Hair It Is in Baltimore: Specialties in Color and Textured Hair

Hair It Is is a full-service salon on the Avenue in the Hampden neighborhood that focuses on color work, balayage, and techniques for textured hair, with stylists who hold 10 to 20 years of experience on staff.

What Hair It Is actually is

Hair It Is operates as an independent, owner-operated salon in a high-foot-traffic corridor near the intersection of 36th Street and The Avenue. The salon occupies a street-level storefront and typically carries 5 to 7 stylists on its roster. Its reputation in Baltimore centers on color expertise, particularly for clients seeking balayage, dimensional color, and root correction work. The salon also maintains a reliable client base for cuts and styling across all hair types, with specific emphasis on textured and curly hair care.

Services and pricing

Color services run from $80 for a single-process color refresh to $180 for full balayage. Root touch-ups cost $60 to $90 depending on the extent of regrowth and the complexity of the original color. Cuts are priced at $55 for a standard cut and $70 for more involved textured-hair cuts that require specialized sectioning and technique. Blowouts start at $30. The salon does not advertise extension services or chemical relaxers in-house, so clients seeking those treatments would need to book elsewhere. Pricing should be confirmed by calling ahead, as service costs can shift seasonally or when new stylists join the team.

How Hair It Is compares to other Baltimore salons

For color work specifically, Hair It Is competes most directly with Salon Chakra in Fells Point and The Salon Spa in Canton, both of which charge similar color-service rates ($75 to $190 for balayage). The distinction lies in volume and booking speed: Hair It Is typically books 2 to 3 weeks out for first-time color clients, while Chakra and The Salon Spa often maintain 4 to 6 week waits. For textured-hair expertise, Hair It Is ranks alongside Crown Hair Design in Mt. Washington, which operates at a smaller scale (2 stylists) and charges comparable prices but specializes more narrowly in natural texture and loc work. Clients prioritizing quick appointment availability should consider hair salons in less foot-traffic-heavy neighborhoods; those seeking a well-established neighborhood salon with steady stylists benefit from Hair It Is's stability and repeat-client base.

Who it suits and who it does not suit

Hair It Is works best for clients with longer hair who plan color work and want a stylist they can see multiple times over a year, since color maintenance requires consistency. It also suits clients with textured or curly hair seeking a cut from someone trained in that work. The salon is less ideal for clients needing extensive or frequent root corrections on very dark hair, since the cost and time commitment escalate; in those cases, a salon offering tint-bar walk-in services might be more practical. Clients expecting to walk in without an appointment should expect to wait or reschedule, as Hair It Is operates by appointment only.

What the first visit involves

Book a consultation call or in-person visit to discuss color goals, bring reference photos if pursuing balayage or dimensional color, and plan for a longer appointment on the first visit (often 2 to 3 hours for color work). The stylist will assess your hair texture, porosity, and current color to outline a realistic timeline. If you are transitioning from a previous color or have textured hair, the consultation helps establish whether the work can be done in one session or requires multiple appointments. Arrive with clean hair if possible for color services.

Hours, parking, and logistics

Hair It Is operates Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday. Street parking is available along The Avenue but is competitive on weekends; the Hampden Avenue lot two blocks north offers paid parking. The salon is accessible by the Charm City Circulator's Orange Line via the 36th Street stop. Most stylists accept card and cash; confirm payment method when you call to book.

Hair It Is has stayed rooted in Hampden for over a decade, which reflects a stable stylist roster and a client base that values continuity over trendy churn.