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 ?!

[quote SuddenlySusan]@ExtraOnions where in the North west are you? I’m in Manchester and my recent hair cut and blow dry cost £56 (and she did a shit job), my colour with cut and blow dry ranges from £150-£175!

I’m looking for someone cheaper and good![/quote]
Just north of Bolton

My place is fab, she’s done my hair for about 10 years … and now also does various friends and family members

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.

Hairdressing is one of those businesses where you need to shop around periodically imo. If you use a chain perhaps this is a chance to try a mobile or independent hairdresser?

It's a basic rule of capitalism that they can charge what they want and I don't blame them for trying to recoup losses after repeated lockdowns. My hairdresser was probably more Covid secure than any hospital when they reopened and they lost so many months of business. Plus there's probably more profit doing 1 client at £150 than 3 clients at £50. Colouring can be hard (there's a gazillion YouTube videos to prove it) and why shouldn't well trained and experienced people benefit from the general public?

I had my hair cut last week and the place I go to are no longer restricting the number of people in the salon. There were three stylists and five clients when I was there.

I had a dry cut, they’ve not been doing those since reopening last Summer but have now restarted and pre-Covid I paid £10. Last Thursday I was charged £20 and was in and out within 20 minutes.

@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.

Yup. DH is in and out so quickly unless he has warm towel and whatever pamper the turkish barber offers😁 The guy did home visits for a bit and it was about 15 min in and out including a sweep and gossip

Well...I pay £132 for cut, colour (that's colours - highlights/toner) and blowdry. That's two hours in the salon, the stylist, possibly a junior the chemicals, shampoo, conditioner, nice head massage, styling gubbins, energy/water, rent, rates, whatever refreshments I choose to have (admittedly fewer options now because COVID, but previously they'd offer wine, coffee, tea, nuts/biscuits/mints), the online services (booking in, paying a deposit, rebooking). It's a pretty complicated bundle of services, with a skilled service at the heart of it which is going to make a fairly big difference to how I look and feel.

I get this done every 2 months, and yes, absolutely it's a luxury, but an affordable one IMO. What should the staff be paid in your view?

This is one of the problems in this world, people want people like hairdressers to be well trained, use good products, do a good job and a nice environment but they don’t want to pay them a fair amount of money for that to happen. You are paying for their skill, time, products, overheads and you either value this service enough to pay or you don’t. So many hairdressers vastly under value themselves and charge far too little, particularly those who are mobile.

£270 for full colour cut and blow dry with technical directors at very central London salon - I probably go once every 2.5 months. I don’t buy lots of clothes and shoes etc, or spend much on myself full stop, but having my hair done does so much for my confidence that I think it’s completely worth it!

@Roominmyhouse

This is one of the problems in this world, people want people like hairdressers to be well trained, use good products, do a good job and a nice environment but they don’t want to pay them a fair amount of money for that to happen. You are paying for their skill, time, products, overheads and you either value this service enough to pay or you don’t. So many hairdressers vastly under value themselves and charge far too little, particularly those who are mobile.

It's the same with food. Wuality meat form happier cows, good sized patty, nice buns, fresh and homemade toppings, with staff on 10 an hour minimum, but god forbid it costs more than a fiver! That's unacceptable!🙄

Personally I think natural hair looks best. I can’t remember the last time I went to the hairdresser and have no plans to go back. However the prices reflect what people are prepared to pay.

Why do man get such cheaper haircuts. Why is a barbers hourly rate so much lower?

they don't really. Have you seen the price of hair cuts in hair salons?

if you send your DH with long hair to get full head highlights, he won't have a discount because he has a penis.

Don't compare the price of hairdressers and barbers, it's not the same service.

ExtraOnions - I’m in your area. Just about to go in for cut and roots. £55 and a great stylist
They’ve struggled through lockdown, still overheads on the rent etc. V stressful - i know I’m v lucky at the prices

Personally I think natural hair looks best.

sadly, not my hair! The fortune I spend with my hairdressers makes a huge difference. Still a luxury, and I am not a CF expecting top service for peanuts.

I have to agree with some pp- it is a luxury. I cut my own (very carefully) and have started using John Frieda deftly grey shampoo and conditioner- haven’t had to dye my greys in months!!

Ffs I mean defy grey

@isthisareverse

Why do man get such cheaper haircuts. Why is a barbers hourly rate so much lower?

they don't really. Have you seen the price of hair cuts in hair salons?

if you send your DH with long hair to get full head highlights, he won't have a discount because he has a penis.

Don't compare the price of hairdressers and barbers, it's not the same service.

Surely if you're a woman with long hair and you literally want half an inch snipped off that is less technical than a typical men's haircut?

Surely if you're a woman with long hair and you literally want half an inch snipped off that is less technical than a typical men's haircut?

I suspect it takes longer than a typical men's haircut if you want it properly straight all the way round.

the difference in many hair salon is next to nothing between men and women.

( I wouldn't advise the OP to use that particular salon as the basic cut is more than her maximum budget )

I was paying £40-50 for a wash, cut and blow dry pre pandemic. But it takes them an hour to do, so fair enough. Don't know why it takes so long though. This is Zone 3 London too. I just cut it myself since Covid and can't say that it looks that much worse. Takes ten minutes. Not trying to say hair cutting isn't a skill, but mine is a simple cut and I think looks okay. You'd have to be magic to make it look amazing.

The reason I object is that hairdressers are still paid appallingly despite prices being sky high. I wouldn't mind if they were seeing the benefit but it's only the owners who profit.

Dye-jobs and other treatments, I'm not surprised to find expensive. What really annoys me is when places want to charge women so much more than men for a cut, even if all the woman wants is a quick trim to remove dead ends.

My solution is to never have my hair done. I dye and trim it at home myself or with the help of DH.

I can get a decent wash, cut and blow dry in Zone 1 or 2 for c. £35. You're not going to the right salons.

Can't comment on colour. Personally, if you're going white/grey, then I can understand why you see hair dye as a normal cost - it's about boosting your confidence. But if you're changing your hair colour completely and/or if you're getting balayage done, then that is a luxury. And it is expensive.