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.

I stopped getting my hair coloured 3 years ago and embraced the grey when it was costing me a days pay to get done

Luckily for me, my grey is a silver white and it suits me

There was a while while it was growing through that it looked a bit muddy , especially around the nape , there it was still brownish and slate grey - solved by getting an undercut

What's wrong with looking your age?

Agree with PP who broke down the cost into a likely hourly rate for the stylist. Likely in the £20-£25 range.
I use Headmasters chain. They have constant colour sales and a VIP free to join club. 25% off for weekdays I think.
Anyway it’s 165 ish for the same full head highlights and cut as OP gets including toner, professional blow dry. Great coffee. Massage chair and all that. In Surrey.
Bit odd to compare a one off service cost to a take home daily pay. It’s a bit like the complaints about trades costs. They may charge £80/hr for the time they’re in your house but their annual salaries for a skilled manual job are often not brilliant.

I think if you can afford it you just have to decide if you are prepared to pay it
Mine costs £145 and I get it done every 6 weeks
Got it done yesterday after a very hard week at work and it really cheered me up
Get a blow dry every Friday too
All so good for my MH

What would they do if you didn't have a car that's available for work?

Also they shouldn't be deducting commuting costs if its a shorter journey from home than your workplace. Otherwise you could go into the office first, start from there and claim more mileage and travel time, they can't have it both ways.

So you should be able to claim more mileage, get your union involved if necessary. Or ask to use a pool or hire car.

But I suspect you've fallen into the trap of thinking a salon colour is 'normal' as is an expensive car when it's not. I wonder what else you're spending 'treat' amounts on?

Most people don't earn at a level where they can afford an expensive car and expensive haircuts and other treats, they have to prioritise, I don’t see an issue with that.

I dye my hair at home but it would be about half what you pay in the salon so shop around or look for a hairdresser who visits your house so thry don't have the overheads of renting a chair. My car also costs under half what yours does and its perfectly safe and reliable.

I have a home hairdresser and its around 80 for colour and blow dry. I see them a lot less due to costs so use the sprays in between. Could you try that? Im in London

I have dyed my hair at home for ,30 years. Garn ier Nutrisse is excellent. I have been cutting my own hair since the COL. It is curly so hides any mistakes I make!

I’ve always found it expensive so have always got my hair done in academies with trainees, never had any problems. All the main hair salons have them, Toni & Guy, Vidal Sassoon etc.

I stopped getting highlights/lowlights and colouring due to cost but recently went to my local college's salon for a cut and blow dry (very long hair) and it cost 15 pounds and had to be checked and signed off. The costs for highlights/colouring much lower also.

I highlight myself, using a cap and crochet hook. Cheap and easy.

Same. I haven't been to a hairdresser in ten years.

170 quid? Who's doing it, Vidal Sassoon?
50 quid from my hairdresser

Me and DH have been cutting out regular luxuries. The one off treats can still be stretched to but things like expensive gym memberships (or regular expensive hair appointments) are going sadly.

Part of it is planning for the future now that income tax is being frozen.

I dont think the cost of having your hair done is ridiculous. I pay £75 every 6 weeks for foils and my hair is short. Can I afford it? Just about. Why have it done? Because I like the way I look. (I'm in Wales btw for cost context)

If you are struggling financially, see if there's somewhere cheaper nearby.

If there isn't, do what makes you happy. Don't feel guilty.

How utterly patronising.

This is what I mean when i say look for somewhere cheaper nearby 🥰

I use a mobile hairdresser. Great job. Cut and colour £50-£55. I can't afford the time and expense for salon nowadays either.

Yet people on here think dentists and vets charge far too much and should pretty much work for free in some cases?

If someone comes on here claiming a private dentist charges £70 for a half hour check up everyone rants about the cost. Yet the dentist needs to pay the same tax and also pay his staff and the rent and bills as well as materials etc. I’ve had people say private dentists should see children for free because it’s morally the right thing to do. And people say vets should see sick animals for free because they are meant to be animal lovers after all so how dare they charge someone who can’t afford it.

I can understand why you would jump to it, but you shouldn’t really compare your £150 take home pay with the £170 2.5 hour haircut.

The salon owner gets the £170 minus a percentage of business rates, premises rental, utilities, product purchases. They also have to pay themself (plus taxes, pension, etc) and then pay their staff. Their staff then have taxes and pension deducted. If you look at it that way I am sure you are still clearly out-earning the hairdresser (and possibly the salon owner)!

Get a mobile hairdresser much cheaper.

I can’t believe people still use salons. I gave up on it several years ago when the price went up yet again. It shut shortly after.

Pmsl at blaming the demise of the high street on women not willing to pay through the nose for highlights.

I have a cut and colour from a hairdresser who works from home. She's brilliant and it only costs £65. There are bound to be some near you if you do some research.

I accept that prices are going up but the jump from £120 to £170 is unreasonable. I’d be looking at another hairdresser.

I pay £85 for a full head and cut and blow dry in the South East. That’s very low for the area. My hairdresser works from home and he is an absolute gem. I’m not sure what I would do if something happened to him.

I prefer a treat at a beautician to shelling out on hair maintenance.

My hairdressers rent for her salon was £2k a month. So she had to make that before she even covered anything else. That was an eye opener to me as I’d always felt her prices were high, but I do get it.
She has moved to a home based salon now.