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.

Mine closed her salon and started working from home, she converted a small downstairs room. Her prices went up and she said it was to pay for the new "salon" 😂

Same in Scotland. PP outlined all the costs that go into running a salon but it’s so much cheaper here in all regards and the hairdressers do very well for themselves. Just sucks to live in London I guess but that goes for all aspects of living there imo 😬

OP, try the It's Pure range of colours. They cover grey brilliantly and are so easy to use at home. All natural ingredients, no chemicals.

It depends how long it is since they last rose prices. Many businesses hold them as long as they can until they realise they're losing money or the owner is working for free.

Because that's the reality of small businesses, as well as all their other costs, you'd hope the owner is making a decent income for their efforts and given that even NMW is £25k now, you'd want an experienced, skilled person to be making at least £40/50k, otherwise what's the point of working for themselves when they can earn as much, if not more without the risk and likely longer than full time hours.

Assuming you are going somewhere reasonably decent for it to cost that although I am staggered that it's a "rough" dry at that price. A decent hairdresser should want to see the end result.
I pay around £130 for mine extremely thick long hair but my hairdresser is now mobile (used to be same cost in a salon 10 years ago).
I would ask around. Sometimes people have little gem salons that you'd never consider from the outside but have a really good stylist inside.

I might be wrong but I think the point the OP was making was not the hair dresser was charging too much, of course their costs needs paying etc , it’s just the imbalance in wages next to the cost of living. People who work hard won’t be able to afford hair cuts and this will be a problem for hard working hairdressers too. It could have been lots of industries. It’s about the rise in the cost of living vs wages rather than a criticism of the cost of a hair cut. ( of course no one has to have a hair cut but surely hard work mean we should be able to have a few things that make us feel good otherwise what is the point)

I pay £92 pounds in a village in Kent for full head and cut. Some of the salons in town pay charge up to £270 for the same

@SoddingcatI respect your post and costs, however, I think you’re being needlessly bitchy to stylists who operate differently to you. The woman I go to operates independently, has her own business premises and an excellent reputation. Just because she hasn’t developed her business as much as you does not make her less skilled than you as a stylist, I know her husband is the main breadwinner so I suspect she’s just developed her business as far as she wants and has needed to. She charges £95 for a full head of foils and cut, I’ve had to change stylists a few times over the last few years, some have charged more (some less) and she’s been the best I’ve used.

I don’t buy into your argument that bigger business means better quality (nor am I saying the opposite is true, I don’t necessarily think they correlate). I could understand it being a more luxurious experience if the premises and experience have been invested in, not something I’m personally looking for.

OP you don't have to justify yourself.
My hairdresser is forever putting her prices up and pleading poverty but has a very expensive and busy social life, holidays abroad and arrived at the salon in a huge brand new car the last time I was in.
I did find a hairdresser who worked from home but no cheaper than the saloon (and lived in a very nice 4 bedroom new build).
Please don't feel you have to justify or explain yourself, your point of view is very valid and understandable.
Just a thought but do any hairdressers in your area offer NHS discount?

A senior nurse receives a decenti-ish salary. That is the problem here. If someone on a decent-ish salary can no longer afford an occasional cut and colour, there is something wrong. Those people who own businesses are putting up prices but people in salaried jobs are not getting comparable rises - pensions might be better but that doesn’t help now. For those who are putting up prices (hairdressers, vets, restaurants, dentists, beauticians), they are wiping out huge numbers of people who can afford to pay for their services with each rise and, ultimately, that will impact on their own incomes as the focus has to be on essentials, like a boiler breaking down or a car problem.

I am not sure if it is inflation or profiteering from a situation which can be blamed on inflation, but I reckon the salaried middle classes are pretty much wiped out now and the hairdressers, beauticians et al are chasing an increasing small market who can pay for the increased costs for their services.

Thank you to all the people who have replied, particularly those who have made useful suggestions and have understood where I’m coming from.

Its not about knocking the hairdresser, as I believe there must be good reasons for this rise as why risk losing customers otherwise?

