getting your hair done is expensive!!! Why?

Why does it cost so much to get your hair done?
For example, you can go to the beauty supply store and buy a pound of bleach for about 10.00 and a bottle for developer for maybe 3.00. You could get a few highlight jobs out of this. But each highlight job is usually around 50.00. Is this a profit or what?
I`ve seen perms on sale at the beauty supply store ranging form .99 to 7.00 dollars, but the average perm costs about 40 dollars.
I know it takes time to do these processes, but is it really worth the amount of money that is charged?
SO it take 15 minutes to roll the perm, then it process and they rinse, style and all that- maybe cut. Basically the hairdresser has charged you 30 $ for this (subtractig the cost of the perm solution).
Very expensive.

Hi Kelly,

If those are the prices in your area, consider yourself darned lucky!

I pay $115. just for highlights.

I`m concerned when you say, " Is this a profit or what?" Do you think stylists are charity workers? Many have families (not forgetting themselves) to support.

First of all, if people don`t make a profit, then they starve! However, all the "extra" money doesn`t go into their pockets. Especially for a salon owner, there is the cost of the rental of the space or he has to buy the business or building. Then there are electricity costs and water costs. Of course, Uncle Sam takes a huge chunk for taxes. There are many, many other costs that I`m leaving out. There are not just the raw products to buy for services, but chairs, and all the equipment in the salon. Often, stylists have to pay "rent" for their stations, and if they charged much less, they simply wouldn`t make it in the world. There are exceptions, but how many *rich* stylists do you know? The average stylist is not wealthy in the least!

However, to me, there is one reason for justification for the price: experience. It`s true that some people can perform these services at home for a mere fraction of the cost, and that`s great! But I personally don`t want to mess around with chemicals and my hair at home -- especially highlighting. My hair is already blonde, and that`s a very risky process to highlight at home. Also, professional beauticians are educated in their field. You pay for a doctor and lawyer`s expertise, and stylists are no different. The more experienced and talented the stylist, *very generally* the more you pay.

Btw, I hope that you are tipping at least 15% to your stylist if he (or she) is doing a good job. A lot of young stylists that I know still live with their parents because they simply aren`t making enough money to live by themselves.

Jennifer

Supply and demand for one. Time is money for another. Because you will pay it. Actually something you may not know or thought about, most stylist rent their boths from the shop ower, buy their own supplies as well as pay their own insurance and taxes. Also the better the stylist the more it cost. You know you get what you pay for. My girl friend pays 50 bucks just for a cut. The cost you listed seem quite cheep, enjoy them.

$40.00 American would equals about $ 80.00 Canadian. Now does it sound cheaper for you? lol Personally I think it is worth every penny to have someone professional do the job. When I had my spiral done it cost $ 100.00 and it took four to six stylist to do mine because I have long hair so did they really make money? It took hours.
What really makes me laugh is that you can pay $12.00 to over $ 30.00 for just a haircut. Once they have their name they make the money especially here for sure.

Very well put Jennifer!!

As a hairstylist it is nice to see that some people do appreciate us!

Kelly if you think it`s expensive to have your hair highlited in a salon, I don`t think you would like to know what it costs to have your hair fixed after you try color it yourself!!

Basically, I aggree with the views expressed above. There is a market for all kinds of styling, both
of physical and chemical nature, and you can`t really blame the stylists for putting a price tag on
something that requires time, an investment, overhead.

However, I will make several reservations: firstly, many places have a flat rate for a woman`s cut that`s more expensive than for men. That is appalling. Don`t tell me it`s more difficult to cut womens`
hair - it depends. If a woman with long hair comes in for a straight or oval trim, that should, by
that standard, be cheaper than a carefully barbered mens` cut. If a woman gets a real short cut
(those are rare nowadays), a mullet ( :) ) or a perfectly one-length bob it should cost as much as if
a man gets the same.

Secondly, $115 for highlights? American?! Here in Toronto, I think they`d only be $50 - moose money.
Or maybe I`m still in the Java age.

[QUOTE=Hair_Chick] Very well put Jennifer!!

As a hairstylist it is nice to see that some people do appreciate us!

Kelly if you think it's expensive to have your hair highlited in a salon, I don't think you would like to know what it costs to have your hair fixed after you try color it yourself!!


