AIBU that a haircut shouldn't cost £60!?

[HollyLondoner]

Why is the cost of my haircut increased every time I visit? I have my haircut every 12 weeks on average and the price increase a few pounds every time. It's gone from £35 around 5 years ago when I started to £60. My favourite hairdresser hasn't been promoted so it's not that. I know she gets paid minimum wage and it doesn't feel right but she's an amazing hairdresser. I went today and was charged £62!?

The cheapest person is £58 and most expensive £90! Not a crazy fancy salon. I'm on the outskirts of London fyi so no means central!

YABU - that's how much it cost
YANBU - it's become so expensive!

I know it feels expensive from the customer POV, but when you think about it £62 for an hour of a skilled trade that also has the cost of running a business premises - it's only because we typically undervalue women's work that it's actually so low.

Standard cut & blow dry with a good stylist in a non branded salon round me is £50 (small northern town). Though I happened to be there when she took a call about the laundry bill (for all the towels) and that was eye watering, so I can imagine how quickly the costs stack up!

I recently paid £70 for a handstrip for the dog and realised I’ve gone wrong somewhere when her haircut is double the price of mine 🤣🤣🤣

I really don’t grudge the money
i really trust my hairdresser and have a great relationship with hy
Having nice hair makes me feel good

If you like her cuts, I'd be very discreetly asking whether she does home visits and could come to yours or works from her own home.

I was going to say, it sounds like a lot of people here think their hairdresser should be paid less than minimum wage...! And window cleaners don't have expensive salon products and a premises to consider!

Do you reckon the use of the salon premises is free with no business rates, water, heating, insurance, wear and tear and so on?

The price and piss poor haircuts is why I cut my own this week 😂. It's not perfect, but it's a damn sight better - and more even - than the atrocious cuts I've had in the last decade.

When did they start teaching hairdressers to just cut across your back for a trim (or use bloody clippers?!) instead of properly sectioning and checking the lengths / layers?!

I just pay £25 for a dry cut now. In and out in 15 mins. Don’t want to pay £45 to get my hair washed and then an age spent on drying it.

Try having curly hair. £30 extra for a ‘curly cut’ that’s exactly the same as a normal cut and they don’t use different products or properly diffuse your hair. I had a terrible experience six years ago and have been cutting my own hair. I decided to risk a ‘professional’ cut recently and it ended up looking no different to how it does when I do it at home. They even had the cheek to charge the extra ‘consultation’ fee where they allegedly teach you how to manage and look after your curls.

I pay £65 for cut, highlights and a few lowlights and blow dry but I am in the north west.

Your haircut isn’t £60 then.

Your cut and blow dry is £60. Which is reasonable in today’s market for a highstreet salon.

You’re paying for: the labour, training, tools used (scissors, comb, brush, clips, hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, towel), salon overheads (water, electric, rent, insurance), cleaning supplies, marketing. There’s so much that goes into a business.

Price increases overtime are needed due to inflation and rising cost of living. The stylists need to be able to earn a proper living.

In my town (large market town in Yorkshire) there’s a salon where I get my highlights done, they are specialists in hair extensions, hair replacement systems and colours. A wash and blow dry there is £55 for short hair and £60 for long hair.

Then there’s another little salon in the town, just a bog standard basic salon who only do dry cuts. I get my long hair trimmed there and they charge me £10 which is a real bargain!

Mine is £55 for a cut and blow dry with the salon owner (there’s only 2 of them). Was about £30-something when I first started going there 15 years ago.

I get it coloured elsewhere and that hairdresser is always talking about swapping to dog grooming for more £££ 😂

Do me a favour, it's cutting hair, not brain surgery! A one eyed rat could do it after a 3 day course.

What an incredibly embarrassing ignorant and arrogant comment.

Oh wow! What does that include? A wash etc too?
I get a dry cut and pay £11, it takes about 15 mins. I’m very northern

Mine gave me her phone number and now I go to her house, she gets every penny I give her, and the salon isn't open on a Monday which is my NWD so it's much easier for me to fit in too. She charges £30 I give her £40 I was paying £55 in the salon

I recently paid £105 for balayage, cut and blow dry. I thought it was a bargain tbh!

That's not a haircut though is it?! FGS! 😩

I live in a village in NE England, where there are 5 hair salons! I get my layered bob washed, cut, and blow dried for £30. It takes about half an hour. All of the stylists there are self employed and pay the owner a percentage for their 'chair'.

@BatchCookBabe I'd love to see how you get on with a 3 day course on how to cut hair, bet you'd look a right sight after doing your own from that!

Barbers can do 3-4 basic mens cuts with clippers in the time it takes to do a women's hair cut with scissors, they also don't have the costs associated with hair washing and colour - so fewer products, no towels, no hairdryers going all day (hairdryers are very inefficient when it comes to electric usage)

Typically to employ someone the costs to the employer in terms of NI, pensions, holiday, sickness etc are roughly double the salary. So that needs to be factored into the hourly rate, plus the costs of running the place, plus the business rates, rents etc. It quickly adds up.

Still not explaining why some charge £60 to £80 for a cut, when others charge £20 though are you?

Nope. Because you can't. Oh I suppose the more expensive ones have HIGHER overheads...... 🙄

Nah mate. Not having it. The really expensive hairdressers just think very highly of themselves.

I started cutting my own hair during lockdown and never went back. It’s great and honestly, I don’t think it looks any different to the very simple cut I asked for.

YANBU - it’s become too expensive for me to justify now. Religiously had my hair cut and hilighted which until around 3 years ago cost around £150 (Southern City). The last time i rang round a few salons they all wanted £250 - £280 ! I literally cannot afford it - so for the last couple of years I have been following youtube videos to hilight my grey roots and trim my own hair. It’s not perfect - but each time I do it I get better at it !!!!

£47 ish for a wash/cut/blow dry ( East London) maybe more .

Haidressing is a service if you cannot or don;t want to do this for yourself then you pay for it .

I remember all the Coming Out Of Covid threads that were
"Going to the hairdressers on Wednesday ....Can't Wait , I;m going to give my Hairdresser a MASSIVE tip "

So even though they couldn't use dryers and you had to wear masks , people were paying ££ and a huge tip on top.

How things change !

£100 for a cut, colour and blow dry.
£80 for a colour and blow dry.
£70 for a colour and rough dry.

My hairdresser didn't have time for a blow dry but it was still a great rough dry and quite sleek.

I'll be asking for that in future.