To think having your hair done is now extortionate- rant

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

So after covid lockdowns I went back to my hairdressers, didn’t know my hair dresser had been promoted and so for a full head of highlights, cut and blow dry was over £200- I’m in a London zone 3 suburb not central London!
This is extortionate so I used a local girl who works from home £85- she’s now unavailable, so this morning I’ve been calling round other salons etc- it’s an absolute rip off everywhere I call!

Last one I rang:
Highlights £70 for one colour- +£15 for an additional colour
Toner £35-£40 depending on length of hair
Cut and blow dry £40-£50 depending on length of hair

Seriously?! The length of the hair subjectivity pisses me off because I cannot plan how much it will cost me (I assume people will call anything past the ears “long hair”).
A cut and blow dry costing nearly £50?!!!
And these aren’t high end branded salons, they’re run down salons on high streets, main roads etc.
I’m not struggling but have to think before dropping over £100 on my hair- surely this isn’t right or is cutting ones hair now a luxury ?!

I am getting a colour cut and blow dry plus eyebrows waxed and tinted for £80 west midlands

The £10 toner charge is in with that

@Tevion28 good price - I hope the salon is able to make a profit in that and pay thier staff a reasonable wage.

She works on her own has one person in at a time

@Tevion28 - I did suspect she was an sole trader x

Sportysporty - too funny. Honestly, you really think hairdressers are above people having a bit of a moan when they put their prices up? You've never grumbled about a service you use putting their prices up?

How is it entitled to say fuck me that's a big price increase, I'll go somewhere else?

I'm not putting her out of business. I'm not naming the salon. I'm not demanding that she adjusts her prices. I'm just saying - that's bloody expensive, £120 to £180, it's not for me.

I'm not sure whether you always get so bizarrely worked up when someone criticises a single member of your profession, or why I've annoyed you more than the dozens of other people on here saying similar, but adults can generally cope with a bit of disagreement I find.

@fourminutestosavetheworld
Your not just saying expensive you are say and deliberately saying extortion - you explicitly said you think it's extortionate

As a teacher one would think you know what extortionate means ie

'' the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats.''

That's not saying oohh hairdressing has become expensive that's saying your hairdresser is ripping you off

If you think your hair dress is ripping you off why use them? Because they are good? So you are either a fool or don't value thier skills enough to pay what they are wort
Take your choice

Sportysporty - extortionate has another meaning though, a second meaning, and I posted it upthread.

Look, I never post to upset anyone. I didn't mean to upset you. I am having a whinge about a big price increase just like those threads moaning about the expense of holidays this year, or the cost of a plumber.

Just to be really clear - I do value your profession and your skills. I do understand that you are operating as businesses and can frankly charge whatever you like. I definitely do not feel entitled to my hairdressers services and have no expectation of special treatment. I just think it's a big % increase and I paid it without complaint but will now start looking for somewhere else, as is my right.

With all of that in mind, thank you for explaining your point of view, which I found very genuinely interesting, but am leaving the thread now as very circuitous.

@fourminutestosavetheworld

a moan is very different from a rant

Expensive is very different from extortionate

Its circuitous to the point where you now say you get it and are looking for a different hairdressers 😂

I’m South Wales and pay £140 for colour, cut and blow dry from one of the salon owners (style director). He’s been shampooing me too in COVID times. I think he’s worth it.

[quote Sportysporty]@fourminutestosavetheworld

a moan is very different from a rant

Expensive is very different from extortionate

Its circuitous to the point where you now say you get it and are looking for a different hairdressers 😂[/quote]
Fuck me you are pedantic.

I say a moan, you say a rant. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

I say 'extortionate' means 'a price that is too high'. You disagree it seems, with both me and the Oxford English Dictionary.

I have maintained throughout that I'm paying until I can find somewhere else. What, did you think I was having a strip in the salon insisting on a hefty discount or summat?

*strop

My hairdresser is £25-£30 for a wash, cut, restyle and blow dry. Just a dry cut £15.

Wouldn’t ever let them touch my hair with a dye though any hairdresser that is, none of them get the colour just right.

I do think it's a luxury now.

I earn £65k and cut my own hair at home and use box dye because I can't afford it (we do have a lot of debts from not being able to work for a year during COVID).

OP, try Headmasters- on sundays and mondays they do a 'me day monday' offer, £89 for half head, cut and blowdry, just quote that when you book. I used to work for them and they have loads of salons in london surburbs. Use good quality products too.

Good grief, it would be worth getting on a train and coming to Sussex for the day at that price!

My hairdresser charges £78 for the same. You don't get swanky surroundings, or decent coffee, and you may have a little old lady having her weekly shampoo and set sitting next to you, but my hairdresser gives me the second best haircut I've ever had. As the best was done by someone who was a former top "stylist" at Molton Brown, that's quite something.

I think it's about £30 return on the train, so you'd be quids in, OP.

@Mojitomogul the is for that tip!

*thank you

It’s still only bleach on foil, I don’t think it should cost hundreds of pounds

It's not just bleach on foil though. My hair is naturally a sort of chestnut colour, and I have highlights to disguise my grey. Even the grey seems to still have some residual red, so it has to be tinted carefully or it looks really brassy.

My previous colour was discontinued around 2 years ago, and it's taken this long to find the right mix with the new colour so it doesn't look gingery.

Colouring hair is really technical. At the last place I went to, they had one person who was just did colouring, perming and straightening, she didn't do any cutting.

@SoupDragon

Why is a barbers hourly rate so much lower?

Is it? They can do more "£10 haircuts"* in an hour.

• I can't remember how much DS's pay. It might be £15.

My late DP was quite bald. I used to do his hair every other Sunday, with clippers. It took 5-10 minutes max, but local barbers charge £13.

He grew a beard in lockdown, and I used to trim it for him. It's surprisingly easy, took about 15 mins, but local barbers charge £16 for that.

Given that a professional barber, who does this day in, day out, would probably be much quicker than me, I think that's pretty expensive.

@Beautiful3

Yes just agree, prices have shot up. Its crazy money now! Since lockdown I've tried various blonde hair dyes, to cover my greys and look closer to my salon colour. After a year, I've finally found an expensive box dye that achieves this. My hair looks just as good as when my hairdresser does it. I'm chuffed to bits. If I were you, I'd look at trying expensive hair dyes and look for ones that mix 2/3 colours in one. Or try one online. You consult with them (and send a pic of your hair), they mix a colour and post it out to you. Its exactly what you'd get in the salon. Makes it look so much more natural. I'm saving so much money too!

What company is the one you use called?

@Mojitomogul

OP, try Headmasters- on sundays and mondays they do a 'me day monday' offer, £89 for half head, cut and blowdry, just quote that when you book. I used to work for them and they have loads of salons in london surburbs. Use good quality products too.

Thank u, this may be an option, although it’s £125 not including toner on the deal locally (£200 on a standard day)- but defo more reasonable on the deal

Wow, my collar length blonde hair. Bayalage and dry cut is about £70, South Yorkshire

Does the poster who said her two kids and her haircuts were expensive at 34/35 ish mean all together? I’m shocked you think that’s expensive . Just over a tenner each … very cheap