Secret salon services that might not be on the menu

Sometimes the salon world can be a bit intimidating to step into. And as someone who had no idea what a toner was or that hair chalk was a thing before going to beauty school, I totally get it. There’s a plethora of options to choose from aside from just a basic haircut and highlight and sometimes the additional options can read more as a foreign language than a menu you can actually choose from. But being smart with a salon menu can end up saving you a lot of time and money and allow you to really maximize your experience. For example, if you know that you can do a partial color in an emergency situation and only have your stylist touch up your hair line and part line to make you appear freshly colored, you can use that to your advantage. And instead of booking that $70 root touch every single time, you can work towards a routine of stretching out your color with just a partial every other time and be in and out of the salon in an hour flat. Knowing your options is supremely important when it comes to not being taken advantage of, sticking to a beauty budget and even just booking the correct appointments when you schedule online. Here are some of my favorite secret salon services that I recommend to my clients: Glazing Average Price: $20-30 Glazing is applying a demi-permanent color to the hair, usually just at the shampoo bowl, and letting it sit for about 20 minutes. Depending on the color line used, it can last up to 8 weeks and give your hair intense shine and it can even change your tone slightly if you’d like. Because glosses (as they’re sometimes called) are not permanent and use a low volume developer, they slowly fade over time. So instead of seeing a line of demarcation like you do with permanent color, your glaze will just gently wash out. When I took a couple years off from coloring my hair, I still did a clear glaze every few months to give my hair that gorgeous shine that only seems to come from a fresh color. And if you want to see a bit more warmth in your hair or maybe add a violet hue, you can also do that with a glaze without having to damage your hair by blowing open the hair strand with a permanent color. Maintenance Trim Average Price: Complimentary-$40 I always do my maintenance trims complimentary for repeat clients, but this varies in different salons. A maintenance trim is basically a dry trim meant to remove bulk, texturize layers that have become too heavy or shapeless, shave necklines if necessary and also trim the fringe. It doesn’t typically include a shampoo or style and, generally, you’ll be in the salon for about 15 minutes. I prefer to offer this to my clients because on some styles (like a bob, for example) the shape can begin to grow out in just 3 weeks or so and while it’s not quite time to take off dead ends or additional length, there is a certain amount of reshaping needed to maintain a fresh look. However, a maintenance trim can also be as simple as just a bang trim or hairline cleanup on the neck. Brow & Lash Tinting Average Price: $20-30 With strong brows and dark lashes all the rage this year, it’s no surprise that tinting is becoming so much more popular. With these services, a little color is applied to either the brows, the lashes or both and left on for processing. Afterwards, the color is taken off and you’re left with gorgeous, natural looking dark hairs. This is a really quick service that can really enhance your facial features and save you precious time applying makeup in the morning. And most tints usually last about 8 weeks, so it’s a great investment to keep up long term. Sew.Up Average Price: $30-60 Sewing has been around in the hairstyling community for a long time, but it’s usually only reserved for editorial styling. I, however, love to use it on my everyday clients who come in to see me for a casual style and of course, for my brides. Using a needle and thread, sewing the hair can be done in as little as 15 minutes, depending on how elaborate the desired style is. This technique can be used to create something as simple as a messy bun or braid or as intricate as a full formal updo. My favorite thing about it is that instead of having a million bobby pins to pull out after wearing a style, you just cut the thread and pull it out. When I use this technique in the salon, I love to add it on to a blowout style. That way, I can create gorgeous waves for my client and then sew them up into a cute little updo. Then she has a whole week of styles to wear starting with wearing her updo, sleeping on it and then pulling it out after a day or two and letting her waves take center stage for the rest of the week. With a little dry shampoo, of course! Base Break Average Price: $20-40 I love to do base breaks for my clients in between highlight appointments to save them money, time and to take it easy on their hair, too. And because a natural, lived in color is so popular right now, a base break is the perfect compromise. A base break is simply using a permanent color at the roots where new growth has come in (usually just at the shampoo bowl) and leaving it on for about 5-10 minutes to just barely bump up the color a level. What this does is refresh the tone of the new growth to blend it into the previously colored hair, eliminating the need for a fresh set of highlights. And because you don’t let the permanent color process for a full 30 minutes, it doesn’t completely lock into the hair strand. Meaning it will fade very nicely against the old highlights and the new growth that comes in after a few weeks. I wouldn’t recommend doing this more than every other color appointment because that would give you too much room between the old highlights and the new growth. But for every few appointments, it’s the perfect way to blend color and give a slight balayage effect without the extra money and time. Partial Color Average Price: $30-50 A partial color is simply nixing the process of touching up the new growth of the entire head and instead, only working down the part line and hair line. This gives the appearance of freshly colored hair, but is usually about half the cost. Of course, this is only realistic if you stick to the colored part line for the 6-8 weeks you’ll be rocking your partial color. But for those who have a lot of grey or wear a color that can be more high maintenance, this service can really help keep you in the salon as needed without the hit to your wallet. And when I do a partial color in the salon, I always finish with a quick blowout, so it’s really a win in getting your fresh color and still receiving a gorgeous style to wear for a few days! Be sure to call your local salon if you have questions about any of these services. Each salon prices differently and has their own ideas on how to approach these services. But definitely make sure to ask! (Image via iStock)