[/QUOTE]
Hi HairChick,

You are so right about the color correction costs. I get at least 3 emails every single day from people who tried to "save a few bucks" and do their own color with disastrous results. Last year I received over 90,000 HairBoutique.com AskKaren emails. Yes, that is 90,000 and more that 40% of the emails were from people with hair color issues. They either had ruined their hair with home highlights, color or bleaching or were confused about how to do their own color.

I always advise consumers "don`t pass go, don`t collect $200 dollars, go directly to hair color jail if you do your own color at home". :-)

I am very pro-stylist because they are the experts. They did the time in beauty school and hair is their expertise. Even though I spend many hours every day dealing with hair there is no way I would do my own highlights or other chemicals. Nor would I do my own plumbing, electrical wiring or mechanical work.

If your stylist of choice seems too pricey, do price comparison shopping. Or check out special coupons or other specials. Some salons have a special coupon for x% off on color w/a cut or cut w/ a color. Ask if they are having a sale or future coupon specials.

Best wishes,
Karen

Jennifer, I couldn`t have said it better. And wow! Those prices you thought were outrageous are very inexpensive. (Unless you resign yourself to never go anywhere other than Supercuts.)

Since Feb. I`ve spent over $500 on my hair. On average I would usually spend about $120 a month. (Unfortunately with my current job - $600 a month paycut--- I have to be creative.)

And regardless, tip a good stylist! OMG, I cannot believe people don`t have a prob. with tipping a waitress well but won`t tip their stylist more than $2.00 Unbelievable. I tip $2.00 to someone who I`ve never met for only waxing my eyebrows !

Normally I tip a GOOD stylist 25-30% (I know not everyone feels this way, so I don`t need the "but some of us cannot afford that." replies I realize some cannot tip that much. Technically, I shouldn`t either. I make $8.70 an hour and I have a mortgage, credit card bills, high utils. etc.)

But, you know what? These same stylists have squeezed me in on a moments notice, rescheduled without a problem, will spend a lot more time with me, and I have never been unhappy with the results.

I haven`t come across ANY poor stylists in quite some time and I have lived all over the country. Even in small towns and rural areas where they can`t charge quite as much, the "good" stylists, the ones who have years of experience and a bunch of loyal customers, make close to or over six figures easily. So I have to say that doing hair is a good way to make a living. I think you have to be good at it, creative, good with people, and a good business person to make a good living though. The ones who are good will be the ones who make it in the business and are the ones who are worth what they charge. If you think about it, they have to be pretty smart to juggle all that they are doing. Also, they do have to be educated and they have to maintain a certain number of continuing education credits to maintain their licenses. No "snoozing" for them since the hair business is constantly changing and they must stay up to date on the latest styles and products.

If you can`t afford to pay the going rate for highlights in your area, don`t get them. It definitely isn`t worth it to screw up your hair by trying to do it yourself. And with the cut or a perm, the same thing applies. If you can`t afford to pay for a hairstyle that requires a lot of upkeep, opt for something simpler that requires longer length of time between cuts and no chemical processes.

We live in a time when looks mean a lot, probably more than they should, but it would be difficult to change that mindset. A good hairstylist is worth their weight in gold in this society!

[QUOTE=demodoll] I haven't come across ANY poor stylists in quite some time and I have lived all over the country. Even in small towns and rural areas where they can't charge quite as much, the "good" stylists, the ones who have years of experience and a bunch of loyal customers, make close to or over six figures easily. So I have to say that doing hair is a good way to make a living. I think you have to be good at it, creative, good with people, and a good business person to make a good living though. The ones who are good will be the ones who make it in the business and are the ones who are worth what they charge. If you think about it, they have to be pretty smart to juggle all that they are doing. Also, they do have to be educated and they have to maintain a certain number of continuing education credits to maintain their licenses. No "snoozing" for them since the hair business is constantly changing and they must stay up to date on the latest styles and products.

If you can't afford to pay the going rate for highlights in your area, don't get them. It definitely isn't worth it to screw up your hair by trying to do it yourself. And with the cut or a perm, the same thing applies. If you can't afford to pay for a hairstyle that requires a lot of upkeep, opt for something simpler that requires longer length of time between cuts and no chemical processes.

We live in a time when looks mean a lot, probably more than they should, but it would be difficult to change that mindset. A good hairstylist is worth their weight in gold in this society!
[/QUOTE]
What`s your definition of "poor?"

Here in the cornbelt, one friend who is a stylist makes $12,000. a year. Her friend makes $10,000. a year. Although it`s certainly true that the cost of living is much less here than in New York City, their salaries are barely enough to keep food on the table.

