Root regrowth is one of the most common reasons clients book a salon appointment. Whether you color to cover grey, maintain a rich brunette, or keep blonde roots from creating a harsh contrast, knowing when to come in — and what the service actually involves — helps you protect your color investment and avoid unnecessary damage.
At Burman & Co in Lone Tree, Colorado, root touch-ups are one of our most booked services. Here's a practical guide to how often you should schedule one, what happens during the appointment, and how to stretch the time between visits without sacrificing how your color looks.
Ready to book your root touch-up? Schedule an appointment or explore our coloring services.
What Is a Root Touch-Up?
A root touch-up is a color service that applies product only to the new growth at your scalp — the area that has grown out since your last appointment. It is not a full-head color. The goal is to blend the root area back into the rest of your hair so the line between natural growth and existing color disappears.
There are two main types of root touch-ups, and the one you need depends on what your existing color is:
- Tint retouch — For clients with all-over color who need the root area matched to the existing shade. This covers grey and refreshes the base tone without touching the lengths. Tint retouch at Burman & Co starts at $60.
- Lightener retouch — For clients with previously lightened or bleached hair who need the root area lifted to match the blonde or platinum tone already on the lengths. Lightener retouch at Burman & Co starts at $115.
Your stylist will determine which service is right for you based on your current color, your goal, and the condition of your hair.
How Often Should You Get a Root Touch-Up?
For most clients, the answer is every 4 to 6 weeks. That window covers the majority of hair growth rates and tolerance levels for visible regrowth. But the exact timing depends on a few personal factors.
Hair Growth Speed
The average person's hair grows about half an inch per month. If your hair grows faster than average, you may notice visible regrowth closer to the 3-week mark. If your hair grows more slowly, you may be able to stretch to 7 or even 8 weeks before the contrast becomes noticeable.
How Much Regrowth You Can Tolerate
Some clients are comfortable with a quarter-inch of root showing. Others want the line gone the moment it appears. There is no right answer — only what you prefer. If you like your color looking seamless at all times, plan on the shorter end of the 4-to-6-week range. If you do not mind a soft grow-out line, you can push toward 6 or 7 weeks.
Grey Coverage Needs
If you color primarily to cover grey, your tolerance for regrowth is usually lower because grey hair is more visible against darker natural tones. Clients covering grey often book closer to every 4 weeks to stay ahead of the contrast.
Blonde or Lightened Hair
Clients with lightened or bleached hair may be able to go slightly longer — often 5 to 8 weeks — because the contrast between natural dark roots and blonde lengths is softer at first than the contrast between grey and dark color. However, once the root band becomes visible, it can look harsh quickly, so most blonde clients still prefer to stay on a 5-to-6-week schedule.
Colorado Climate Considerations
In Lone Tree and across Colorado's south Denver metro, altitude and UV exposure can cause color to fade or shift faster than at sea level. That means your existing color may look less fresh by week 5 than it would in a lower-UV climate, which can make regrowth feel more noticeable even if the length of growth is the same. Some clients offset this by adding a toner or gloss refresh between full root touch-ups.
What Happens During a Root Touch-Up Appointment?
A root touch-up is a focused, efficient service. Here is what you can expect at Burman & Co.
Consultation
Even if you have been coming in for years, your stylist will check in at the start of every appointment. They will look at your regrowth, assess how your color has faded since the last visit, and confirm whether you want to stay with your current shade or make an adjustment. If you are covering grey, they will note whether the percentage of grey has changed, since that can affect the formula.
Color Application
The stylist applies color only to the root area — typically a band about half an inch to an inch from the scalp, depending on how much growth you have. They avoid overlapping onto previously colored hair as much as possible, because overlapping can cause buildup, banding, or unnecessary damage over time.
For lightener retouches, the stylist will often apply product to the mid-lengths for the last few minutes of processing to refresh the overall tone without doing a full bleach-out.
Processing Time
The color processes for 20 to 45 minutes depending on the service, your hair's starting level, and the target result. Your stylist will check the development periodically to make sure the color is lifting or depositing evenly.
