Hair coloring is fun! The results are spectacular, and every dye is an opportunity to bring out your inner personality. But most places, including Ippodaro, charge an hourly rate for vivid hair coloring (The process of creating especially strong colors in hair like the pictures below). So why is that?
We’ve had a few clients asking about the pricing on our hair coloring, so today we’re digging into our hair coloring process and shedding some light on why it’s an hourly rate instead of a flat fee.
Hourly Vs. Flat Fee
Some services, like a trim, often take the same amount of time regardless of what is being trimmed up. A buzz is going to take roughly the same amount of time every time, which is why we can charge a flat fee for it.
But vivid colors are a whole other ball game.
Even regardless of the fact that vivids can be done any which way you want! We can create vivids in a peekaboo style, half & half colors, ombre, sunsets, and any combination of crazy and beautiful colors that you want. They’re truly one of our favorite things to do!
A Few Details on the Hourly Charges…
Our goal is not to break your bank, although we want to provide you with the highest quality service possible. So…
We keep track of the time that our stylist is with you down to the minute. No rounding up to get to the hour! Only the time that the stylist is actively working on your hair gets charged. In other words, the time you’re waiting under the dryer for dye to develop or for bleach to strip color isn’t being charged. Although the hourly price does vary by stylist level.
Our Stylists and Their Levels:
- Terri - Level 4/Sustainable Master Stylist - $95/Hour
- Maritza - Level 2/Organic Professional Stylist - $75/Hour
- Reilyn - Level 1/Naturally Certified Stylist - $65/Hour
- Vanessa - Level 1/Naturally Certified Stylist - $65/Hour
So what makes Vivid Hair coloring so different?
There’s a few things that make vivid hair coloring so different from every other service, so let’s break it down for ya!
The Process
When we say “Vivid hair coloring”, we’re referring to any process that requires us to lift color from the strands before depositing it. This process often takes hours and achieved by opening the pores on the hair strands, pulling the color from them, and then re-depositing color in the strands.
All in all, it’s a time-intensive process that is definitely a labor of love!
Color Lifting
This is the most wildly varying part of the process.
There are so many things that go into the color lifting process and can change its length and intensity. Things like color, texture, and prior coloring/salon processes can change the amount of time it takes to lift color from your hair. And if you’re wishing to go from a dark color to pale, your stylist might insist on having you come back a few different times to avoid damaging your luscious locks while changing their color which can occur if too much bleaching happens. Which you probably already knew!
But did you know that medication and hormonal imbalances can impact the color lifting process???
For real though! Hair and nails are a natural filter in the body for toxins, hormonal imbalances, medications, and any other substance your body might be trying to get rid of. Which means any medication you’re taking might impact the color lifting process and cause your hair to interact with the bleach differently than hair does on a regular basis.
All in all, there are so many different factors contributing to the color lifting process that it can vary wildly! And can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to completely lift without damaging the hair strands.
The Afterprocess…
There’s a bit of an after process for your vivid dye.
Primarily, the after-care will come in the following days and rely on you to deeply nourish it with a hair mask and protect the color by avoiding hot water and steam (which opens the pores on the hair and lets color slip out).
But we do a few things after the color has been deposited to protect your hair! A deep cleansing hair mask restores some of the moisture that is naturally removed with the color lifting process, and a cold water is used to seal the color into the pores. So even after your hair is brought to it’s gorgeous new color, there’s a few things we do to ensure its health.
What You Might Need To Do
One of the hardest things on hair is to go through a coloring process, so afterward you’ll want to deep moisturize your hair at least once a week to keep it healthy as it grows out. Most often, you can utilize our products as both a conditioner and as a mask, the difference being how long you leave it in. But using any good deep hydrating conditioner will help your hair stay healthy and prevent the dreaded frizz that is so common in colored hair!
One thing to keep in mind is that hair dye is not forever. All hair dye slowly fades, so most vibrant colors need to be re-touched from time to time. If you want it to stay super vibrant, we recommend you get it recolored every 5-8 weeks depending on how often you shampoo it.
Overall, we want to give you the best color with the healthiest hair possible which is why the afterprocess is so intensive.
What You’re NOT Charged For:
Products!
Coloring, toner, foils, shampoos, conditioner, every single product that gets utilized while bringing vibrant colors to your gorgeous hair are included in the hourly rate which means you’re never charged extra for them.
So although cuts and additional treatments have their own prices, you’re never charged for the products involved in actually bringing those gorgeous colors to your gorgeous self!
Got more questions? We’d be happy to chat and give you any information you’d like!