Are Highlights More Expensive Than Full Color?

Short answer: yes, in almost every case highlights cost more than a full all-over color. But the "why" matters, because the price gap comes down to labor, product, and skill — and depending on what you actually want, the more expensive option is often the better value. Here's the honest breakdown.

The Straight Answer on Price

At most salons, including ours, highlights cost meaningfully more than single-process (all-over) color. Here's how it looks at Lee Graves Salon:

So a full head of highlights starts about $85 more than all-over color, and partial highlights run about $55 more. That gap holds across the Plano market and nationally — highlights are consistently one of the more expensive color services, while all-over color is one of the most affordable.

For the complete menu, see our pricing page.

Why Highlights Cost More

The price isn't arbitrary. Three things drive it.

Labor and Time

All-over color is a relatively fast application — the colorist mixes one formula and applies it root to end (or root only for a touch-up). A full application takes about 30-45 minutes of processing plus application time.

Highlights are far more labor-intensive. Each section of hair is individually woven, painted with lightener, and wrapped in a foil. A full head of highlights can involve 40 to 60+ foils, each placed by hand. That's often 90 minutes to two hours of hands-on work before processing even starts — and then usually a toner or gloss afterward.

More of the colorist's time equals a higher price. It's that direct.

Product

Highlights use lightener (bleach) plus toner and often a gloss to finish. All-over color typically uses a single color formula. The lightening products, foils, and finishing toners add up to more product cost per service.

Lightening also requires bond-protection products (like Olaplex or built-in bond builders) to protect the hair during the chemical process — another cost that single-process color usually doesn't need to the same degree.

Skill and Risk

Lifting hair with lightener is one of the highest-skill, highest-risk services a colorist performs. Placement, saturation, timing, and toning all have to be right, or you end up with brassiness, banding, or damage. That expertise is priced in. All-over color is more forgiving and more predictable, which keeps its price lower.

When Highlights Are Worth the Extra Cost

More expensive doesn't mean worse value. Highlights are worth the premium when:

• You want dimension. All-over color is flat and uniform by design. Highlights create depth, movement, and a sun-kissed, multi-tonal look that single-process simply can't replicate.
• You want to go lighter. You can't lighten hair with all-over color the way highlights lift it. If your goal is brighter or blonder, highlights (or balayage) are the only real path.
• You want lower maintenance in some cases. Traditional foil highlights grow out with a more visible regrowth line than balayage, but they still don't show roots as starkly as all-over color does. If you want to stretch time between appointments, a dimensional technique can help.
• You want face-framing brightness. Partial highlights concentrate brightness around the face and part — a targeted, lower-cost way to get the highlight effect without a full head.

For a deeper comparison of the two most-requested techniques, read our guide on balayage vs highlights.

When All-Over Color Is the Smarter Spend

All-over color is the better value when:

• You're covering gray. Single-process color gives full, even gray coverage — something highlights alone can't do. This is the number-one reason to choose all-over color.
• You want a rich, uniform, glossy result rather than dimension.
• You want to go darker than your natural color.
• You want the lowest per-appointment cost and don't mind more frequent root touch-ups.

We break down single-process pricing and process in detail in our post on all-over hair color cost.

The Maintenance Math Most People Miss

The sticker price of a single appointment isn't the whole story. What you'll actually spend over a year depends on how often you go back.

• All-over color shows regrowth fast because the solid color creates a clear line at the root. Most clients touch up roots every 4-6 weeks.
• Full highlights blend regrowth more gracefully and typically need attention every 6-8 weeks.
• Balayage (hand-painted) stretches furthest, often 12-20 weeks between services.

So even though highlights cost more per visit, you may go less often than with all-over color. Run the annual math for your own routine — sometimes the "more expensive" service is close to a wash once you factor in frequency, and sometimes it's genuinely pricier. Either way, you're paying for a different result.

What Determines Your Exact Price

Within these ranges, a few factors move your specific quote:

• Hair length and density — longer, thicker hair needs more foils, more product, and more time
• Partial vs full — partial highlights (top, crown, and sides) cost less than a full head
• Stylist level — most salons, including ours, price by stylist experience (Levels 1-5). A Level 1 stylist is a more affordable way to get quality highlights.
• Add-ons — toner, gloss, shadow root, and treatments may be included or added depending on the service

The only way to get an exact number is a consultation, where your colorist assesses your hair and goals. Consultations at Lee Graves Salon are complimentary.

The professional trade organization Professional Beauty Association is a good general resource on salon service standards if you want to understand what goes into professional color work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are highlights more expensive than full color?

Yes. At Lee Graves Salon, full highlights start at $220 versus $135 for single-process all-over color — about $85 more. Highlights cost more because they're far more labor-intensive (each foil is placed by hand), use more product (lightener plus toner and bond protection), and require higher skill to lift hair safely.

Why are highlights so much more work than all-over color?

All-over color is one formula applied in a single pass. Highlights require individually weaving and foiling 40-60+ sections by hand, then usually toning afterward. That's often two hours of hands-on work versus under an hour for all-over color.

Can I get highlights cheaper without sacrificing quality?

Yes — two ways. Choose partial highlights (which concentrate brightness around the face for less cost than a full head), and book with a Level 1 stylist, who offers the same professional products and salon standards at a lower price point while building their clientele.

Do highlights or all-over color last longer?

Highlights generally stretch further between appointments (6-8 weeks) than all-over color (4-6 weeks), because solid color shows a harder regrowth line. Balayage lasts longest of all (12-20 weeks). Factor appointment frequency into your true annual cost.

Which should I choose — highlights or full color?

Choose all-over color for full gray coverage, going darker, or a uniform glossy look at the lowest cost. Choose highlights for dimension, going lighter, or face-framing brightness. If you want both — rich color plus dimension — ask about a combination service at your consultation.

Book a Color Consultation

Not sure which option fits your hair, your goals, and your budget? A complimentary consultation is the best place to start. We'll look at your hair, talk through what you want, and give you an exact quote — highlights, all-over color, or a combination.

Call (972) 378-0091 or book online. You can also explore our color services or view full pricing first.

Located at 6101 Chapel Hill Blvd, Suite 103, Plano, TX 75093 — serving Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Richardson, and across DFW.