Rinse, Tone If Needed, and Finish
After processing, the color is rinsed and the hair is shampooed and conditioned. If a toner is needed to neutralize warmth or refine the final shade, it is applied after the rinse and processed for an additional 10 to 20 minutes. The appointment finishes with a blow-dry and style so you leave with finished hair, not wet hair.
Total appointment time: A tint retouch typically takes 1.5 to 2 hours. A lightener retouch takes 2 to 3 hours, especially if a toner is included.
What Affects How Long Your Root Color Lasts?
The time between touch-ups is not just about hair growth. It is also about how well your color holds. Several factors influence that.
At-Home Products
Sulfate-based shampoos strip color faster than sulfate-free formulas. If you are washing with a standard drugstore shampoo, you may be fading your color significantly with every wash. Switching to a color-safe, sulfate-free shampoo is the single most effective change you can make. For a full routine, read our guide: How to Maintain Color-Treated Hair.
Wash Frequency
The more often you wash, the faster color fades — even with the right shampoo. If you are washing daily, try extending to every other day. Dry shampoo at the roots can help you get there without feeling oily.
Water Temperature
Hot water opens the cuticle and lets color escape. Rinsing with cool or lukewarm water, especially for the final rinse, helps seal the cuticle and lock in pigment.
Heat Styling
Flat irons, curling irons, and high-heat blow-drying accelerate fading and increase porosity, which makes future fading happen even faster. Always use a heat protectant, keep tools at the lowest effective temperature, and air-dry when you can.
Sun and Environmental Exposure
Colorado's high-altitude sun is strong year-round. UV rays break down hair pigment the same way they fade fabric. If you spend time outdoors without a hat or UV-protective hair product, your color will shift faster — especially if you are blonde or have cool-toned color.
Hard Water
Many areas in Colorado, including parts of Lone Tree and the south Denver suburbs, have hard water. Mineral deposits from hard water can coat the hair shaft, dulling color and increasing brassiness over time. A chelating shampoo used once a month helps remove that buildup and restore clarity.
Can You Stretch the Time Between Root Touch-Ups?
Yes — within reason. Here are a few strategies that work without letting your color look neglected.
Use a Root Concealer or Touch-Up Spray
Temporary root concealers are widely available and work well for hiding regrowth for a few days or a special event. They wash out with shampoo and do not damage hair. They are not a replacement for professional color, but they can buy you an extra week between appointments.
Book a Toner or Gloss Between Touch-Ups
If your root is not quite ready for a full retouch but your overall color looks dull or warm, a standalone toner or gloss can refresh the tone and add shine without the time or cost of a full root service. Many clients book a toner at the 4-week mark and a root touch-up at the 8-week mark, effectively splitting the difference.
Adjust Your Part or Style
A simple but effective trick: changing your part can hide regrowth for a few extra days because the area under the top layer of hair usually has less visible contrast. A deeper side part, a soft wave, or a textured style can all make regrowth less obvious.
Do Not Try to Touch Up at Home
Box dye and drugstore root kits are tempting when you are trying to stretch an appointment, but they often create more problems than they solve. The color rarely matches your salon formula exactly, and overlapping onto previously colored hair can cause banding, breakage, or a color correction that costs significantly more than the touch-up you were trying to avoid.
If you are considering an at-home fix, call us first. We can often suggest a temporary solution or get you in for a quick service that keeps your color on track.
Root Touch-Up Pricing at Burman & Co
- Tint Retouch: Starting at $60
- Lightener Retouch: Starting at $115
- Toner (add-on or standalone): Starting at $60
Prices vary based on hair length, density, and whether additional services are added. Your stylist will confirm the total during the consultation before starting any work. For a full breakdown of all color services, see our guide: Hair Color Pricing Explained.
How to Book a Root Touch-Up in Lone Tree
Burman & Co offers root touch-ups, full color services, and toner refreshes in Lone Tree, Colorado. We serve clients from Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Parker, Castle Rock, Greenwood Village, and across the south Denver metro. Our team has 26 years of Toni & Guy training and a consultation-first approach that makes sure you get the right service, the right color, and a clear maintenance plan before anything touches your hair.
Visit us: 8353 Willow St C1, Lone Tree, CO 80124
Call: (303) 706-9626
Book online: Contact Us
Explore more: View coloring menu | View highlights menu | How to maintain color-treated hair | Meet our team