It’s one of the most common questions that we hear at 212 Salon and Day Spa. You’ve fallen in love with your new look, and on your way out the door, you’ll stop at reception to ask, “when should I book my next appointment?”

The timeline for coming back to the salon for your next touch-up or maintenance appointment will depend on the treatment you’re using and the condition of your hair. There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer for when you should book your next haircut.

We’re breaking down six of the most popular appointment types to help you determine when to book your next appointment at 212 Salon and Day Spa. Your stylist will also be able to help you decide when to pop back in for your next haircut or color treatment.

Women’s Haircuts: 5 to 8 Weeks Between Appointments

There’s a common misconception that the ‘8 week rule’ applies to all women’s haircuts. You’ll want to stick to a regular timeframe like this if your haircut has a specific shape, such as a graphic silhouette or a bob.

8 weeks is also an ideal time frame for women with longer hair who want to maintain their shape and overall length. Waiting longer than this between haircuts can lead to split ends and result in more hair needing to be cut at your next appointment to maintain your hair’s overall health.

You’ll want to book in for a women’s haircut on a more regular basis if you have shorter hair. Frequent trims can help to maintain your hair’s overall health and shape while helping to avoid split ends.

Men’s Haircuts: 4 to 6 Weeks Between Appointments

Men will usually require more regular haircuts than women to maintain the shape of their shorter hair. We recommend waiting 4 to 6 weeks between men’s haircuts. If you have a crew cut, skin fade, or buzz cut, you’ll want to book in for more regular treatments every 2 to 3 weeks to maintain the sharpness and shape.

The speed of your hair’s growth will largely determine how often you should book in for a men’s haircut. Regular haircuts every 4 to 6 weeks will let you blend your bear into the side of your hair, tidy up your neck hair, and polish your edges.

If you’re planning to grow your hair, you’ll want to work with your hairstylist to determine how often you should wait between appointments. While it may seem counterproductive to cut your hair when trying to grow it, regular trims can boost your hair’s overall health and condition, helping you reach your desired length quicker.

Your hair stylist will be able to advise you on treatments and appointments when they become familiar with your hair texture and growth pattern.

Grey Coverage: 4 to 6 Weeks Between Appointments

Choosing when to book your next grey coverage appointment is largely up to personal preference. The regularity of your appointments will depend on your hair’s rate of growth and texture.

Most people will start to notice their roots reappearing around the 4-week mark, making it an ideal time to book in for a touch-up if you want to completely conceal your grey hair.

If you don’t mind a little grey showing, you can extend the time between appointments to 5 or 6 weeks without losing the shine or color of your hair. However, the intensity of your chosen grey coverage color will dull with time. Gloss treatments are the perfect way to boost the intensity of your hair color and cover any grey hair in the process.

Highlights: 6 to 8 Weeks Between Appointments

Foil highlights should be touched up every 6 to 8 weeks to maintain their vibrancy, especially if you have blonde highlights. Most clients will also choose to book a regular haircut and toner treatment every 4 to 6 weeks to keep the overall look of their highlights.

You’ll want to consider the contrast between your highlights and natural color when booking your follow-up appointments. Waiting too long can make it difficult for the foils to lift and evenly deposit your color.

Over washing your hair, particularly if you have an oily scalp, may require you to book more frequent appointments as the color will dull with each wash. Rinsing your hair with cold water and using a heat protectant can help boost the lifespan of your highlights and let you go a few weeks longer between treatments.

Balayage: 10 to 12 Weeks Between Appointments

If you’re debating between getting foil highlights or a balayage treatment, the maintenance involved is something you want to consider. A balayage is relatively low maintenance with most clients able to go 10 to 12 weeks between appointments. Your balayage should look natural as the color is less intense than highlights, giving you extra time between treatments.

You’ll still want to book in for a toner re-fresh and trim every 4 to 6 weeks while waiting up to 12 weeks for your next balayage treatment. Regular toner treatments will keep your balayage looking fresh and reduce any unwanted brassiness for blonde hair.

Maintenance Toner: 4 to 6 Weeks

You’ll usually want to wait two months before coming back in for your next appointment to give your new color time to naturally fade, especially if you’re rocking contrasting highlights. However, you don’t want to forget about your maintenance toner. Maintenance toner and root touch-ups for color-treated hair should usually be booked in on a 4-week cycle.

A maintenance toner will give you more time between color treatments, including highlights and balayage. Your toner treatment will add a natural gloss and shine to your hair, sealing in moisture to boost your hair’s health.

These timeframes between hair appointments are general guidelines to follow. Your stylist is the best person to recommend when you should book your next haircut once they become more familiar with your hair type, particularly for color treatments.

Book your next haircut or color treatment at 212 Salon and Day Spa using our online booking system.