Anonymous
Post 12/13/2025 02:06     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
I do membership at Madison Reed too and get roots touched up every 3 weeks or so. It’s $75/month which is pretty reasonable. I will sometimes add a gloss or moisturizing treatment which costs a little extra. Easy to book through their app the morning of.
Anonymous
Post 12/13/2025 01:41     Subject: Re:How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’ve been completely grey since my late 30s, and cut my own (very curly) hair. I drew the line at a $100 cut 15 years ago. No regrets, though I’m sure all of you still investing in this process look fantastic. I realized I didn’t care and my DH has never noticed. My friends seem torn between want to stage an intervention and mildly envious.


DH doesn’t mind either but my keratin guy said all his women clients who went gray during COVID went back to coloring cause the husbands complained and put up a fit. This is in mclean.


Doesn’t sound … accurate.
Anonymous
Post 12/13/2025 00:55     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
My cut is $90 and I go every 3 months. My color which is basically just a root touch up is I believe $120. I go every 3.5/4 weeks. I wonder why color is so much more expensuve than a cut when my cut takes over an hour of active work and my touch ups take 15 min. And of course I tip 20% on top. My SIL decided to go grey and regretted it. It aged her like 20 years. People would ask if her kids were her grandkids so she went back to coloring. In my case, I’d consider going grey if I didn’t have to deal with the awkward growing out phase. For all the money I’m spending,y hair looks awful for 2 out of every 4 weeks.
Anonymous
Post 12/13/2025 00:33     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
That’s about what I pay as well when I get color and a cut, but I get color every four weeks and only get a cut every three months.
Anonymous
Post 12/13/2025 00:00     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I switched to Madison Reed for color and still see my regular stylist for cuts. Color is crazy expensive on this area. MR color bars do a good job.


Can you explain them? Do they just give you a bottle of dye to apply at home and you're paying to buy that? Or do they do your hair for you?


So you can buy their color and do it at home if you want. I have mine done by them at their “color bar”. It’s a similar concept as a “dry bar”.

You make an appointment for color. They keep your info with your account, so it doesn’t matter who’s doing your color, they can access your info so your color stays consistent. They can help you pick the right shade if you need it. Color is applied, you sit until it’s done, then they wash it out. You can also sign up for a blow dry if you want. Otherwise you can dry and style yourself at their dryer station or just leave either wet hair.

I have to be careful with color as I’m allergic to ammonia color, but I’ve been fine with MR color for the last few years. I actually pay for the membership so I can get my roots done anytime I want. I like that it’s fairly easy to make an appointment at the last minute. For example, I made an appt earlier today for tomorrow morning.

I have gotten face framing highlights a couple of times and they came out nice. They’re not going to be a replacement for high-end highlights and lowlights though. And you don’t get to pick your colorist, which can be a bit of a bummer, especially if you add on a blow dry. They usually do a nice job with that though.

I’m very happy with the experience. They make it easy to maintain my color at a reasonable price. And when I’m traveling I can go to a Madison Reed anywhere and they have all my info and can take care of my hair same as if I was at home. They have really democratized hair color. It’s a good business model.


DP. This sounds great, I might try it! I guess they don't cut hair there too?
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 23:31     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
Anonymous wrote:Zero! I stopped coloring this summer, and my hair is shinier and healthier than it’s ever been. I had to come to terms with my real color, which to be honest is more white than gray, but I accept it now.

I do miss having brown hair, but I don’t miss the hassle and expense of coloring my hair one bit.


My grey hair makes me look like I'm ill (like people have actually asked if I'm ok), plus it's a different texture than my brown hair, PLUS it doesn't grow in all over so even if I let it completely grow in I'd have weird mix of two hair colors that are two different textures. It would look awful.
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 23:14     Subject: Re:How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’ve been completely grey since my late 30s, and cut my own (very curly) hair. I drew the line at a $100 cut 15 years ago. No regrets, though I’m sure all of you still investing in this process look fantastic. I realized I didn’t care and my DH has never noticed. My friends seem torn between want to stage an intervention and mildly envious.


DH doesn’t mind either but my keratin guy said all his women clients who went gray during COVID went back to coloring cause the husbands complained and put up a fit. This is in mclean.

