Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should I have expected to be charged for toner on top of highlights?

54 replies

PongoPongo · 18/05/2021 20:50

I had my haircut for the first time in 16 months today and asked for 'full head of highlights'. I knew the highlights would be about £100 and the cut about £60. All good.

Once it was all over, they tell me it will be £210. I asked why and they said "there was also the toner which was £50".

I was really shocked, but maybe it's normal to charge for these separately (I've never experienced that before, it was just the cost of the highlights and than included toner).

AIBU to feel a bit annoyed they didn't tell me? Feel like cost of highlights was really £150... but if it's the norm to charge separately and that I should have realised, that's fine and I know for next time...

OP posts:
TokyoSushi · 18/05/2021 22:21

I've been charged extra before, but £10/£15 max

HunterHearstHelmsley · 18/05/2021 22:23

I'd expect to pay extra for the toner as its not always required. Not £50 though.

MinnieJackson · 18/05/2021 22:26

@SweatyBetty20 i THINK it gets rid of orangey tones and brassiness but I'm not sure. I imagine it would be something like that they put on or maybe a deep conditioner?

Womencanlift · 18/05/2021 22:28

This is the second thread I have read recently where this has happened. I wonder if some CF hairdressers are doing this to try and recoup some of the losses they have had over the last year

Yes it’s not fair that they have lost so much business but to be sneaky like this to regular clients is not on

HunterHearstHelmsley · 18/05/2021 22:30

@SweatyBetty20

Can I ask a stupid question? What is the toner for? I have foils for highlights and then they put something on at the backwash - would this be toner? What does it do? I’m charged £140 all in so no idea what the toner costs or what it does.
Unless you have really light blonde hair, your hair has different undertones (red, orange). The toner neutralises the undertone and stops your hair looking brassy. Depending on the toner, your blonde will be ashy, pearl, platinum etc.
adagio · 18/05/2021 22:32

I rarely go to hairdressers now as it’s too expensive, and I always seem to hate what they do and get ripped off!

Saying that many years ago I did go regularly and had highlights or lowlights (depending on my mood) and I never remember a toner it was always half head or t shape of highlights and choose 3 colours from the samples. I’ve been wondering when the different colour high/lowlights got changed to be a bleach then a toner after? Have products changed or something?

My most recent excursion to a hairdresser (2 years ago) resulted in a v expensive balayage that came out nothing like expected and the pictures I showed and was assured could be done. The toner was bloody awful and I think was in too strong a base resulting in bleached ends and then slightly orange hair all over, as toner was slapped all over not just on the balayage bit so regrowth was (is) noticeable. Also balayage was all one colour (bleach) not the multi toned look in the pictures I shared.

MinnieJackson · 18/05/2021 22:51

@HunterHearstHelmsley if you have a chocolate brown natural colour and go in for highlights for the first time, will it generally look ok if your hairs in good condition? Or do you have to go through an orangey phase to get honey-ish highlights? Hope you don't mind me asking!

Nannyamc · 18/05/2021 22:57

Prices for me have gone up since reopening. Was €62 for cut colour and highlights was €88 last week.
This seems very expensive

SweatyBetty20 · 18/05/2021 23:11

Thanks for all the toner explanations! My hair is a dark blonde, or mouse brown in winter so explains how I get my ashy colour.

midnightstar66 · 19/05/2021 05:26

Yes it's normal to be charged for toner on too as it's a whole other product and process. Yours was quite pricey but so were the other 2 services so in line with that.

midnightstar66 · 19/05/2021 05:30

Those who say toner is included, is it definitely or is that just the price you always pay and you've not itemised it? Have you had the same service without the toner and paid the same? Those who don't have toner would surely be being ripped off as they are taking less time and using less products if that were the case

ZombeaArthur · 19/05/2021 05:38

I wouldn’t expect to be charged separately for a toner, I’d expect it to be part and parcel of the charge for the colour. I can’t imagine a decent hairdresser leaving freshly coloured hair untoned if it needed it.

AgentJohnson · 19/05/2021 06:10

It appears that since Corona some hairdressers are taking the p* and customers need to start speaking up. I personally would not return to a business that pulled this kind of stunts and I’d put them on blast.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 19/05/2021 06:32

My salon charges separately for toner as it isn’t always needed but, fuck me, my salon massively over charges based on the prices posted here.

I love my hairdresser and I don’t want to break up with her but I’m not sure I can continue to pay her prices if there is cheaper available. (Maybe I should start a thread in relationships for this?)

DeflatedGinDrinker · 19/05/2021 07:12

Toners cheap and if they thought you needed it what they did would have looked rubbish without it. £50 is madness did she mean £5?!

minisoksmakehardwork · 19/05/2021 07:19

I must have been lucky. When I was having my hair coloured, toner was always part of the price although only used every other colour. For mid length hair, I was paying £60 for a cut, colour and blow dry.

Had to leave when she put it up to £90 as that was too steep for me! Mind, that was 2-3 years ago now. I dread to think what the price would be now.

rjacksmiss · 19/05/2021 07:21

It says on the price list of the place I go in the highlights section (toner included in price) That's so expensive though.

ThatIsMyPotato · 19/05/2021 07:37

I was quoted a price when I booked and that included toner and oloplex and the person who took my booking made sure to tell me that would be the all in price without me even asking. It is usual to pay for extras like toner but as they are usually needed then they should tell you before hand.

JJSS123 · 19/05/2021 08:00

In my view it’s different if you have a client who wants really silver almost grey hair that’s a choice the client is making so I would expect to pay extra for a toner absolutely no more than £15 ever though.

Different if you have a client who’s hair hasn’t took quite as you’d like or you just think a toner would help maybe you as a hairdresser have misjudged the result you could give on the clients hair. (This happens a lot it’s just one of those things no ones fault the hair could just take differently could be a home product build up causing it anything) I kind of think in this situation just to give the client the best result you should just include the toner!

It’s worth adding If it’s a toner to correct any yellow tones the purple shampoo you buy is basically just a weaker version of a toner. You might aswell just buy this and leave it on a lot longer but it does run a chance of giving you a bit of a purple tint, which will wash out in a couple of washes. But worth noting this if you ever want to refresh your colour in between apps!

Pinkylemons · 19/05/2021 08:08

I have waist length hair and pay £100 fir full head, trim and a toner. I think the toner is £10. £50 for toner is ridiculous.

Londontown12 · 19/05/2021 08:41

Stylist here I add toner price buys it’s only £10-£15 pounds !! That’s a huge price have u got exceptionally long or thick hair maybe more product was used ? X

seashells11 · 19/05/2021 09:30

I definitely wouldn't be going back there. I should imagine they'll lose lots of clients with ripping them off like that.

shouldistop · 19/05/2021 09:32

I pay £55 for my cut and highlights and it includes toner. I can't believe the prices some people pay Shock

Original poster
PongoPongo · 19/05/2021 09:38

@Hairobsessed123

Stylist here I add toner price buys it’s only £10-£15 pounds !! That’s a huge price have u got exceptionally long or thick hair maybe more product was used ? X
Thank you! My hair is shoulder length... normal thickness...
OP posts:
wingsofsteel · 19/05/2021 09:38

This is the sort of thing that makes me feel uneasy whenever I go to the hairdressers (and I desperately need a hair cut). Every time I go there seems to be some pretty hefty additional charge- of course never mentioned beforehand. And whenever I have asked up front for the total charge for whatever I'm having they look a bit shocked- like I've broken some etiquette. I'd love somewhere that was more open about the cost- perhaps with 'menus' on display