In 2026, a salon blowout costs about $40–$100 in most US cities before tip. Where you land in that range depends mostly on the type of salon and your metro area, not your hair length.
By salon type
Budget and chain blow-dry bars start around $20–$45. Mid-range neighborhood salons cluster at $45–$80. Premium and luxury salons charge $80–$150+, especially in major metros like New York and Los Angeles (StyleSeat / CostAnswers 2026).
Don't forget the tip
A 15–20% tip is customary, so a $50 blowout is about $58–$60 out the door. Over a year of regular visits, tips alone can add a few hundred dollars to your total.
How long does it last?
A professional blowout typically holds for about 3–5 days depending on hair type, which is why frequent blowouts get expensive fast. If you go biweekly, that habit runs north of $1,500 a year, the point at which an at-home tool starts to look like a bargain.
What a blowout habit costs per year
The per-visit price is easy to underestimate because the real number is annual. Taking a mid-range $55 blowout with a 18% tip (about $65 out the door), here is roughly what different cadences add up to over a year:
- Weekly: about 52 visits, roughly $3,400 a year
- Every two weeks: about 26 visits, roughly $1,700 a year
- Monthly: about 12 visits, roughly $780 a year
- Special occasions only (6 a year): about $390 a year
How to spend less without giving them up
- Book blow-dry bars or chains for routine visits and save the premium salon for events
- Stretch each blowout with a silk pillowcase, dry shampoo and a loose overnight pin-up
- Skip the wash-and-style combo when you can arrive with clean, towel-dried hair
- At a biweekly-or-more habit, price a one-time at-home tool against a full year of visits