Your Ultimate Guide To The Best Highlight Salons in NYC

Your hair is your power move. In a city that never hits pause, your look speaks before you do, and nothing refreshes your vibe like a perfectly placed highlight. From downtown creatives to uptown professionals, New Yorkers know that when it comes to color, it’s all about precision, personality, and polish. But with salons on nearly every block, how do you know which ones are actually worth your time—and your hair?

That’s where we come in. At Thomas Taft Salon, we’ve seen firsthand how transformative great highlights can be. This guide is your insider pass to navigating the best highlight salons in NYC—from what makes a salon truly stand out to how to choose the right style for you. Whether you're craving a soft sun-kissed glow or bold, dimensional color, we're here to help you find the perfect place (and people) to bring your hair goals to life.

What Makes a Great Highlight Salon?

At Thomas Taft Salon, we believe that a truly great highlight salon is more than just good lighting and trendy decor—it’s about delivering consistent, beautiful results while prioritizing the health of your hair. It starts with our team of experienced, color-trained stylists. We don’t just “do highlights”—we study them. We understand how to read undertones, blend seamlessly, and customize techniques based on your hair type, lifestyle, and goals. We use only top-tier, nourishing products that are ammonia-free and kind to your hair. Every client gets an in-depth consultation because we want to make sure your color works with your skin tone, your haircut, and your overall vibe. Our mission is to give you highlights that not only look amazing on day one but also grow out beautifully and stay healthy in the process. And of course, we keep our space warm, clean, and welcoming—so you always feel comfortable and cared for when you visit us.

Types of Highlights We Offer

At Thomas Taft Salon, we offer a full range of highlighting techniques because no two clients—and no two heads of hair—are the same. For those looking for that classic, high-contrast look, traditional foil highlights are a great choice. They offer precise placement and a dramatic finish. If you're more into that effortless, low-maintenance vibe, balayage is our go-to. This hand-painted technique gives a soft, natural, sun-kissed look that grows out beautifully. Want just a touch of brightness? Babylights are ultra-fine and delicate, perfect for adding shimmer without obvious lines. Face-framing highlights are a subtle way to brighten up your look and add dimension around the hairline (a favorite among our clients who want a refresh without a full overhaul). And if you’re all about easy upkeep, our lived-in color techniques blend beautifully with your natural tone, giving you that “I just woke up like this” glow with minimal maintenance.

How to Choose the Right Highlight Style for You?

Choosing the right highlight style is all about understanding what works for you. At Thomas Taft, we take the time to really get to know your hair, your lifestyle, and your preferences. We look at your base color, your hair’s length and texture, how often you’re willing to come in for touch-ups, and even your wardrobe and personality. Warm vs. cool tones are also key—some people glow in golden hues while others shine in ashier tones. That’s why we always recommend bringing in photo references during your consultation. It helps us understand your vision and make personalized suggestions. We also love guiding our clients through seasonal changes—lighter and brighter in the warmer months, richer and deeper when it’s cold out. Whether you want a dramatic transformation or a barely-there shimmer, we’ll make sure your highlights fit you like your favorite outfit.

Tips for Maintaining Your Highlights

Once you leave our salon with your fresh new color, we want to make sure you know exactly how to take care of it. Beautiful highlights deserve beautiful upkeep. First, always use a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo—this helps preserve your tone and keeps your hair from drying out. Weekly deep conditioning is a must, especially if you’ve gone lighter. Your hair needs hydration to stay shiny and strong. We also recommend coming in for regular gloss treatments to refresh the tone and maintain that salon-fresh look. 

When it comes to heat styling, be gentle. Always use a heat protectant and avoid overdoing it with flat irons or curling wands. And if you're a swimmer, be careful with chlorine—it can mess with your color fast. With the right care, your highlights will keep turning heads long after you leave our chair.

Why Choose Us: The Thomas Taft Salon Difference

If you’re searching for the best highlight salon in NYC, look no further. At Thomas Taft Salon, highlights are our specialty—and it shows. Our colorists are not just technically skilled, they’re true artists. From buttery blondes to dimensional brunettes, we craft custom colors that’s tailored to your look and lifestyle. We’ve built a reputation for our seamless blending, soft transitions, and bold yet wearable color transformations.

But it’s not just about the final result—it’s the whole experience. Our salon is modern, chill, and full of good vibes. We care deeply about our clients, and it shows in the way we consult, the way we treat your hair, and the way we make you feel from start to finish. Whether you’re booking your first balayage or you’re a highlight regular ready for a glow-up, we’re here to make it happen. Our most requested services include custom blonding, rich dimensional color for brunettes, and trend-driven tones that still feel timeless.

Ready to experience it for yourself? Head over to Thomas Taft Salon and book your consultation with one of our expert colorists. We’ll help you find the perfect highlight style—and make sure you leave feeling like the best version of yourself.

Conclusion

Let’s be honest—there are a lot of salons in NYC. But when it comes to highlights, not all salons are created equal. It takes real expertise to deliver color that’s fresh, flattering, and functional for your everyday life. Whether you’re dreaming of soft, natural shimmer or bold, statement-making color, finding the right team is key. We combine top-tier technique with a personalized, client-first approach that ensures you love your look every single time. Your highlights should enhance your natural beauty, not overpower it—and they should grow out gracefully, not give you anxiety. So if you're ready for color that’s modern, manageable, and totally you, we’d love to have you in our chair.

Come see why we’re one of the best highlight salons in NYC. Your perfect hair day starts here.