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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not understand hairdresser prices

84 replies

SuperAunt08 · 05/02/2025 22:22

I don’t go to the hairdressers anywhere near as often as I should/would like but I tend to grow my hair to about boob length and then get sick of it and get it cut to just above shoulder length but it is very thick and needs thinning out too.

I usually book a cut & blowdry, mainly because I don’t know any better but I’m often caught out by the final price when instead of the advertised price they say ‘ it was a restyle so will be ££’ what constitutes a cut vs a restyle? How many inches cut off? Time taken?

I don’t begrudge them charging more for their time but I would like to have an idea of how much it’s going to cost me before I get to the till

OP posts:
AndThereSheGoes · 05/02/2025 23:06

Absolutely.
Also what constitutes "thick or longer hair".

There is a massive disconnect in what the advertised price is, what they tell you on the salon and how much it ends up costing (to be fair mine normally ends up cheaper because often they never have enough time for the service I booked in for)

Devianinc · 05/02/2025 23:09

Ask before the cut to make sure what they’re going to charge first.

Motomum23 · 05/02/2025 23:10

I think cut and blow dry would be just going in for a trim.... although thanks for the warning - I've just put a deposit to have my hair cut for the first time in about 6 years and although I only want it tidying and hope it won't cost more than the £47 advertised I'd better check restyle costs too! 🫣

Pinkflowerpower · 05/02/2025 23:28

I am sure my hairdresser told me it will be £99 as I was having an additional treatment. At the end she said okay that’s £130. I felt too embarrassed to say anything ! You don’t get a receipt breakdown ! I was abit shocked!

Justleaveitblankthen · 05/02/2025 23:38

You need a friendly local.
The type that little old ladies frequent once a week and preferably up north.

No more than 30 squid for root colour & blow dry, add £12.50 for a cut 💇

Original poster
SuperAunt08 · 05/02/2025 23:40

Devianinc · 05/02/2025 23:09

Ask before the cut to make sure what they’re going to charge first.

Yes that would obviously be the sensible thing to do but I’m always stupidly a bit embarrassed about money.

Also I’ve never had one of those really thorough consultations you see on TikTok and the cut seems to evolve as we go ie. ‘Do you want it a bit shorter?’ ‘Can you just thin it out a bit more’ etc so not sure whether they charge more if it takes longer than they thought? Or base it on how much hair is cut off?

OP posts:
Crazycatlady79 · 05/02/2025 23:40

Your hair doesn't require thinning out. You've just been sold this rhetoric by stylists who find it easier to manage the cut this way.

TheBossOfMe · 05/02/2025 23:42

Motomum23 · 05/02/2025 23:10

I think cut and blow dry would be just going in for a trim.... although thanks for the warning - I've just put a deposit to have my hair cut for the first time in about 6 years and although I only want it tidying and hope it won't cost more than the £47 advertised I'd better check restyle costs too! 🫣

After 6 years I doubt it’s anything other than a full restyle! Cut and blow dry really is just follow the line of a previous cut and then dry. Unless your hair is super even in growth and breakage patterns it’s a bit much to expect a trim cost!

Original poster
SuperAunt08 · 05/02/2025 23:42

Justleaveitblankthen · 05/02/2025 23:38

You need a friendly local.
The type that little old ladies frequent once a week and preferably up north.

No more than 30 squid for root colour & blow dry, add £12.50 for a cut 💇

I am up North actually but moved towns a few years ago and haven’t found my preferred ‘local’ yet

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperAunt08 · 05/02/2025 23:44

Crazycatlady79 · 05/02/2025 23:40

Your hair doesn't require thinning out. You've just been sold this rhetoric by stylists who find it easier to manage the cut this way.

Really?! They always get those thinning scissors out and I end up with about half of the weight of my hair on the floor!

OP posts:
justasking111 · 05/02/2025 23:45

I pay for a dry cut with long layers and bangs put in every eight weeks. They also do a manicure/pedicure. £50.

roseymoira · 05/02/2025 23:46

Dry cut all the way! Why pay for them to wash and dry your hair?

WhoPutTheBomp · 05/02/2025 23:47

Justleaveitblankthen · 05/02/2025 23:38

You need a friendly local.
The type that little old ladies frequent once a week and preferably up north.

No more than 30 squid for root colour & blow dry, add £12.50 for a cut 💇

It'll be called The Cutting Edge, or Joy's Styles or Reflections and it'll be just Joy and her business partner Christine and Saturday girl Tara. She will open Saturday mornings 9.30 to 1pm but her salon is closed Mondays.

TheBossOfMe · 05/02/2025 23:47

Crazycatlady79 · 05/02/2025 23:40

Your hair doesn't require thinning out. You've just been sold this rhetoric by stylists who find it easier to manage the cut this way.

And this.

MidnightMeltdown · 05/02/2025 23:49

Sounds a bit odd. I've never been charged extra for a 'restyle'. If you've booked a cut and blow dry then they should make it clear before starting the work that they are providing a different service to the one that you booked, and therefore, the price will be different.

