How Much Does Hair Dyeing Cost?
Deciding to change your hair color involves several key considerations.
After all, you want to make sure the new color suits you, that your hair is healthy enough for the process, and that the service fits your budget.
Figuring out how much dyeing your hair costs depends on a lot of factors, so it can be hard to estimate on your own.
First, you need to determine the color you want your hair to be.
This will help estimate the costs because the price of hair dyeing often depends on whether you need to lighten or darken your current color to achieve the desired color.
Next, you’ll need to decide whether you want to color your entire head or opt for partial coloring, such as ombre or highlights.
Partial color can use less product, but it also requires a more skillful application, so that costs can vary.
Lastly, you’ll need to decide where you’re getting your hair colored or bleached and toned.
Salon pricing can vary widely by location, stylist experience, hair length and density, and how many lightening or toning steps are required. Chain salons may be less expensive for basic services, while specialty color work often costs more.
If you feel comfortable doing a simple at-home color, the upfront product cost can be lower. Complex lightening, color correction, or major shade changes carry more risk and can become expensive if they need professional correction later.
So, how much does hair dyeing cost?
The cost of hair color depends on your starting shade, target shade, hair length and density, location, and whether lightening or color correction is required. A single-process salon service can easily run from under $100 to several hundred dollars, while basic at-home color is much cheaper upfront. Treat the price ranges below as rough examples rather than fixed current rates.
In this post, we will break down the costs for different types of color applications.
For the most accurate estimate, ask the salon for a consultation or total-price range before booking, including toner, extra product, bond-building treatments, blow-dry, and any future maintenance.
What Changes The Price Of Hair Color?
- Starting color and previous dye: lifting virgin hair is different from removing or correcting old permanent color.
- Hair length and density: more hair can mean more product, more sections, and more time.
- Lightening required: bleach, toner, and multiple sessions can raise the price quickly.
- Technique: all-over color is usually simpler than balayage, highlights, vivid placement, or corrective work.
- Location and stylist level: rates vary substantially between cities, salons, and individual colorists.
- Maintenance: root touch-ups, toners, glosses, vivid-color refreshes, and special shampoos add to the long-term cost.
Always ask whether the quote includes toner, extra product for long or dense hair, bond-building treatments, haircut, blow-dry, and taxes or gratuity where applicable.
Costs Of Dyeing Your Hair At A Salon
Salon prices vary significantly by city and region, so no single national average will match every appointment.
There are also numerous salons available, ranging from premium-level celebrity salons to familiar chains like Supercuts. As you can imagine, there is a wide range of prices.
The ranges below are useful as ballpark examples, but menus change over time and many salons quote custom color only after seeing your current hair and desired result.
Use the following price breakdown as a rough budgeting guide, then confirm current local pricing before you book:
| Color Type | Average Cost at Premium Salon | Average Cost at Chain Salon |
| Single-process color | $85 – $250 | $25 – $75 |
| Double-process color | $175 – $350 | $45+ |
| Highlights | $120 – $250 | $35 – $100 |
| Balayage | $165 – $270 | N/A |
| Color + Highlight | $220 – $300 | $45+ |
| Root Touch-Up | $40 – $120 | $15 – $40 |
As you can see, there is considerable variability in pricing at premium hair salons.
Many of them have different “levels” of stylists who charge more or less based on their experience level.
Some salons charge by the hour for corrective color, vivid color, or other transformations instead of using one flat service price.
Hourly rates vary widely, so ask how many hours the stylist expects, whether product is included, and whether additional sessions may be needed.
Chain salons can be more affordable for straightforward color services, although service menus and stylist specialties vary by location.
Some locations may offer add-ons such as Olaplex or other bond-building treatments, while others may not. These products can help reduce some breakage during chemical processing, but they do not make bleaching damage-free.
Availability of balayage, vivid shades, pastels, and corrective color depends on the specific salon and stylist, so check the service menu before booking.
Costs Of Dyeing Your Hair At Home
At-home color can cost much less upfront when the change is simple and you can apply the product evenly.
We compared the costs for some at-home hair dyeing solutions and came up with the following averages:
| Color Type | Average Cost |
| Single Color | $8 – $35 |
| Bleach / Lightening Kit | $9 – $40 |
| Highlights / Balayage Kit | $7 – $22 |
| Semi-Permanent Color | $12 – $32 |
Please note that these prices are for each box of color.
If you have long hair, you may need to use two or even three boxes of color to cover your hair.
The bigger the color change, the harder it is to predict an at-home result. Uneven saturation, previous dye, porosity, and overlapping bleach can lead to patchiness or damage.
