The hairdressers in Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen worth booking for a women's cut, colour, balayage, keratin, an event blowout or beach braids, with hours, locations, price bands and how to protect your hair from sun and salt.
Beauty Santa Salon is the best hairdresser in Santa Teresa for a women's cut or colour in 2026, with 104 Google reviews at a perfect score. Almendra is the pick for a full colour or balayage with natural products, Shusha is the seven day option north of the cruce, and La Santa Trenza does the beach braids.
The short version
Santa Teresa has six places where a woman can get her hair done properly, and they split into three kinds. The salons that do colour, balayage, and keratin all day are Beauty Santa Salon on the Cóbano road, Almendra above Super Ronny 1, and Shusha at Playa Banana. The spa with a chair is Aurora in Plaza Royal, which is the place for a wash, treatment, and blow dry before dinner. Jenny's in Santa Fe is the local salón for a cut at the local price. La Santa Trenza is a braiding studio near La Lora, and it is the only one that does box braids and cornrows that survive a week in the water.
Prices are not published by any of them, which is normal here. Expect ₡12,000 to ₡20,000 ($24 to $40) for a women's cut, ₡40,000 to ₡80,000 for a full colour or balayage depending on length, and ₡50,000 to ₡90,000 for a keratin treatment. Every salon quotes on WhatsApp within a few hours, and the quote is in colones.
Beauty Santa Salon
Beauty Santa Salon is on the Cóbano road as it leaves Santa Teresa, and its Google record, 5.0 from 104 reviews, is the best of any salon on the coast. Regulars describe careful colour work and a stylist who listens rather than pushing the cut she wants to do, and the reviews mention balayage and highlights more than any other service.
Hours are 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday and Sunday, closed Saturday. Book on WhatsApp at least two days ahead for colour, since a balayage takes three hours and the salon is small. Cuts can sometimes be fitted in next day. Who it suits: anyone who wants colour done properly and is willing to plan around the odd day off. The caveat: closed Saturday, which is when most visitors have time.
Almendra Spa, Beauty and Salon
Almendra is upstairs next to Super Ronny 1 on the main road at Playa Carmen and calls itself a high end hair salon with natural colour and products, alongside massage, skincare, nails, and waxing. Google reviews sit at 4.8 from 148, and the hair side gets praised for colour that holds up in the sun, which matters more here than anywhere.
Hours are 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm Sunday, the widest of any salon in town, and WhatsApp is +506 8844 5646. Regulars note that Almendra can usually get you in without the two week wait that the busiest nail and hair places demand in high season. The honest review theme: a few English speaking clients say the owner can be brusque if you question the price, so ask for the quote in the message and confirm before you sit down. Who it suits: colour, balayage, and toner work with natural lines, and anyone who wants a massage in the same building. The caveat: it is spa priced, the highest of the three colour salons.
Shusha Spa and Beauty
Shusha is at Playa Banana, about a kilometre north of the cruce on the main road, and it is open 9am to 6pm seven days a week, which makes it the easiest booking for anyone staying at the north end of town. Google reviews sit at 4.9 from 37, and they are mostly women describing a cut, colour, or blowout plus nails or a facial in one visit.
Shusha does not publish prices or a website, so send a WhatsApp with a photo and your hair length and expect a quote the same day. Who it suits: anyone north of the football field who wants a salon within walking distance, and combined hair and nails appointments before a wedding or a night out. The caveat: fewer reviews than the other two colour salons, so ask to see recent colour work on the phone before you commit to a balayage.
Aurora Spa and Salon
Aurora in Plaza Royal has run since 2019 and sells hair as part of a spa menu: its own signature combination is a haircut, deep hydration treatment, and blow dry, which is exactly what most people want after three weeks of salt water. Google reviews sit at 4.7 from 82, the site claims TripAdvisor recognition in 2024, and bookings through the site are confirmed within two hours.
Hours are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm or 6pm depending on season, closed Sunday, and a 15% discount applies when you book two or more services in high season. A notice on the site in 2026 mentioned a temporary move to Mal Pais while the Plaza Royal space is rebuilt, so confirm the address when you book. Who it suits: an event blowout, a hydration treatment, and anyone who wants a facial or lash lift in the same visit. The caveat: it is not the place for a full colour change; the colour specialists above are.
Salón de belleza y barbería Jenny
Jenny's is the neighbourhood salón in Santa Fe, up behind the main road on the Cóbano side, and it does women's cuts, colour, and blowouts alongside the men's barbering it is better known for (see the barbers guide). Google reviews are 5.0 from ten, all in Spanish.
Hours are 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 7pm on Monday and Friday, shorter afternoons midweek and Saturday, closed Sunday, with a real lunch break. Prices are at the local end: expect ₡10,000 to ₡15,000 for a cut and blow dry. Who it suits: residents who want a straightforward cut or root touch up at a Tico price. The caveat: Spanish only, and colour products are the standard salon lines rather than the natural ranges Almendra sells.
La Santa Trenza
La Santa Trenza is a braiding studio at Playa La Lora Amarilla in the middle of Santa Teresa, open 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday. It does the beach braids: cornrows, box braids, boho braids with extensions, and fishtail sets for a wedding. Google reviews are 5.0 from three, so the record is short, but the Instagram account shows consistent work and the studio is the only dedicated braider in town.
