getting your hair done is expensive!!! Why?

Hi Kelly,

If those are the prices in your area, consider yourself darned lucky!

I pay $115. just for highlights.

I`m concerned when you say, " Is this a profit or what?" Do you think stylists are charity workers? Many have families (not forgetting themselves) to support.

First of all, if people don`t make a profit, then they starve! However, all the "extra" money doesn`t go into their pockets. Especially for a salon owner, there is the cost of the rental of the space or he has to buy the business or building. Then there are electricity costs and water costs. Of course, Uncle Sam takes a huge chunk for taxes. There are many, many other costs that I`m leaving out. There are not just the raw products to buy for services, but chairs, and all the equipment in the salon. Often, stylists have to pay "rent" for their stations, and if they charged much less, they simply wouldn`t make it in the world. There are exceptions, but how many *rich* stylists do you know? The average stylist is not wealthy in the least!

However, to me, there is one reason for justification for the price: experience. It`s true that some people can perform these services at home for a mere fraction of the cost, and that`s great! But I personally don`t want to mess around with chemicals and my hair at home -- especially highlighting. My hair is already blonde, and that`s a very risky process to highlight at home. Also, professional beauticians are educated in their field. You pay for a doctor and lawyer`s expertise, and stylists are no different. The more experienced and talented the stylist, *very generally* the more you pay.

Btw, I hope that you are tipping at least 15% to your stylist if he (or she) is doing a good job. A lot of young stylists that I know still live with their parents because they simply aren`t making enough money to live by themselves.

Jennifer

$40.00 American would equals about $ 80.00 Canadian. Now does it sound cheaper for you? lol Personally I think it is worth every penny to have someone professional do the job. When I had my spiral done it cost $ 100.00 and it took four to six stylist to do mine because I have long hair so did they really make money? It took hours.
What really makes me laugh is that you can pay $12.00 to over $ 30.00 for just a haircut. Once they have their name they make the money especially here for sure.

Basically, I aggree with the views expressed above. There is a market for all kinds of styling, both
of physical and chemical nature, and you can`t really blame the stylists for putting a price tag on
something that requires time, an investment, overhead.

However, I will make several reservations: firstly, many places have a flat rate for a woman`s cut that`s more expensive than for men. That is appalling. Don`t tell me it`s more difficult to cut womens`
hair - it depends. If a woman with long hair comes in for a straight or oval trim, that should, by
that standard, be cheaper than a carefully barbered mens` cut. If a woman gets a real short cut
(those are rare nowadays), a mullet ( :) ) or a perfectly one-length bob it should cost as much as if
a man gets the same.

Secondly, $115 for highlights? American?! Here in Toronto, I think they`d only be $50 - moose money.
Or maybe I`m still in the Java age.

Jennifer, I couldn`t have said it better. And wow! Those prices you thought were outrageous are very inexpensive. (Unless you resign yourself to never go anywhere other than Supercuts.)

Since Feb. I`ve spent over $500 on my hair. On average I would usually spend about $120 a month. (Unfortunately with my current job - $600 a month paycut--- I have to be creative.)

And regardless, tip a good stylist! OMG, I cannot believe people don`t have a prob. with tipping a waitress well but won`t tip their stylist more than $2.00 Unbelievable. I tip $2.00 to someone who I`ve never met for only waxing my eyebrows !

Normally I tip a GOOD stylist 25-30% (I know not everyone feels this way, so I don`t need the "but some of us cannot afford that." replies I realize some cannot tip that much. Technically, I shouldn`t either. I make $8.70 an hour and I have a mortgage, credit card bills, high utils. etc.)

But, you know what? These same stylists have squeezed me in on a moments notice, rescheduled without a problem, will spend a lot more time with me, and I have never been unhappy with the results.

I really think that your stylist is an enigma. Most stylists do not make nearly that much, they`re really poor in comparison to everyone else.

