Hair-Selling Ethics
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Hair Extension Topics
Forum Name: Hair Extensions
Forum Description: Hair Extensions can be the quick fix for short hair.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=19909
Printed Date: July 25 2025 at 8:17am
Topic: Hair-Selling Ethics
Posted By: Jenny_RR
Subject: Hair-Selling Ethics
Date Posted: January 11 2005 at 6:30am
I have a question for all of the professionals here (and everyone else, for that matter). The more I've been researching different kinds of hair and their cost, the more I realize how screwed I got on some of the first hair I bought through extensionists years ago. I don't go to these people anymore so I'm not going to make a big deal about it, but, for example, I paid $1,200 for 200 strands of Hairlocs hair, $1,200 for 200 strands of Great Lengths hair, and $1,000 for 200 strands of Cinderella (this was all 24 inch; the price was only for the hair, not the service, which averaged another $1,200 each time).
So my question is this: I understand that as an extensionist, you must factor in the cost of actually procuring the hair to the total you pass on to your clients (so if you spent a half-hour on the phone ordering, it's understandable that you would charge for that). But don't these prices seem excessive? Should the extensionist actually be making a 100% mark-up on the hair, too, in addition to the service cost (which, in these cases, was around $1,200 each time)?
Incidentally, I do realize retrospectively that the first time I got "Great Lengths" (or so I thought), it was actually Cinderella (or something similar). I figured this out after the fact, when I realized that the GLs bonds were different (harder, longer, opaque), and the ones I received were transparent, shorter, and gummier. In that case, I was actually told I was getting GLs (and believe me, I paid GLs prices for it), but they actually ordered the cheaper stuff and pocketed God-knows-how-much off that deal.
Again, sorry about the rant, but I'm just wondering about people's opinions (I'm also wondering if this has happened to anyone else). Maybe the professionals here can give me a better idea of what these kinds of hair actually cost when they order them. I don't expect to get everything at cost, but to me, this kind of overcharging just seems wrong.
:)
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Replies:
Posted By: Amanda8beech
Date Posted: January 11 2005 at 6:38am
I can't comment on the American system but I charge £250.00 to put in anything up to 18in extensions. The hair costs me about £70.00 including shipping, the glue or shrinkies cost me around £10.00 and then it takes me around 5 hours to put in so I charge approximately £30.00 an hour to put them in, any longer hair and I charge £300.00 cos the hair gets more expensive to order xx
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Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: January 11 2005 at 6:51am
My personal opinion is this....If they are charging you seperately for the hair, they should be giving it you you for what it costs them. Yes I agree that there may be a little extra added for there time etc.... but when they charge you WAY WAY over and above what it costs them, it seems a bit deceptive to me!
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Posted By: metalgirl
Date Posted: January 11 2005 at 11:01am
When I order hair for my clients, I charge them what it costs me to get the hair, and not one cent over. I think this hair is already expensive, so I'm not about to mark it up more.
If I do Eurolocs, the hair for a client will cost them about $350-$500
With the shrink links system, it depends if we use European hair or not, but it costs for European hair:$400-1200 and about $200-500 for Indian hair.
There's been a few cases that the hair the client paid me for was crap, so in those cases I spent my OWN money to buy them new hair. It's called integrity. I stand 100% behind my work, and to me it's part of being a reputable business person.
By the way, Balmain hair is PURE CRAP, stay away from it! After 2 weeks of wear (on 3 separate clients) it is totally dried out and matty. (Those are the cases when I spent my own money on re-buying hair for clients)
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Posted By: hannahstein
Date Posted: January 11 2005 at 11:56am
do most hairstylists charge for hair like retail stores? it sounds like you paid much to much for those hairs. they probably cost your hairdresser a fiftht of the price. cinderella hair is maybe 200 dollars.
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Posted By: Bridget
Date Posted: January 11 2005 at 12:25pm
In my opinion, you definitely were over charged for the hair. As for the service, only you can decide if you were over charged. You'd think paying $1200 for work on your hair, you'd get the whole kit and kaboodle.... complimentary glass of wine, foot soak, free maint. kit, free follow up shampoo... But I know that's not always the case. NY is higher priced on just about everything right??
You mentioned before some highlights being $500... if that's the case, $2000 for extensions is a fair price.
Some people in this business are unethical and do overcharge... isn't that true for any business or service though?
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It is what it is...
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Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: January 11 2005 at 6:29pm
Yeah, I know I was overcharged for the service. Although NYC is expensive, the stylist who does my hair now doesn't charge me anywhere near that much. And when I said some women pay $500 for highlights, I only meant at the very top salons--Garren, Licari, etc.--it's not the going rate here or anything.
I think what I'm trying to figure out is whether it's common practice for extensionists to mark up the hair that much. I can certainly understand them marking it up a bit, but I just can't imagine a headful of Cinderella hair costs anywhere near $1,000. GLs and Hairlocs charge more for their hair than others, but I still don't think they're charging their stylists $9 a strand for it.
Fortunately, I don't go to those people anymore, but I was just trying to figure out what most extensionists do. It seems like most on these boads don't charge more for the hair than it costs them. :)
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Posted By: Kalika
Date Posted: January 12 2005 at 9:41am
ugh - if someone tried to charge me $9 a strand I would laugh in their face.
Geez, I only have maybe $10 worth of hair on my head (synth) - and it looks better then human hair ever did.
when I was brand new to extensions, I went in and got fusion. the fusion wrecked my hair, BUT - the stylist sold me the hair she got at cost, and only charged me for the application.
So if someone is making that big of a markup on their hair, I think thats shady. I can understand a little markup, but they're still charging for the application too, so it shouldnt be that big.
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Posted By: miamigirl
Date Posted: January 12 2005 at 4:15pm
I paid $8-$10 per bead (including hair) for my hairlocs and $200 an hour for installation.
It would seem, based on prior posts, that the amount that I paid for the hairlocs was ridiculous, especially since they made no difference and ruined my hair, but does $200 an hour seem like an excessive amount to pay for installation. This nightmare was my first experience with extensions, so I really have no basis of comparison.
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Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: January 12 2005 at 5:28pm
It's an excessive price per hour, but the insane mark-up on the hair bothers me even more, because I think that's just taking advantage. That's amazing that you paid that much per strand, 'cause yours were supersmall, right? Microminis? I'm sure that hair wouldn't add up to many ounces.
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Posted By: miamigirl
Date Posted: January 12 2005 at 6:51pm
It cost $10 per bead (including hair) for the micro-minis and $8 for the minis.
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Posted By: Jenny_RR
Date Posted: January 12 2005 at 6:54pm
That's sheer insanity (although I paid about that much per strand, too). Here's to never using hairlocs ever again! Both you and me!
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