I’m in Bethesda, and I believe it. My DH thinks I’m attractive, but he’s not the guy who wants a trophy wife, and I was never going to play that role. There are very few women in my neighborhood who have gone this route. I find it somewhat surprising given the tedium of keeping up with the color and trims. So many more fun ways to spend your time and money!
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 22:54     Subject: Re:How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
I color at home about once a month. I use 2 boxes each time, so about $30. Loreal Excellence has the best gray coverage.
If you want to try it with a little more support, you could look at eSalon, I use them from time to time.

I was a blonde but would be all-over dark gray if I grew it out. Light brown hair looks good on me, but it's too hard to maintain (grays come back too fast) so I dye it blonde, and then I dye "soft silver" over it to make it more beige than yellow. If my natural hair would ever go silver/white, I'd grow it out, but I don't like the dark gray.
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 22:51     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I switched to Madison Reed for color and still see my regular stylist for cuts. Color is crazy expensive on this area. MR color bars do a good job.


Can you explain them? Do they just give you a bottle of dye to apply at home and you're paying to buy that? Or do they do your hair for you?


So you can buy their color and do it at home if you want. I have mine done by them at their “color bar”. It’s a similar concept as a “dry bar”.

You make an appointment for color. They keep your info with your account, so it doesn’t matter who’s doing your color, they can access your info so your color stays consistent. They can help you pick the right shade if you need it. Color is applied, you sit until it’s done, then they wash it out. You can also sign up for a blow dry if you want. Otherwise you can dry and style yourself at their dryer station or just leave either wet hair.

I have to be careful with color as I’m allergic to ammonia color, but I’ve been fine with MR color for the last few years. I actually pay for the membership so I can get my roots done anytime I want. I like that it’s fairly easy to make an appointment at the last minute. For example, I made an appt earlier today for tomorrow morning.

I have gotten face framing highlights a couple of times and they came out nice. They’re not going to be a replacement for high-end highlights and lowlights though. And you don’t get to pick your colorist, which can be a bit of a bummer, especially if you add on a blow dry. They usually do a nice job with that though.

I’m very happy with the experience. They make it easy to maintain my color at a reasonable price. And when I’m traveling I can go to a Madison Reed anywhere and they have all my info and can take care of my hair same as if I was at home. They have really democratized hair color. It’s a good business model.
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 22:39     Subject: Re:How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
Anonymous wrote:I’ve been completely grey since my late 30s, and cut my own (very curly) hair. I drew the line at a $100 cut 15 years ago. No regrets, though I’m sure all of you still investing in this process look fantastic. I realized I didn’t care and my DH has never noticed. My friends seem torn between want to stage an intervention and mildly envious.


DH doesn’t mind either but my keratin guy said all his women clients who went gray during COVID went back to coloring cause the husbands complained and put up a fit. This is in mclean.
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 22:36     Subject: Re:How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
I’ve been completely grey since my late 30s, and cut my own (very curly) hair. I drew the line at a $100 cut 15 years ago. No regrets, though I’m sure all of you still investing in this process look fantastic. I realized I didn’t care and my DH has never noticed. My friends seem torn between want to stage an intervention and mildly envious.
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 22:29     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
$130ish for cut and lowlights at a down to earth salon in Kensington.
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 22:22     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
500 for baylage 2x a year and $250 for toner 2x a year.
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 22:21     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
Anonymous wrote:I mostly use Madison Reed for color. Earlier this week, I got color and cut at a salon for $520 including tip


Insane! Yikes.
Anonymous
Post 12/12/2025 22:10     Subject: How much do you spend on your hair??? Specifically coloring?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So I have reached the age where I have more and more grey hair each day. I am also retired and on a lighter budget than when I was working.

I have been going to a Bubbles Salon for awhile and have used a stylist whom I do like. I get highlights, lowlights and a cut

However, I am finding that I am spending at least $340.00 everytime I go , which is about every three months. This includes the tip.

To me, this is a lot, but I have not sought out other stylists so I don’t know what is common these days.

How much do you spend on your hair care for similar service?

Or have you decided to try to manage the grey with do it yourself products? I don’t even know what to look for.

Comments?


For a quality cut, highlights, and lowlights, this is pretty spot on for the cost, at least in this area. It’s just expensive. But if you aren’t happy with the results, that’s another story. This is similar to what I pay at my salon in DC. I go every 3-4 months.


+1