I once asked my mother the same question about decorative pillows. Her reply was "they`re expensive because they`re unnecessary" I love this response. Think of really wonderful scented candles, decorative pillows, a framed print. Now think of the price of taking the garbage out. All are ways to improve the appearance/ and perhaps smell of your home, but the only necessary one is quite cheap. Haircutting is not needed at all, we can cut our own, but it is decorative and therefore they can afford to charge more. If it were LAW to cut have your hair professionally cut, I theorize that it would be much much cheaper.

demodoll wrote: I haven't come across ANY poor stylists in quite some time and I have lived all over the country. Even in small towns and rural areas where they can't charge quite as much, the "good" stylists, the ones who have years of experience and a bunch of loyal customers, make close to or over six figures easily. So I have to say that doing hair is a good way to make a living. I think you have to be good at it, creative, good with people, and a good business person to make a good living though. The ones who are good will be the ones who make it in the business and are the ones who are worth what they charge. If you think about it, they have to be pretty smart to juggle all that they are doing. Also, they do have to be educated and they have to maintain a certain number of continuing education credits to maintain their licenses. No "snoozing" for them since the hair business is constantly changing and they must stay up to date on the latest styles and products. If you can't afford to pay the going rate for highlights in your area, don't get them. It definitely isn't worth it to screw up your hair by trying to do it yourself. And with the cut or a perm, the same thing applies. If you can't afford to pay for a hairstyle that requires a lot of upkeep, opt for something simpler that requires longer length of time between cuts and no chemical processes. We live in a time when looks mean a lot, probably more than they should, but it would be difficult to change that mindset. A good hairstylist is worth their weight in gold in this society!

What`s your definition of "poor?"

Here in the cornbelt, one friend who is a stylist makes $12,000. a year. Her friend makes $10,000. a year. Although it`s certainly true that the cost of living is much less here than in New York City, their salaries are barely enough to keep food on the table.

I think perhaps that you`re referring to top-end stylists. And undoubtedly, some of them are making a better living! However, in this area, it`s extremely difficult to make much of a living from a stylist`s salary.

Jennifer

I cannot believe there is actually a discussion on how much stylist make. Most of the replies remind me of discussions on how much preachers make.
FIRST OF ALL,WHAT IS WRONG WITH A HAIRSTYLIST MAKING ALOT OF MONEY??? Do you question other professionals why they make so much?? It is the American Dream to work hard and make money. And believe me I have sore shoulders and heal spurs to prove it.

I am a professional Hairstylist and colorist and I make around 40,000 a year, but do you know that I spend several thousand a year on continuing education? I travel alot for it and its not cheap. My appointment book stays full because I do work so hard on keeping up with the latest. Not only in styles but more so on the latest in technology in the chemical aspect of hairstyling.

I also have rent, supplies (which I use the best and its not $10 bleach) shop insurance, malpractice insurance, workerscomp insurance, personal medical insurance, phones, electricity, water, advertising, accountant, atmosphere expenses ( music, soft drinks free for clients, children entertainment etc.) and TAXES (city tax,county tax, cosmotology license tax, barber licence tax, state sales tax, personal property tax for city and county, personal income tax)........whew!!!

Before you ever complain about the prices of haircuts etc, think about what goes on behind the scenes and thank your hairstylist for keeping them low.

P.S. Womens haircuts are alot harder than mens. Mens can be completed in 10 minutes. Where womens (even the staight trim on the ends) take much longer and require alot more experience.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. :)

People will pay what they feel a product or service is worth. If the stylist charges $125 for a combination of services and the customer is happy with the result and feel she received value for money, it was worth it. If a lady pays $25 and gets a lousy haircut, either poorly cut, too short or just not what she wanted, it was not worth the money. I just gave a friend a trim whose hair was to her knees and hadn't been trimmed in over a couple years. She would not frequent a salon at all. Not because of the cost, but because she does not trust them NOT to go and cut off too much. Funny thing was that I warned her because of the condition, I would have to take off more than a few inches, about eight. She said go ahead I expected that. After I finished she looked in the mirror, then went over to a chair to sit down. She said it wasn't short enough because she was still able to sit on it. I told I would have to trim off another three inches to get it to where it wouldn't be touching the seat, but that I would rather not as the ends were all neatly trimmed and I had already taken off 8 inches. She said OK, she could live with it. She said next time she wouldn't wait over two years for a trim, if I agreed to do it for her in a few months. She is a friend who I wouldn't take a penny from. The trust established between friends is more important. She received for free what she would have a difficult finding if she had to pay for the service.

Sorry , I realized that I might have sounded rude. I guess what I'm trying to say is sometimes you THINK the more money you spend the better result you will get. I had a friend who spent $80.00 to have bangs cut into her hair. The bangs looked horrible on her. But the salon was well known in the area and she was paying for the name. She even agreed that she had wasted her money. Spending more money and getting a better result/better product is just an elitist view. Very snobby!!!