“How often should you color your hair?” It’s one of the most common questions we get at Palette. The truth is—there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Your ideal schedule depends on your hair goals, lifestyle, and how much maintenance you’re comfortable with.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common services and how often you’ll typically want to book them.

Grey Coverage: How Often to Book a Retouch

If your goal is to never see a strand of grey, a base color retouch every 4–6 weeks is ideal. This keeps your color looking consistent and opaque from roots to ends. To keep things fresh between visits, you can also add on a gloss refresh to maintain shine and tone.

Grey Blending: A Lower-Maintenance Option

Not everyone wants solid, opaque coverage. For those who prefer a softer approach, grey blending gradually fades as it grows, creating less of a harsh line. This option typically lasts 6–10 weeks, depending on your lifestyle and hair care routine. It’s perfect for clients who want lower maintenance—or who are easing into embracing their natural grey.

Foil Highlights: Bright & Defined

For bright blondes or anyone who loves lightness all the way to the root, foil highlights are usually on a 8–12 week schedule. If you push it much longer, the regrowth is more noticeable—and your appointment may need to be booked as a larger service (like a Full or even Transformational) to get you caught up.

Balayage & Lived-In Color: Effortless & Flexible

Balayage and lived-in techniques are designed to grow out softly. Most clients can comfortably stretch their appointments to 12 weeks up to 4–6 months, depending on how “rooty” they like their look. This is the ultimate low-maintenance hair color option: brightness and dimension, without the strict upkeep.

Glosses: The Secret to Long-Lasting Color

Glosses (sometimes called toners) are what keep your color shiny, polished, and fresh between big services. Depending on how often you shampoo, whether you use heat protection, and your lifestyle, a gloss refresh every 6–12 weeks can make a big difference. 👉 We’ll be dedicating a whole blog post to glosses soon.

Why Your Hair Color Schedule Matters

Staying on schedule means shorter, more maintenance-friendly appointments. But life happens—and if you stretch things out, no problem. Just know that we’ll need to book extra time (like a Transformational service) to get your hair back on track. That’s why our booking menu is designed for both types of clients: regular visits for those who love consistency, and longer, more comprehensive sessions for those who prefer a big change less often.

Final Takeaway

You don’t need to remember every detail or lock yourself into a strict routine. At Palette, we’ll help you create a hair color maintenance schedule that fits your goals, lifestyle, and hair needs.

Book your next appointment or, if you’re new here, start with our virtual consultation and we’ll guide you from there.