A professional consultation is especially useful for major lightening, color correction, banding, very long or dense hair, or hair that already feels fragile. Corrective color can cost much more than the original box dye.
If you choose to use box dye at home, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, perform the recommended allergy alert test and strand test, and avoid using bleach on a scalp that is irritated or damaged. The video below also covers practical application tips.
Single-Process Color
Single-process color refers to a technique where your whole head gets dyed one color.
A single-process service means one color formula is applied in one main coloring step. It is commonly used to darken hair, refresh an existing shade, or cover gray.
For example, if you want to go from your light brown hair to a deep chocolate color, you’d achieve this through single-process color.
Single-process permanent color can sometimes lift untreated natural hair a limited amount, depending on the formula and developer. It generally cannot safely take previously dyed dark hair to a much lighter shade, and it does not create multidimensional highlights.
The single-process color at most salons ranges from $85 to $250, depending on the location, stylist’s experience, and the salon’s level.
If you were to do it at home, the cost would be around $8-$35, depending on the brand of hair color kit you choose.
As you can see, the price difference between dyeing your hair at a salon and using a boxed kit at home is significant.
Single-process color is simpler than a bleach-and-tone transformation, but at-home dye still carries risks of allergy, uneven coverage, staining, and unexpected results.
If the change is straightforward and your hair history is simple, doing it yourself can reduce the upfront cost.
When DIY Color Becomes High-Risk
At-home color is easiest when you are depositing a shade close to your current color. The risk rises when you are bleaching previously dyed hair, trying to remove black dye, correcting bands or spots, or attempting to jump several levels lighter.
Never use extra processing time as a shortcut for a difficult lift. Follow the manufacturer’s maximum timing, avoid overlapping bleach onto fragile pre-lightened hair, and stop if you feel intense burning or the hair becomes unusually stretchy or weak.
Double-Process Color
Double-process color is a technique where your hair undergoes a two-step process to achieve the desired color.
For example, if you want to go from dark brown hair to a light coppery red, you’ll need to lighten your brown hair with bleach first, and then color it over with a coppery red dye.
Pastel and very bright fashion colors often require a pale, even base so the final shade looks clean and vibrant. Darker vivid shades may need less lift.
Double-process color is obviously more complicated and takes more time than single-process color. As a result, it costs more money.
At a typical premium salon, it would cost you an average of $175-350 to get your hair dyed through a double-process color.
Chain salons are a little more affordable, but we discovered that many of them do not even offer double-process colorings due to their complexity.
If you were to do it at home, the cost would be around $9-$40 for the first step (bleaching) and $8-$35 for the second step (coloring), totaling $17-$75.
Keep in mind that attempting this type of dyeing process at home can be risky.
Bleach can cause substantial dryness and breakage if the strength, processing time, or application is wrong. Avoid repeatedly bleaching the same already-lightened sections just to chase a faster result.
Partial Hair Color
Partial hair color refers to techniques such as highlights, balayage, and ombre, where only part of your hair is colored.
Numerous techniques can be used, resulting in varying prices from salon to salon.
This is where it’s worth doing some research and finding a stylist who can bring your vision to life.
Highlights and balayage require controlled placement and even saturation, so DIY results can become stripey, patchy, or overprocessed more easily than an all-over deposit-only color.
Salons charge anywhere from $120 to $270 on average for highlights and balayage (can vary based on full vs partial balayage).
Salons often offer partial highlights for $35-$100, depending on the length of your hair, and rarely provide balayage or other higher-end techniques.
If you were to do your own highlights or balayage at home, you would need to invest in a bleach kit or a special highlighting kit.
Those typically cost $7-$40, depending on the kit you ultimately use.
Keep in mind, however, that it’s tough to do a technique like balayage on yourself.
If you attempt it at home, work carefully in sections, follow the kit instructions, and avoid letting bleach overlap onto already-lightened hair.
Cost Of Dyeing Your Hair Silver
If you’re considering dyeing your hair silver and wondering about the cost, we’ve done the math.
To dye your hair silver, your hair needs to undergo the following steps:
- Bleached to the lightest shade of blonde, almost white.
- Tone the hair to remove any remaining yellow tones.
- Dye the hair with a silver/grey dye.
How much would it cost?
At A Salon
Going silver from a darker starting shade can take many hours and sometimes multiple appointments. A stylist may deliberately split the process into sessions to protect the hair rather than forcing it to a very pale base in one day.
Bleaching and toning your hair would cost on average $175-$350, and adding the silver color would cost $45-$100.
Total salon cost: $220-450
This may not include bond-building treatments, extra bowls of lightener, toner, haircut, blow-dry, or take-home maintenance products, depending on the salon.
