To think £150+ is very expensive for highlights and a trim?

[Mischone]

I've been a bottle blonde for years and started letting my roots grow out last year to give my hair a break. I've got quite a bit of regrowth now and wanted it all done properly, as opposed to doing it myself at home as I'm used to.

I went to a well known salon today for a consultation with a senior stylist who has a great reputation and i was quoted £140 (minimum) For the highlights and then an additional £20+ for a small trim.

She recommended I opt in for conditioning treatment too but I can't afford that.

I paid the £50 deposit for the highlights and booked in because I really want it done, I've had a shit time of it this year battling depression and PTSD so i wanted to treat myself for once and feel like the "old me" again.

Now I'm home and the excitement has worn off I'm feeling quite uncomfortable about the cost. I'm not well off, I can afford to have it done as a one off but if that's the price I'll have to pay every 6-8 weeks there's no way I could continue to go there.

AIBU to think this is bloody extortionate?

I’m in a muddle class area of Manchester. I pay £106 for highlights, infill for the grey, toner and a conditioner. I followed my hairdresser from a big name brand in the city centre. It used to be £120 there for the same thing.

If you've never used this salon before or the hairdresser, I'd personally take advice from someone on here and go cheaper. Even if it meant catching a train for the skin test and eventual colour, you'd still save money and have a personal reccomendation.
It's a buyer's market...shop around for something you feel comfortable with.

I contemplated saying that @Whatsername7 though when she applied the patch test she said if I did have a reaction then don't worry as there were other products they could use.

I've looked online and a quick search has found an academy in Victoria that do full head highlights for 30-40, and a haircut for 13 all overseen by the tutors. They only have appointments on two days per week though with two time slots on those days so getting an appointment might be tricky if they're busy but it goes to show that there are places in London which cost alot less.

Really kicking myself now, I'm too impulsive for my own good.

Have a local college with a salon. I get mine done at my local college, most of the time I see someone who's qualified already as they are quicker. It's still about a third of the cost in the main salons.

I've seen the least experienced stylists before and they do take longer, but all their work is supervised and fixed if any of it needs tweaking.

For example, the college salon I go to charges £27.50 for a full head colour, cut and finish with an inexperienced stylist and £68.50 with the most senior stylist.

You should be able to get deposit back, depending on how far away appointment is.

The appointment is Saturday afternoon.

I keep going back and forth with myself about whether to go ahead or try to get the deposit back and go elsewhere. The main reason I'm stalling is because the lady I'm booked in with has reviews saying she "works magic" and "does wonders" and I think If I'm going to leave the salon feeling really good about myself, then I'll happily pay the £140 as a one off and then just find somewhere cheaper in future or use a mobile tech.

This is the sort of balayage I want, pics attached.

I could show her the picture and say "this please" without any additional costs being thrown in couldn't I? I mean the cost for baylage is specified on the site, I hope they can't adjust the price based on tones etc.

Or is that just daft?

It seems like salons like to add bits on where they can.

This kind of baylage is what I'd like

depends - why type of hair, damage done and where the salon is . I pay well over 250 pounds when i have mine done, central london.

Also what become of simply getting your roots done? Is that not a thing in salons because that's what I actually went in asking for, I didn't realise you'd need a full head of highlights or balayage just because you have regrowth that you want coloured.

I swear I was born to be a man. All of this beauty lark baffles me.

Women's hairdressing is one of the most over rated over priced things out there

Am at some of these prices, lots of good salons in suburban Manchester/Salford would give you change out of £80!

Yes it really is so expensive, I really should have done my research properly. I got too excited about the prospect of having my hair done professionally and assumed it wouldn't be much different than what my friend up north paid, £50-70 For full head highlights.

I spoke to her this eve and she said it's ridiculous because hair is already blonde and i want to keep said blonde so it's just regrowth I need doing. She thinks it's bonkers that they've said I need a full head or balayage as she went platinum blonde from almost black which is the only reason she needed several highlight appointments to get to blonde.

Would i actually have needed a full head of highlights in the first place, couldn't they have just done my roots? Or are roots classed as a full head of highlights

Price is about right for the area, but if you can, swap for Fresh over the road. Same level of pricing but much better quality everything - stylists, dyes, service... and if you tell them you want low upkeep then they will do something to suit. (Am a client there, I don’t work there!) Used to visit another local T&G years ago - your one has only just opened - but I won’t ever be going back.

Did you have a bad experience at this Toni & Guy @VBT2 or at another branch? Either way can I ask what happened?

It was another branch. Everything about it was awful. It took about 5 hours when it should have taken 3. Had about 5 or 6 different people involved, for no good reason. Colourist was very sulky and I spent more time with a very sweet but very slow Junior than I did anyone qualified. I wasn’t happy with the cut but the final straw was being told “I think this style will look great rough dried” just out of sheer laziness. I had paid for a blow dry. I was too upset/embarrassed to say anything at the time, but complained later to a manager, who just fobbed me off.

Each T&G is a franchise, but this was enough to put me off for good. £150 is a hell of a lot of money and I think you should be treated well for it.

If you look for a mobile hairdresser then it would be cheaper. I had blonde highlights and a cut for 70 quid last time

Even if you cancel the trim you generally have to pay £25 or so for a blow dry and they won't let you leave with wet hair, so check that bit out.

I go to an excellent hairdresser in a large city. Highlights , cut and blow is £70

I wouldn't pay that. I use a home stylist who is great and she charges £65.

That’s standard pricing.

Michone I just get my roots done (no balayage or highlights required!). I go to my local salon - I can get roots, cut and a blow dry for about £75. I think when I had highlights and a blow dry 2 or 3 years ago it was around £80-£90 - I might even have had a cut as well but can't really remember.

Try Groupon, amazing deals on there, I've never paid more than £40

You don’t really need to change a balayage booking to a full highlights booking - they both take around the same amount of time and are each lengthy services, so your colourist has already got enough time pencilled in as they have a long slot booked in already. Just tell her on the day.

Don’t feel bad about cancelling the cut, the stylist won’t take it personally or remember really. They may just assume that you want to keep your hair as it is.

I will say now that your hair won’t look like your inspiration photos afterwards. The reason is that you don’t have much dimension to your blonde, it all looks the same light shade, whereas the photos have low lights/brunette tones through the lengths too. I know I’m adding onto your services but adding a bit of a darker blonde through the lengths in areas would make your hair look more expensive/nicer. Both balayage and highlights leave out some hair, whereas you look like you have a full head of blonde in your lengths.

I think you do need a ‘full’ service as they will still be placing bleach throughout your entire head to sort your regrowth out, they just won’t be overlapping the bleach on your previously lightened hair to prevent breakage. But you can of course ask them if there’s a cheaper price/service that would suit you better eg specific root pricing

you went to a 'well known' salon and got a quote for the 'senior stylist' to do it. That's why it costs £150.

If you want something cheaper you need to go to a recommended independent and not get the senior stylist do it.

I only get a cut every 4-6 months as my hair is in good condition mainly die to the fact that I stopped dying it 2/3 years ago. Just a wash/cut/blow dry is £40 here. We are south though.

If you want something cheaper you need to go to a recommended independent and not get the senior stylist do it.

This. I pay 50-60 for a cut and half head of highlights and this is in the south east.

I've just used a box dye on my hair because I couldn't justify the £130 I normally pay the salon. The nice and easy dye cost a fiver and produces exactly the same effect and my hair feels incredibly soft and shiny. I need to dye my hair more often as the greys are coming through thick and fast so will have to do it myself from now on as I was spending over £500 a year on hair, not including hair products