For me, I will probably stop having the highlights, along with already not buying new clothes and never having beauty treatments, I have never been into that anyway.

I do wish I could set my own ‘rates’ though!!! It would be a lot more than £150 a day at this point for the stress and responsibilities I have.

I agree OP it’s absolutely insane. I get my hair done once a year - I admit I am quite lucky in that I have fair hair and no greys (yet!) and my hair is generally in good condition but I also walk out of the hairdressers every time and go, ‘what did I just pay £60 for?!’ They literally cut off the ends and it looks no different!

I have a hairdresser friend who comes to my home, does a colour and trim. I wash and dry myself. Very affordable.

It is so expensive, you are definitely NBU but I am refusing to compromise on this expense for myself given every single other penny I earn goes to kids, house, the bloody dog etc.

thats Very expensive! £100 iv seen advertised locally.

I have baylage currently. I was a model at a local salon for the wella rep to come in and do a demo. I paid nothing but checked the website after and starting price was £230!!! I have very long hair so if I paid I expect it would be near the £300 mark!

definitely check your local college. The students are fab at ours

”last month they reimbursed me £27”
Im not disputing the high cost of your hair cut it ridiculous. I have mine done at what I would call an old ladies hairdressers all blue rinses and rollers I get a cut colour and highlights for £55 I think the woman likes doing something a bit different and does a great job I get lots of comments on it.
But re you mileage are you sure your claiming it correctly or do you have a lease car thus claiming at a lower rate or maybe your not driving as much as you think; I’m community nurse and this month claimed £127 but as I do so many business miles a year I’ve already dropped to the lower rate, for the first 6 months of the tax year I was reimbursed about £350 pcm.

I've just had foils, cut and finish (short bob) in a high end salon in the north west for £90. Really worth shopping around and maybe travelling out of area

I hear you. Due to 'wage compression' in my industry I'm barely earning more than the minimum wage. Haven't had a haircut for over six months, I'd love to look better but can't prioritise it when my essential bills (council tax, energy etc) have risen more than my wage and need paying first.

This thread has been an eye opener. My 6 weekly dry cut( I have short hair) just went up from £18 to £20 and I was grumpy about it!

I have also ditched the box dye and now have a thatch of silver white hair which I get complimented on. Ironically,several people have asked me how much it costs to dye it that colour!

That's unbelievably expensive! I am in Bucks and just paid £77.00 for half head, cut and blow by the manager.

. My DD friend uses Garnier Oliva .It's oil based with no ammonia. she only colours it every 3 months. Maybe that might be OK .Obv skin tests first and every time without fail . Other than that what about an "out of town" old fashioned type of salon? Often cheaper and also experienced as well

And then they would like a tip...

No advice, I wouldn't want to just let it go grey either but I will say this... I work in the NHS and similar type senior role to yourself in community and there is absolutely no incentive for invaluable staff to stay in the NHS. We are squeezed within our working life and then the government has us squeezed with taxes, national insurance etc. The only consolation is the loce of working with people, and hopefully helping them.however that's becoming so so difficult with poor resources, lack of staff, qaiting lists etc. I have 4 children and will be discouraging them all NOT to go into health care. My hairdresser is not as expensive as yours, she has a lavish lifestyle and works hard. However the responsibility those in NHS jobs shoulder compared to wages and quality of life is badly skewed. I'm sure I'll get haters who disagree but this is mine and my coworkers experience. So I'm no help but I hear you loud and clear!xx

I pay 80 for half head hilights and cut n blow….I’m NW…..I guess I would pay up to 100 ….but that would be my limit

I understand it's expensive and frustrating (I agree), but this comparison of what you earn in a day to what the hairdresser is charging is silly tbh.

You don't really 'understand re overheads' if you think it's a fair comparison. No hairdressers are unreasonably wealthy and I bet your hairdresser does not have a pension as good as your NHS one either, if she has one at all.

If you think you'd be better off to go and train as a hairdresser then do it.