Hair cut and colour now exceeds what I earn in a day. Absolutely fed up.

[Burntout01]

Obviously everything is going up and up. Just went to book hairdressers- I don’t go often , maybe every four months since I went grey ( used to box dye it for 30 years before that). Its my one bit of self care.
Cost has jumped from £120 to over £170 since I last had it done in September. For full head highlights for chin length bobbed hair plus wash and rough blow dry.
It’s not that I don’t believe its worth that price and I am not knocking my hairdresser, its not about that. But I am a senior NHS nurse with 30 years experience. My job has taken a lot from me and my family. I take home £150 a day. The hair appt is 2.5 hours.
I just cannot justify the expense for myself any more.

Everything is more expensive. A full head of highlights and a cut and blow dry is about £220 for me (south east, not London). I spread out the appointments a bit more than I did before, and have gone a bit darker with the highlights so the regrowing isn’t so noticeable.

I think saying the price is “unreasonable” is itself unreasonable. Businesses still need to turn a profit, and the cost of business rates, employing staff etc have gone up a lot. Renting a chair doesn’t change that since renting a chair still involves paying a price which reflects the overheads of the salon.

Stop colouring your hair and solve the problem. It’s not a must have .

I think you need to shop around. My hairdresser has her own shop a few miles outside the city centre. She charges much less than that.

Agree with this, it isn’t the hairdressers fault but seems madness that 10 years ago I could afford regular salon visits and now as a 50+ year old I can’t. No difference in the job I do, literally the cost of living.

There was a thread on Style and Beauty last week about hairdresser prices. The difference in prices is astonishing, the divide definitely seems to be between the North/South.

I'm so glad I'm a Northerner - I've just paid £70 for highlights, my roots and a cut (I leave with wet hair as nobody can dry my curly hair as well as I can!)

I go to a local salon. They are fab, I pay £45 for half head highlights, cut and blow dry. It’s £70 for full head.

This isn’t just about the hair colouring though is it? It’s about not being able to enjoy the little luxuries in life that make long working hours worthwhile; whether that’s having a dog, buying a new sofa, or going out for a meal once a month. The point is that costs have gone up, with no corresponding rise in salaries, and this has gone on for too long. No need to be quite so unsympathetic to op.

Oh it isn't.
Grey hair is very ageing.

Same. Just paid £300 for a trim and half head highlights. Not even a blow dry. London but zone 4 and not a fancy area. Can’t even embrace the grey cos am just mousy and look half dead without it

Depends entirely where you are local to! I go to a local salon and it’s £300

Ahh deprived northern city. One of the few perks, that and my 4 bed detached house that we paid £120k for 12 years ago

I live in a little Scottish village.
The salon charges £50 for a cut and colour.

I use the mobile hairdresser. She charges £18 for a cut. I colour my own hair.

Both village hairdressers are extremely talented.

North/South has literally nothing to do with it. There are plenty of salons in the NW where you'd pay hundreds of £s for colour alone.

Local hair salon ( in fact 50 yards from my house) . Not a big salon in town.. this would cost £70/90.. l have highlights.. wash .. cut and blow dry on my grey hair.. l pay £70 because l have a short pixie cut.

Not grey (yet) but i stopped getting my hair professionally done years ago.

My mum chops an inch off every couple of months and I've simply embraced my natural dirty blonde colour.

It's not as bad as I thought it would be and honestly I've got used to it.

I used to have my highlights (full head) and trim touched up every two months without fail. LOL... no way now.

Herefordshire. Cut and colour with blow dry afterwards 75.00. Trim is 25.00

I just get a cut now every six months. I order professional salon dye and learnt to use it myself from YouTube videos. I get the same results. I use Redken Colour Gel Oils on the roots and Redken Shades EQ on mid lengths and ends. Beautiful results, super shiny. Maybe look into doing this?

Ask about on your local Facebook group for home hairdressers. Much cheaper

or college nights

but yes you should be able to be your hair coloured without costing More then you earn in a day for 2/3 hrs work

Yep, I haven’t been to a salon since before covid. Would never be able to afford it. Cut and colour my hair myself at home. Still skint.

I’m shocked on two counts. The cost is ridiculous! Must depend where you stay but that’s a disgraceful amount to charge.

Secondly I’m shocked at your wage. Had no idea a senior nurse would be earning that amount. I earn £250 in a 5 hour day. I don’t work anywhere near as hard as you’ll be working. That’s bloody awful.

I hear you @Burntout01 I used to go to the hairdressers every 8 weeks then 3 months now I only go once every 5 months for a cut and just have highlights once a year. I found my favourite hairdressers were being swiftly promoted and moving out of my budget but I occasionally see them if they have a standby appointment available. Luckily DH has become very good at doing fringes etc.

Don't know if helps, but those highlighting kits with a daft looking cap over your head can help. Will help soften the grey as your colour grows out and it's much harder to get the dye onto the scalp as it's only the bits that you crochet out that get dyed.

I bet your pension will be amazing in comparison to a hairdresser.

25 years in the NHS and like OP had to work part-time whilst the children were little, my pension is forcast at £300 a month, not sure how I am going to spend it all ?

Its truly depressing. No extra hours available so increasing my salary isn’t an option. I’m currently funding my own professional development and next year will be funding a Masters degree. No funding available via work.
My Son age 19 earns triple what I do (cybersecurity).

Not always, it’s not. I’ve had more compliments since going grey than I ever did when it was brown.

I’m so glad for my hairdresser…£23 for a (great) cut and blow dry. My daughter’s getting a full head of foils with a cut and blow dry for £75 next week.