I also think it not on to charge extra for 'thick' hair. Nobody can help their hair type. It's like charging fat people more for clothing because they use more material.

veraswaistcoat · 05/02/2025 23:52

Why don't you ask them? My salon has prices set out for each stylist or colourist and prices dependent on their level.

Bringiton999 · 05/02/2025 23:56

Ive got very long hair, almost down my waist, I get balayage, cut and finish, I get it done every 8weeks. It costs me and arm and a leg and some for that. HOWEVER, when I pay, I get email
Receipt with full breakdown so I know what's what. Whilst I don't have an issue with the price for the colour as she uses a lot of product, I'm always amazed how much is my haircut 😂 it's £50!!! And I get minimum length taken, literally bare minimum. I never asked, but I am almost certain that the response will be around the fact that senior stylist is doing my hair 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Bigearringsbigsmile · 06/02/2025 00:03

I pay a lot for my hair but as well as paying for the actual colour, shampoo, hair products, and the stylists time and labour, I am also paying for the overheads of running a salon- heat, hot water, towels, magazines, drinks, rent/ mortgage, phones, computers etc
Plus the stylists 30 years of training and experience.
It takes about 3 hours to my hair. I always look better when I come out. It's worth the money.

Readinstead · 06/02/2025 00:42

I used to go to my local 6th form college, when I had enough time to spare (students are supervised and obviously there is discusion/feedback and they can be quite slow anyway) Prices were set out clearly on the website long or short hair, cut or trim and you could chose the level of student expertise. With a level 3 (advanced) student a cut, wash and blow dry is £11 and a restyle is £13. Just checked another college and a restyle is £12 with an advanced student and £9.50 with an intermediate one. It amused me that men's cuts are only done by intermediate students and £2 for either scissors or cippers.

spikefaithbuffy · 06/02/2025 02:07

I love mine because it's simple
Dry cut
Dry cut but with wash and style, diffused dry
(Curly hair so it's always cut dry)

I alternate depending how spendy I feel (with the wash and style it's about £110 so a dry cut is much cheaper!)

Devianinc · 06/02/2025 02:29

I get it. I think we all don’t think of that when we’re going to the salon. It’s kind of sneaky adding on extra costs.

ThinWomansBrain · 06/02/2025 02:51

My hair is curlyish, but not quite as much as I like. Regular salon doesn't do perms - they'd stopped teaching them at college apparently, so every 18 months or so, a visit to the local little old lady salon.

Pricing is "how much did I charge you last time?" Last year very apologetic, would I mind if she increased the price (around 5 years since first visit). now £45, including a cut. Around £300 in a stylish west end salon last time I looked.

Regular salon has a menu of styling options on the website, prices based on time (15/30/45 mins, etc). Often fits a full cut into a 30 minute appointment. £20ish.

mnreader · 06/02/2025 03:03

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Bjorkdidit · 06/02/2025 03:41

Justleaveitblankthen · 05/02/2025 23:38

You need a friendly local.
The type that little old ladies frequent once a week and preferably up north.

No more than 30 squid for root colour & blow dry, add £12.50 for a cut 💇

Ha ha, that's what I did. I didn't get my hair cut for over a decade because I just tied it back and trimmed the ends myself (my hair is very fine and broke where the hair tie was anyway).

I decided to stop trying it back so needed a decent cut but was a bit worried about the cost. I went to the village salon for it to be cut into a longish bob with layers (I think, I don't understand hairdresser language) and it was £28 for a cut and finish, even now its only £30 and I'm in and out in just over half an hour. I think it cost more than that at the slightly fancier salon in the nearby small town before I stopped getting my hair cut, partly because the price kept going up because my regular hairdresser had been promoted Confused

There's the owner and a second stylist, I always go after work in the week so I don't know if they have a 'Saturday girl'.

No coffee, no magazines, no unexpected extra treatments that add a surprise 20% to the bill and no creepy head massages. But they both do a nice enough cut, I can just walk there after work with a few days notice for an appointment and I don't want the 'experience' of paying £££s to spend hours at the hairdressers anyway.

Hufflemuff · 06/02/2025 05:39

Yep this used to piss me off so much!!

I started going for a consultation first so they could fairly assess the hair. Then I'd say to them at the consult AND before the appointment began on the day, "can you tell me how much that is, because I want to bring it in cash". I'd take an extra tenner to give as a tip, but if they charged £120 instead of the quoted £110 I'd have to say "that's a shame I only bought £120 so a tenner was going to be your tip!" I used to feel bad about that, but how many times can you ask them to confirm £110 and it still comes out £120, then no... you're not getting a tip too!

Why should they just bloody change it like that!? They could at least say half way through - "i think we actually need an extra toner today, are you happy with that? It will be an extra tenner?" I'd always say yes, but its just the point isn't it! Or in your case, before they start "actually this is going to be classed as a restyle, so it's gonna be £78 not £63". The worst was once I got "well your hair has taken a lot longer so it will be X"... You already saw it!!! You already quoted!!! Its a bit of a cheeky last minute bid for an extra tenner. I was so tempted to just say "no sorry, I'm not happy to pay that because you already quoted me" but I wasn't brave enough. Found a new salon in the end.

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