Braids are priced by style and time. Expect ₡15,000 to ₡25,000 for a simple set of cornrows and ₡40,000 upward for full box braids with extensions, and book two or three days ahead in high season. Who it suits: anyone who wants to stop fighting salt water for a fortnight, and bridesmaids. The caveat: tight braids plus daily sun means you need a scalp SPF, which nobody remembers to pack.
Sun, salt and your hair
Everyone who stays here longer than two weeks ends up with the same problem: bleached ends, a dry scalp, and colour that has drifted brassy. The stylists above see it every day and their advice is consistent. Rinse in fresh water before and after every surf, so the hair absorbs less salt. Use a leave in conditioner with UV protection every morning. Book a deep hydration treatment (Aurora and Almendra both sell one, ₡15,000 to ₡25,000) every two to three weeks rather than a keratin, which straightens and seals but does not fix damage. Wait at least 48 hours after colour before you surf, and a week if you can. And if you are here for the season, get a gloss or toner every six weeks instead of a full colour, which is cheaper and kinder to hair that already has enough to deal with.
The dust in dry season is its own problem. The insects, heat and dust guide explains why your hair feels like a broom by February.
How to choose
| Salon | Where | Best for | Hours | Price band (cut) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty Santa Salon | Cóbano road | Colour, balayage, careful cuts | 10 to 6, closed Saturday | ₡12,000 to ₡20,000 |
| Almendra | Above Super Ronny 1, Playa Carmen | Natural colour, cut plus massage | 10 to 6 daily, Sun to 4 | ₡15,000 to ₡25,000 |
| Shusha | Playa Banana, north of the cruce | Hair and nails together, seven days | 9 to 6 daily | ₡12,000 to ₡20,000 |
| Aurora | Plaza Royal (confirm) | Blowout, hydration, event hair | 10 to 5 or 6, closed Sunday | ₡15,000 to ₡25,000 |
| Jenny's | Santa Fe | Cuts and root touch ups at local prices | Mon and Fri to 7, closed Sunday | ₡10,000 to ₡15,000 |
| La Santa Trenza | La Lora Amarilla | Braids | Tue to Sun 10 to 5 | ₡15,000 to ₡40,000+ |
The price bands are estimates from what regulars report; no salon in Santa Teresa publishes a list, and a quote depends on hair length and product. Ask on WhatsApp and you will have a number in colones within a few hours.
Practical notes
Book colour a week ahead from December to April and at least two days ahead the rest of the year. Right now, in late September, most salons can fit a cut in the same day and colour within two days.
Pay in colones. Cash works everywhere, the salons take cards and SINPE Móvil, and the price is set in colones, so dollars cost you the rounding. See ATMs and money for the cheapest way to get cash.
Send a photo. Every stylist here works from a reference, and "balayage" means five different things depending on where you learned the word. A photo plus your current colour plus a note on when it was last done gets you an accurate quote and a realistic answer about whether it can be done in one sitting.
Products are limited. The salons stock professional lines, but if you use a specific purple shampoo or bond builder, bring it, because the pharmacies and supermarkets in town do not carry much beyond the basics. The packing list has the rest.
For nails, lashes, and brows at the same salons, read the nail salons and lashes guide. For facials, sauna, and body treatments, see spas, sauna and ice baths. Browse every salon and spa at the /directory/heal hub.
FAQ
How much does a women's haircut cost in Santa Teresa?
Plan on ₡12,000 to ₡20,000 ($24 to $40) for a cut and blow dry at the salons in Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen in 2026, and ₡10,000 to ₡15,000 at Jenny's in Santa Fe. Full colour or balayage runs ₡40,000 to ₡80,000 depending on length, and keratin ₡50,000 to ₡90,000. Every salon quotes on WhatsApp.
Where can I get balayage or highlights in Santa Teresa?
Beauty Santa Salon on the Cóbano road has the strongest review record for colour, Almendra above Super Ronny 1 uses natural colour lines, and Shusha at Playa Banana does colour seven days a week. Send a photo of your hair and the result you want, and book two or three days ahead outside high season.
Can I get a keratin treatment in Santa Teresa?
Yes, at Beauty Santa Salon, Almendra, and Shusha, priced by length and usually ₡50,000 to ₡90,000. Ask which system they use and plan 48 hours without washing or tying your hair afterwards, which means no surfing. In humid green season a keratin holds frizz down for about three months.
Where do I get braids in Santa Teresa?
La Santa Trenza at Playa La Lora Amarilla is the braiding studio, open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm. It does cornrows, box braids, boho braids with extensions, and event styles. Book a few days ahead in high season and bring or buy a scalp sunscreen.
Which salon is best for a blowout before a wedding or dinner?
Aurora in Plaza Royal sells a cut, hydration, and blow dry combination and confirms bookings within two hours. Shusha at Playa Banana and Almendra at Playa Carmen also do event blowouts and can add nails or a facial in the same appointment. Book the morning of the event and allow an hour.
How do I stop the sun and salt wrecking my hair here?
Rinse in fresh water before and after surfing, use a leave in conditioner with UV protection, and book a deep hydration treatment every two to three weeks rather than a keratin. Wait 48 hours after colour before you get in the ocean, and switch to a gloss or toner every six weeks instead of a full colour if you are staying the season.