Long Island hair salons offering budget-friendly holiday blowouts starting at $20

As the calendar fills up with holiday parties and get-togethers with friends, family and co-workers through to the New Year, carve out a little time to yourself to de-stress by way of taming your tresses with shampoo and a blowout. And keeping the holiday budget in mind, you'll want do it all by nabbing a discount. 

"People don't have $80, $90 to spend on a blowout," says Alexandra Ali, 27, of Commack, who hosts morning and afternoon shows at WBLI/106.1 FM. Whether it’s a holiday or a special occasion, like a work event or her nephew’s recent baptism, she heads to Cactus Salon in Commack or The Salon in East Northport, where her blowout is half the price. "They last all week. So, I just go get my hair done and I know I'm set for the week. I don't even have to worry about it," she says.

At J1 Hair Studio in Massapequa, Cactus and other salons across Long Island, you can score a holiday 'do for under $50.

"The holidays are usually packed, from morning to night," says Yan Wang, manager of J1. The Massapequa salon is one of three J salons in Nassau seeing a spike in holiday customers.

Plan-ahead style for $40

Cactus Salons and The Salon are both part of The Long Island Salon Group, which now has three brands, the third being The Salon Company at Saks Fifth Avenue in the Walt Whitman Shops, notes owner Joe Secreti.

"Generally, and especially around the holidays, appointments are suggested," says Secreti, noting that a blowout includes shampooing and conditioning. "We would take a walk-in if we have availability, but availability gets a little scarce around the holiday, so it’s a little more difficult around that time."

Prices for blowouts at their salons vary depending on location, hair length and style, says Samantha Solarsh, chief operating officer of The Long Island Salon Group. "Long hair is typically more. A glamour blowout, which might include some hot tools and things, is more," Solarsh says.

Prices at the Cactus salons start at $40 for a regular blowout. For longer hair, it’s typically $50 or $60. If you're feeling really fancy, a glamour blowout with styling typically runs $60.

A half-hour walk-in for $20 

At the J salons — J1 Hair Studio in Massapequa, J2 Hair Salon in North Massapequa and J3 Hair Studio in Levittown — blowouts start at $20 for a basic shampoo and brush blow. Curly hair starts at $22, and prices go up to $24 for styling with a flat iron, notes Wang.

The three J salons take appointments and accept walk-ins for blowouts.

"We are a full-service hair salon. Other than blowouts, we do haircuts, color, we do keratin, perm, highlights — everything," says Wang, noting that a typical wash and blowout will have you in and out in about 35 minutes. The salons don't take appointments on Thanksgiving eve, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Holiday party-ready for $35 

Clients can opt for a regular wash and blow dry, which takes about 30 minutes at Lumara of NY Salon & Day Spa, notes Jennifer Salamone, manager of the North Massapequa salon.

"Or, if they were going somewhere like a holiday party or something, they can add curls or waves to it as well," says Salamone, noting that the salon takes both walk-ins and appointments. "Usually we can accommodate, it’s just not guaranteed around the holidays unless an appointment is booked."

Prices start at $35 for a regular wash and blowout. A blowout for longer hair runs $45 and could take an extra 15 to 30 minutes depending on the length. For curls or waves, it’s an additional $10.

The holidays are always a busy time for blowouts at the salon.

"Our regular clients always make sure they can get in for their Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve," Salamone says. "They always book ahead. And a lot of people do go to holiday parties, so December we’re pretty booked up."

Depending on a client’s hair type — oily, straight or curly — a blowout can look good for days.

"If someone has curly hair and they go three days without washing, every time you shower with the steam, it flattens or you get curly pieces around the hairline," Salamone says. "It depends on the weather and the humidity. When you get a blowout from a salon compared to washing it at home, you get a different type of shampoo, they scrub it differently, so it does stay longer in general."