, ask whether it goes to the provider before adding more.
• Card tips may be pooled or delayed to the next pay run. Ask if you want it to reach one person directly.

What people get wrong here

These are the errors that show up repeatedly in pricing complaints. All of them are fixed by a single question before the service starts.

1. 1Not asking what is required versus optionalcosts $20–$70

   Some finishes are effectively mandatory but quoted on a separate line.

2. 2Comparing headline prices across different scopescosts $20–$70

   Two "haircut" prices can include entirely different work.

3. 3Forgetting tax and gratuitycosts $20–$30

   Together they add roughly a quarter to the menu price.

If you want the policy detail behind these: Highlights Aftercare and Prepare For Highlights.

Seven questions that prevent a surprise bill

You do not need to negotiate. You need the price to be stated before the service starts. These questions do that without any awkwardness.

1. "Is a shampoo, blow-dry or finish included in that price, or billed separately?"
2. "Do you take a deposit, and does it come off the final balance?"
3. "What is the exact price for partial highlights at my hair length and density?"
4. "Can you email or text me the quote before my appointment?"
5. "What add-ons do you normally recommend for this service, and what does each cost?"
6. "Which provider tier is that quote for, and what does the next tier up cost?"
7. "Is removal of my existing product included, or is it a separate charge?"

Finally: get the quote on paper. A text or email costs the salon nothing and removes any argument at checkout.

How this compares with the alternatives

Before deciding, it is worth seeing where this lands against the nearest alternatives on both price and what you get for it.

What people want to know before booking

Sources and how we checked them

Every published figure above traces to one of these. Where a source describes a single location or a time-limited offer, that scope stays attached to the number rather than being generalised.

1. Official homepage
2. Official U.S. salon directory
3. Official senior reduction page
4. Official additional services
5. Official services page
6. Official Unlimited program
7. Official services directory
8. Official hair color services
9. Official curly hair services
10. Official service menu PDF
11. Official service menu page
12. Risks of tanning
13. Tanning overview
14. Sunless tanners and bronzers

Pricing shifts. Quoted a different figure, let us know and we will re-verify.