How long does hair colour take? Chair time for every service

How long hair colour takes depends on the service: a toner is about 45 minutes, a root tint about an hour and a half, and a full balayage can be three to four hours. Those times include the wash and the blow dry, which people often forget to count. Add a few minutes for a chat at the start, because that is where we check the plan before any colour goes on.

I get asked this most when someone is trying to fit an appointment around the school run or a lunch break. So here is the honest chair time for everything on our colour menu.

The short version

Toner on its own: around 45 minutes to an hour.

Root tint: about 1 hour 30 minutes, including blow dry.

Full head tint: around 2 hours.

Half or full foils: 2 to 3 hours.

Full balayage: 3 to 4 hours, longer on thick or very long hair.

How long does hair colour take for each service?

A toner is the quickest. It goes on wet after a wash, develops for 10 to 20 minutes, then we rinse and dry. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. It is the one I suggest for a lunch break or a Friday, when we close at 3.

A root tint takes about an hour and a half. Painting the regrowth takes 15 to 20 minutes, then the colour needs 30 to 45 minutes to develop before it comes off. A full head tint adds time for the lengths, so think closer to two hours.

Foils take longer because every section is woven, painted and folded by hand. A partial is around an hour and a half to two hours, half head foils two to two and a half, and a full head two and a half to three. If you add a toner, budget another 20 minutes.

Balayage is the longest. A partial balayage sits around two hours, a half around two and a half, and a full head is three to four hours once you include toning and finishing. Long, thick hair takes longer to section and longer to dry, and I would rather tell you that up front than have you checking your phone in hour four.

What makes an appointment run longer

Thickness and length make the biggest difference. Shoulder-length fine hair dries in 15 minutes. Waist-length thick hair can take 40, and the colour application stretches the same way.

Going lighter also adds time. If you are dark and want to lift a few shades, lightener needs to process slowly and we check it as it goes. Rushing it is how hair ends up damaged or patchy, so I build in the time rather than cutting corners.

Colour correction is the big one. Fixing box dye or a home bleach job can take a full day, or be split across two or three visits. We will not give you a time for that until we have seen your hair, which is why we ask for a consultation first.

Do not forget the patch test

Before any tint, we do a patch test at least 48 hours before your appointment. It takes five minutes and you can pop in for it on any day we are open. The 48 hour gap matches the NHS guidance on hair dye reactions, because some allergic reactions take a day or two to show up on the skin.

If you have not had colour with us before, or it has been a while, book the patch test when you book the colour. It saves you turning up for a three hour appointment we cannot start.

How to plan your day around colour

For balayage or full foils, take a morning start. We open at 10, and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays we run until 8, so a 4 o'clock slot can also work for longer services. Fridays finish at 3 and Saturdays at 4:30, so those days suit toners, root tints and shorter appointments best.

Eat before you come in and bring something to do. A charged phone, a book or your laptop all help. We make tea and coffee, and the girls are happy to chat or leave you in peace, whichever you prefer.

If you are booking colour and a cut together, add 30 to 45 minutes to the colour time. It is usually worth doing both in one visit so the cut and colour are planned together.

Booking your colour

You can see every price on our pricing list before you book, and Klarna is available if you want to spread the cost. If you are not sure which service you need, ring us and we will talk it through and give you a realistic time.

Call 01582 730381 or book online. We are at Shop 660, Jansel House, Hitchin Rd, Stopsley, Luton LU2 7XH, open Tuesday to Saturday.