Gray Hair Coverage at a Hair Color Bar: What to Expect

A Hair Color Bar is a salon dedicated to professional hair color – and at a Madison Reed Hair Color Bar, a licensed colorist covers your gray with permanent or demi-permanent, ammonia-free color in less time, and for a fraction of the cost of a traditional salon. If you’re weighing a gray coverage hair salon but aren’t sure what the experience is like – or whether the color will be consistent visit to visit – here’s exactly what to expect.

What Is a Hair Color Bar?

Unlike a full-service salon that offers cuts, styling, and everything in between, a Hair Color Bar focuses on one thing: expert hair color. Madison Reed has over 95 Hair Color Bars nationwide and more than five million women have made the switch. Every service uses Madison Reed’s own Smart 8-Free color, formulated without ammonia and other harsh ingredients*, so there is no intense smell during your appointment. Because the Hair Color Bars specialize in color, you’re in and out in less time than a typical salon appointment, at a fraction of the cost.

*Formulated without ammonia, parabens, resorcinol, PPD, phthalates, gluten, SLS, and titanium dioxide.

What Gray Coverage Services Can You Book?

Several services cover gray, depending on your color goals:

• Roots – permanent color applied to your regrowth only. The go-to for routine gray maintenance every few weeks.

• All-Over Color – permanent or demi-permanent color from roots to ends, for full, even gray coverage or a color change.

• Roots + Gloss – permanent or demi-permanent color on the roots, plus a semi-permanent gloss that refreshes tone and shine on your mid-lengths and ends. Ideal if your color tends to fade between visits.

• Highlights or Roots + Highlights – accent or partial hand-painted balayage or foil highlights to blend gray with dimension, on their own or alongside a root touch-up.

• Blowout – an optional add-on to send you out styled.

How to Book Your Gray Coverage Appointment

Find your nearest bar on the Hair Color Bar locations page, book online or walk in, and take the Color Match Quiz beforehand so your colorist has a head start on your shade. 

Refer a friend and you’ll each get $30 off.

Will It Cover Stubborn or Resistant Gray?

Yes. Hair Color Bar services use permanent, high-pigment color designed to cover gray –  including the coarse, wiry, resistant grays that don’t always take color at home – and your colorist tailors the formula and processing time to your hair. 

One longtime guest who’d been covering her gray for over 20 years was skeptical it would cover her stubborn gray; her colorist talked through her concerns, chose a shade, and delivered full, natural-looking coverage (read her Hair Color Bar review). Want the science on shades that cover gray? See hair color that’s actually designed to cover gray and how to cover resistant gray hair.

Is the Experience Consistent If I See a Different Colorist?

This is the most common concern – and the short answer is yes. At a traditional salon, your color can change when your stylist is booked or moves on, because different stylists use different products and take different approaches. Hair Color Bars work differently in two ways. First, every Hair Color Bar uses the same Madison Reed color line, so the products never change from location to location. Second, your colorist logs your exact formula and notes to your client profile after each visit – so any colorist at any Hair Color Bar can pull up your record and recreate your color.

That’s exactly what the longtime guest above found: when a different colorist did her second appointment, the approach was consistent because the colorist had her previous visit’s details on hand. 

The trade-off to know about: you generally can’t hand-pick a specific stylist the way you might at a salon – but the standardized color and shared records help keep your gray coverage looking the same every time.

How Much Does It Cost, and How Long Does It Take?

Because Hair Color Bars specialize in color, a root service is quick and priced for a fraction of the cost of a typical salon visit. Exact pricing depends on the service and location, so check your local hair colorbar on the locations page. 

If you cover gray often, a Limitless Pro+ membership lets you get your roots done as often as you like each month for one price. You can book online or walk in, and many bars have weeknight and Sunday hours.

Hair Color Bar vs. Covering Gray at Home

Both get you great gray coverage. The best option depends on your needs: 

• Color at home with Radiant Cream Color or a Root Perfection Root Touch Up when you want maximum convenience and the lowest cost, and you’re comfortable applying color yourself.

• Visit a Hair Color Bar when you’d rather a pro handle it, your gray is especially stubborn, or you want highlights and lowlights to blend gray with dimension.

Many people do both: a Hair Color Bar visit for professional color, then at-home root touch-ups, and a gloss to stretch the time between appointments. For the complete picture, see our gray coverage guide.