How can I tell that a touch-up is due?

Usually by three signs: the regrowth looks dense instead of soft, the ends drift toward yellow or copper tones, and the lightest sections sit lower than planned because the hair has grown out. Once two of these apply, it's worth booking an appointment. Feel free to send us a photo in daylight beforehand — that way we can estimate the work involved more accurately.

What exactly happens at a touch-up appointment?

First, a consultation on unstyled, dry hair and a strand test on a section at the nape. Then we apply the lightener only to the regrown lengths, deliberately overlapping as little as possible to protect previously treated hair. After rinsing, a toner follows to even out the shade, then care treatment and a cut.

Do I have to lighten everything from scratch each time?

No. As a rule, we only work on the regrown sections and a few contours around the face. A complete repositioning is only needed if your hair's growth pattern or your cut has changed significantly, or if you'd like a different overall look.

What determines the price?

The time required: hair length and density, number of strands, the degree of contrast between roots and ends, and whether toning and a cut are included. That's why we give you a binding price range during the consultation, before the first strand is placed.

How should I prepare for the appointment?

Come with washed but not freshly washed hair — one to two days old is ideal, as the scalp is better protected then. Please avoid dry shampoo and heavy styling products. Also bring along any information about colorations you've applied at home, including henna.

What should I do between appointments to maintain the tone?

Wash with lukewarm water and a sulfate-free shampoo, and every one to two weeks add a silver or beige toning mask. Before saunas, indoor pools, and extended sun exposure, a leave-in with UV filter helps. We'll work out together at your appointment which products suit your tone best.

Long dark blonde hair from behind with a soft balayage gradient from darker roots to lighter ends

Hair salon in Hamburg's old town

Balayage in growth

A balayage is placed so that the roots can grow out naturally. We'll show you how the colour changes over the months and when a refresh makes sense.

Request a colour appointment View balayage

Hamburg Old Town Deichstraße 5 Appointments by arrangement Balayage and colouring

Consultation on dry hair before every colour appointment

Colour gradient checked wet and dry

Recommendation for your next appointment at the end of the visit

At-home care advice tailored to your length

What happens as your hair grows

Letting the Regrowth Grow In

We place the lightening freely within the length, not right at the scalp – so as it grows out, no visible line forms, only a soft transition.

Hair grows on average about one centimetre per month. With classic colouring, this turns into a noticeable stripe after eight weeks. With a balayage, only the starting point of the gradient shifts instead – the natural colour at the crown is part of the look, not a flaw in it.

How long it looks good mainly depends on the gap between your natural colour and the lightest point. The bigger that jump, the sooner the roots become noticeable.

A difference of two to three shades grows out most inconspicuously
A lower-placed gradient extends the time between appointments
Cool blonde shifts to warm tones faster than a nutty shade
Short hair shows changes sooner than shoulder-length hair

A lifted strand of hair at the parting shows the transition from regrown natural tone to lightened length — At the parting, we check where the gradient begins and how far it has shifted.

Month by month

From Colour Appointment to Refresh

For every colour appointment, we note the shade used and the height of the regrowth line, so we can pick up exactly where we left off at your next visit.

Weeks 1 to 4 – the fresh phase

The gradient looks its clearest and the ends are at their lightest. During the first two washes, some of the toning rinses out and the tone opens up slightly. This is intentional: we tone deliberately a touch cooler than the final result should remain.
Months 2 to 3 – the tone shifts

Lightened hair now shows the first warm undertones, especially in the face-framing strands. The roots have grown around two to three centimetres and, with a low-placed gradient, still sit entirely within the natural area.
Months 4 to 5 – time for a top-up

At this stage, a tone refresh without new lightening is often enough. We neutralise any brassiness, refresh the ends, and trim off one to two centimetres of ends – which often has more impact than any new colour.
Months 6 to 8 – reworking the gradient

Now the starting point of the regrowth has shifted so far down that the gradient starts to look compressed. We place new sections, work into the newly grown length, and rebuild the transition. An appointment for this takes noticeably longer than a tone refresh.
From month 9 onward – time to decide again

If you wait longer, you have two options: rebuild the gradient, or deliberately let the lightening grow out and have it gradually cut away. We discuss both options on dry hair before we mix any colour.

1 cm

average hair growth per month

4-5 Monate

typical interval until a tone refresh

6-8 Monate

typical interval until the gradient is reworked

2-3

shades of difference keep the roots soft

Two types of appointment

Refresh or Rework?

Not every balayage appointment involves new lightening. That's why we always ask at reception how long it's been since your last colour appointment – this determines the time we schedule.

usually after 4 to 5 months

Tone refresh

No new lightening, just colour and care
Neutralises warm undertones in the lengths
Combines well with a haircut
Shorter appointment than reworking
Doesn't shift the starting point of the gradient

usually after 6 to 8 months

Reworking the gradient

New sections are worked freely into the length
The transition is adjusted to the grown length
Always finished with toning and care
Needs considerably more time in the chair
Requires a prior consultation on dry hair

Four signs

How to Tell It's Time

The calendar is only a rough guide – four things you can see yourself on dry hair in daylight are more reliable.

Frequently asked

Frequently Asked Questions About Regrowth

These points come up in our salon in Hamburg's Altstadt at almost every refresh appointment — here are our colourists' straightforward answers.

Let's talk about your project

Briefly describe what you have in mind – Salon Scherenwerk will get back to you with an assessment.

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