If you are starting with really dark hair color, expect to pay more.
At Home
If you were to attempt this color at home, you still need to follow the same steps: bleach, tone, and color.
The product cost of bleach and toner can be relatively low, but silver is one of the more difficult DIY transformations because the base needs to be very light and even without excessive breakage.
The final step, which involves the silver color, costs between $9 and $32.
Total at-home cost: $24-72
Cost Of Dyeing Your Hair Blonde
If you’re going from a dark color to blonde, you will have to take the following steps:
- Bleach your hair to your desired level.
- Tone it to remove brassiness and yellow tones.
- Apply blonde dye (optional – sometimes the toner is enough).
When you visit a salon, your stylist will typically conduct a consultation to determine the type of blonde color you desire.
After all, there are darker blondes, strawberry blondes, platinum blondes, champagne blondes – the list goes on.
Depending on your goal, the price will be different.
Your stylist will be able to provide a reasonable estimate based on how long they anticipate it’ll take and the amount of color they will need to lift your current color.
At A Salon
The typical cost of dyeing your hair blonde at a salon ranges from $180 to $350.
As with any bleaching, your stylist may suggest a protective treatment for your hair, such as Olaplex, which typically adds to the overall cost.
Total salon cost: $180-350
At Home
If you’re attempting to go blonde at home, keep in mind that the risks are high.
If you’re starting with very dark natural hair or previously dyed dark hair, reaching blonde may require multiple lightening sessions. Leaving bleach on beyond the manufacturer’s maximum processing time is not a safe substitute for multiple sessions.
You could easily damage your hair.
However, you’d save a lot of money!
At home, going blonde can require lightener, developer, toner, gloves, bowls or brushes, and enough product for full saturation. The technical challenge matters more than the product price, particularly when the starting hair is dark or previously colored.
Sometimes, the toner may not yield the perfect color, so you may need to apply an additional blonde dye to achieve the desired result.
Total at-home cost: $15-52
Cost Of Dyeing Your Hair Blue
Blue hair can range from a subtle dark tint to a vivid fashion shade, and the amount of lightening required depends on the result you want.
If you want a bright and vibrant blue, you’ll have to start with light hair.
The process is similar to dyeing your hair silver or pastel – you need a light, almost white base for it.
If you are looking to put blue over your existing color without lightening, it can still look excellent.
Please note that the result will be as dark as your current hair color, with blue tones added to it.
Depending on which path you choose, the price can vary.
We’ve researched to determine the most accurate costs for dyeing your hair blue at a salon and at home.
At A Salon
If you’re not looking to lighten your hair and want to add blue over your current color, salons will charge for a single-process color, which typically ranges from $85 to $250.
If you decide to lighten your hair first, it would be considered a double-process color, and the cost would be $175-$350.
Total salon cost: $85-350
At Home
Depositing blue dye at home is more straightforward when you are not lightening first, but the visible result still depends heavily on your starting color and porosity.
There are numerous permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary blue hair dyes available on the market, ranging in price from $7 to $28.
If you decide to bleach your hair first, you’ll need to purchase a bleaching kit for approximately $9-40, and then apply the blue dye over it.
Total at-home cost: $7-68
Cost Of Dyeing Your Hair Green
Dyeing your hair green is a very similar process to dyeing your hair blue.
You’ll need to decide whether you want to lighten your hair first or if you want the green to go right on top of your current color, and the costs will depend on that.
At A Salon
If you don’t want to bleach your hair before getting it dyed green, your stylist will charge you $85-250 for the green color alone.
If you want them to bleach it first, expect the cost to be $175-$350.
Total salon cost: $85-350
At Home
Similarly to the blue dye, you can achieve a similar effect inexpensively at home, without lightening your hair first, by simply buying a green dye for around $7-28.
If you choose to bleach first, add the cost of a bleaching kit to that estimate.
Total at-home cost: $7-68
Cost Of Dyeing Your Hair Purple
To dye your hair purple, you will likely need to start out with medium to light hair in order for the purple to show up.
If you already have medium or light hair, you can simply use a single-process color application.
If not, you’ll need a double process since your hair will need to be lightened first.
At A Salon
Dyeing your hair purple through a single-process color application will cost around $85-$250, and approximately $175-$350 if your stylist needs to bleach it first.
Keep in mind that if you’re going for a light purple or lavender, you’ll almost always have to bleach the hair first.
Total salon cost: $85-350
At Home
If you’re applying just a purple color over your current hair, it’ll cost $7-$28. If you’re bleaching first, you’ll add $9-40 for the bleaching kit.
