Holiday Hair: Book Your Appointments Early
By Bella Garcia · · 6 min read
The holidays have a way of sneaking up on all of us. One week you're thinking about Thanksgiving, and the next you have three parties, a family photo, and a work dinner on the calendar. If you want your hair to look its best through all of it, the smartest move is to plan your holiday hair appointments early instead of hoping for an open spot the week before.
Here's how we suggest thinking about timing, which services to book when, and how to keep your hair looking good from late November through New Year's Eve.
Why Holiday Hair Appointments Fill Up Fast
The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's are usually some of the busiest of the year for any salon. Everyone wants fresh color, a clean cut, or a polished blowout for the same handful of dates. Evenings and weekends tend to go first, since that's when most people are free.
Our current hours are always in the footer of every page, so check them against your party dates before you book. Days right before big weekends, especially Fridays in December, are usually the first to fill.
A Simple Timeline for Holiday Hair
Different services work best at different distances from your event. Here's a general guide:
- 4 to 6 weeks out: Book everything. Pick your dates for color, cut, and styling now so you aren't scrambling later.
- 2 to 3 weeks out: Get your haircut. This gives the shape a little time to settle so it looks natural, not freshly chopped, in photos.
- 1 to 2 weeks out: Do your color. A root touch-up, full color, or highlights look their richest in the first couple of weeks.
- 3 to 7 days out: Add a toner if your tone has gone brassy, or a clear gloss if you just want extra shine.
- Day of or day before: Book your blowout, silk press, or updo.
Most people only need one or two of these steps.
Color Before the Holidays
If you color your hair, gray roots or faded ends tend to show up in every flash photo. A root touch-up ($100) colors just your regrowth down to mid-shaft with one permanent shade, and it's the quickest way to look polished if your ends are still in good shape. If your color feels faded all over, full color ($130) goes from root to end for an even result. Both include a blowdry.
For softer brightness, babylights ($180) brighten only the top half of your head, usually with 10 to 14 foils, while a full head of highlights ($250) runs 20-plus foils for a bolder lift. Toner and a blowdry come with either. A full highlight runs about 2 hrs 20 mins, so book it well ahead. If you're torn, we can help you choose at your appointment.
Want shine without a big change? A gloss ($100) leaves your shade alone and simply makes hair shinier. If your shade needs adjusting too, a toner ($100) adds low-commitment color plus shine. Either one a few days before your event helps hair look fresh in photos, and both include a blowdry.
Cuts and Trims
A haircut + blowdry ($90) includes a wash, custom cut and blowdry, so you get a fresh shape and a finished look in one visit. On Sundays only, the Sunday haircut special ($70) covers a haircut, wash and blowdry. If you just need cleanup, a dry haircut ($45) has no wash or blowdry, and a bang trim ($20) is a dry face-framing trim with no blowout. Bangs grow fast, so a trim a few days before your event usually keeps them sitting right.
Blowouts, Silk Presses, and Updos
This is where timing matters most. Styling should happen as close to your event as you can manage.
- Wash + blowdry: $65, or $85 with extensions. Any style you like, from sleek to bouncy. Hollywood waves and updos are an additional charge.
- Quickdry: $45 for about 40 mins. A blowdry or styling with no wash. Come in with hair wet or dry, which makes it handy for a second event the same week.
- Silk press: $110, about 1 hr 45 mins. Our hot-comb straightening style, with a detoxifying wash and blowdry beforehand.
- Updo styling: $100, about 1 hr 20 mins, wash included. Any half updo or full updo, and we’ll install accessories like bows, clips or a tiara.
Planning an updo? Since the wash is included, you don’t need to prep your hair at home; just bring a photo of the style and any accessories you want put in. This updo prep checklist has more tips.
On a budget? The Friday blowdry special ($45) runs Fridays only and covers a wash plus your pick of blowdry style, waves and updos aside; extensions cost a little more. It lands right before the weekend, which makes it a natural fit for Saturday parties.
Don't Forget the Kids
Family photos and holiday gatherings often mean the little ones need a cleanup too. For children 10 and under, we offer kid haircuts ($50), which include a wash plus styling or a blowdry, and kid styling ($45), a wash and any style of choice. Booking kids earlier in the season usually goes smoother than squeezing them in the same day as your own appointment.
Make Your Holiday Style Last
If you have several events close together, a few habits can stretch one blowout across more than one night:
- Sleep on satin or silk, or tie hair up loosely in a scarf overnight.
- Use dry shampoo at the roots before oil shows, not after.
- Skip heavy products that weigh hair down.
- Keep a shower cap handy to protect your style from steam.
For a full day-by-day plan, see how to stretch one blowout across a week of parties.
If you know you'll want regular blowouts through the season, our blowdry memberships can make it easier. TIER 1 ($104/month) includes 2 blowdry services a month in any style, with one unused blowdry able to roll over, or $144 with extensions. TIER 2 ($208/month) includes 4 blowouts plus a scalp treatment add-on, with one blowout able to roll over, or $288 with extensions. In both tiers, Hollywood waves and updo styling are an additional charge.
Booking With Beya Studios
We're a hair salon in El Monte, and early November is a great time to lock in your holiday dates. You can see what each service includes on our holiday-ready service list, then book online with the BOOK button.
If you have questions about which service fits your plans, message us about your event dates or call or text us at 626-488-4691.
FAQ
How far ahead should I book holiday hair appointments?
We usually suggest booking 4 to 6 weeks ahead, especially for Friday and evening slots in December. Even if your exact plans aren't set, holding a date is easier than finding one last minute.
Should I color or cut my hair first before a holiday event?
Cut first, about 2 to 3 weeks out, then color 1 to 2 weeks out. That way the shape has time to settle and your color is at its freshest for photos.
When should I get a blowout for a Saturday party?
The day before usually works well, and Friday is also when the Friday blowdry special runs. With a silk pillowcase and a little dry shampoo, a Friday blowout often still looks great the next night. Check the footer for current hours before you book.
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