Total at-home cost: $7-68
Cost Of Dyeing Your Hair Red
Many red shades can be achieved with a single-process color, but the starting shade and target brightness determine whether lightening is needed.
However, if your hair is currently dark, your stylist may need to lighten it slightly to make the red color appear more vibrant.
This can add to the cost, but it won’t be as expensive as some of the more vibrant colors, such as blues and pastels.
At A Salon
Dyeing your hair red at a salon will usually run you about $85-250 for a red that’s applied directly to your current color.
If your stylist needs to lift your current color, the cost may range from $120 to $300.
Total salon cost: $85-300
At Home
Going red at home is affordable. A pack of red dye can be anywhere from $8 to $30.
Some permanent red formulas are designed to create a more visible red result on darker untreated natural hair, such as Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color. Previously dyed dark hair may not lighten predictably with another box color.
Whether you need separate lightening depends on your starting color, previous dye history, and the brightness you want.
Total at-home cost: $8-30
Cost Of Dyeing Your Hair Brown
Looking to transform your locks into beautiful chocolate brown? It’s a pretty straightforward process.
For most people, a single-process color application is sufficient to achieve a brown shade in their hair.
Going brown is often straightforward when the target shade is close to your current level, but very light, very dark, or previously colored hair may need extra formulation steps.
If you have black or light blonde hair, your stylist may need to perform some color correction to ensure that your resulting brown color appears as intended.
At A Salon
Since going brown usually requires a simple color application, most salons charge their base rate of $85-$250.
Brown is such a simple color that some chain hair salons can also do it, for as little as $25-$75.
Total salon cost: $25-250
At Home
Dyeing your hair brown at home is as simple as buying a box of brown hair dye.
A simple brown deposit can be an approachable at-home project if your hair history is straightforward and the target shade is close to your starting level.
However, if your current color is light blonde or black, you’ll probably need to have it done at a salon to achieve a good result.
Total at-home cost: $7-28
Cost Of Dyeing Your Hair Black
Raven-black hair is always in style.
If you’re ready to take the plunge, you can choose to get it done at a salon or at home.
If you are going from very light blonde to a deep black, a professional can help replace the warm underlying pigment that was removed during lightening so the result does not look hollow, muddy, or greenish.
Very light or heavily bleached hair can lack the warm underlying pigment that normally supports a natural-looking dark result.
A stylist may fill the hair with warm pigment before applying the final dark shade to reduce the risk of a flat, muddy, or greenish result.
If you’re starting with medium-brown natural hair or darker, a direct black application is often simpler, although previous color and porosity can still affect the result.
At A Salon
Going black at a salon will cost you the typical single-process color application fee, which ranges from $85 to $250 at a premium salon and from $25 to $75 at a chain salon.
The cost may vary depending on how much your stylist will need to tone or fill your original color to prepare it for black.
Total salon cost: $25-250
At Home
Provided that your hair is already medium brown or darker, dyeing your hair black at home will be as easy as picking up a black hair dye kit for $7 to $28.
If your hair is very light or heavily bleached, darkening usually requires a warm filler step. The correct filler shade and formula depend on your starting level and target black, so a strand test or professional advice is safer than guessing.
Filling first can reduce unwanted cool or hollow tones, but no at-home method guarantees an exact result because porosity and previous chemical history affect how the hair absorbs color.
Total at-home cost: $7+
Don’t Forget The Maintenance Cost
The first appointment is not always the biggest expense. Blonde, silver, red, blue, green, and purple shades can require toners, glosses, root retouches, or color refreshes to keep the result looking even.
Before choosing a shade, ask how often it normally needs maintenance and what that maintenance costs. A color that is affordable to create once may be expensive to keep up over a full year.
Hair Dye Cost FAQs
Why Can Two Salons Quote Very Different Prices?
One quote may include toner, extra product, a haircut, blow-dry, bond-building treatment, or multiple hours of corrective work while another covers only the base color service. Ask for an itemized estimate whenever possible.
Is Box Dye Always Cheaper Than A Salon?
It is cheaper upfront for a simple application. If the result needs color correction, however, the total cost can exceed what a professional appointment would have cost initially.
Why Does Going Blonde Cost More?
Going significantly lighter can require bleach, careful sectioning, toner, extra product, and sometimes several appointments. Dark previously colored hair is especially difficult to lift evenly.
How Can You Get An Accurate Salon Quote?
Send or bring clear photos of your current hair and your goal, disclose previous permanent dye or bleach, and ask whether the quote includes toner, extra bowls, treatments, styling, and future maintenance.
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