I think perhaps that you`re referring to top-end stylists. And undoubtedly, some of them are making a better living! However, in this area, it`s extremely difficult to make much of a living from a stylist`s salary.

Jennifer

[QUOTE=amberbella] I once asked my mother the same question about decorative pillows. Her reply was "they're expensive because they're unnecessary" I love this response. Think of really wonderful scented candles, decorative pillows, a framed print. Now think of the price of taking the garbage out. All are ways to improve the appearance/ and perhaps smell of your home, but the only necessary one is quite cheap. Haircutting is not needed at all, we can cut our own, but it is decorative and therefore they can afford to charge more. If it were LAW to cut have your hair professionally cut, I theorize that it would be much much cheaper.
[/QUOTE]
Amberbella, that`s a great quote! And so true. We are really paying for vanity`s sake. I cut my own hair and it looks just fine--I was even brave enough to post my photo on one of the boards awhile back and no one said it looked crooked or scraggly (of course it`s not too hard to trim blunt-cut shoulder-length hair.)

I cannot believe there is actually a discussion on how much stylist make. Most of the replies remind me of discussions on how much preachers make.
FIRST OF ALL,WHAT IS WRONG WITH A HAIRSTYLIST MAKING ALOT OF MONEY??? Do you question other professionals why they make so much?? It is the American Dream to work hard and make money. And believe me I have sore shoulders and heal spurs to prove it.

I am a professional Hairstylist and colorist and I make around 40,000 a year, but do you know that I spend several thousand a year on continuing education? I travel alot for it and its not cheap. My appointment book stays full because I do work so hard on keeping up with the latest. Not only in styles but more so on the latest in technology in the chemical aspect of hairstyling.

I also have rent, supplies (which I use the best and its not $10 bleach) shop insurance, malpractice insurance, workerscomp insurance, personal medical insurance, phones, electricity, water, advertising, accountant, atmosphere expenses ( music, soft drinks free for clients, children entertainment etc.) and TAXES (city tax,county tax, cosmotology license tax, barber licence tax, state sales tax, personal property tax for city and county, personal income tax)........whew!!!

Before you ever complain about the prices of haircuts etc, think about what goes on behind the scenes and thank your hairstylist for keeping them low.

P.S. Womens haircuts are alot harder than mens. Mens can be completed in 10 minutes. Where womens (even the staight trim on the ends) take much longer and require alot more experience.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. :)

I go once a month to have my short pixie trimmed so it won`t look shaggy. I go to a good beautician that costs a little more than your usual Cost Cutters places, but I don`t mind spending the money.
Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for, and since I wear a very short hairstyle, it has to be done right!
I give beauticians there due, if they are good, they deserve good money, and my lady is good!

I agree that a stylist needs to make a living too. But while I was in college my friends and I had to cut and dye each others hair because we couldn't afford to pay anyone. Our hair turned out OK but I'm sure would have looked better if done professionally. I personally would never pay more than 40 dollars to have my hair cut. Come on now what haircut could possibly be worth 100 dollars or more? Most hairstylist that I've been to are friendly and down to earth and charge a very reasonable price. But someone who charges over 100 dollars in my opinion probably is a bit egotistical. Please don't even make exuses for charging insane amounts!

Sorry , I realized that I might have sounded rude. I guess what I'm trying to say is sometimes you THINK the more money you spend the better result you will get. I had a friend who spent $80.00 to have bangs cut into her hair. The bangs looked horrible on her. But the salon was well known in the area and she was paying for the name. She even agreed that she had wasted her money. Spending more money and getting a better result/better product is just an elitist view. Very snobby!!!

What LaliBeach Said.

Well...sometimes people eat at restaurants other than McDonalds. McDonald's has their place. So does the retaurant at the Ritz Carleton. And so does every place else in between. I know a very old and famous Italian restaurant near me. The Caesar salad is almost 15 dollars. Some people say it isn't worth it. Others say it is their favorite in the world.

Ultimately *YOU* have the power to decide what "lengths" (pardon the pun) you want to go for your hair.

Something Lilibeach sparked my curiousity: malpractice insurance for stylists. I'm curious, would any of the stylists here be willing to share with us situations where that insurance came in handy? It's scary to think that people would sue someone over their hair but no doubt in our lovely litigious land that probably happens! Thoughts?

Hi Lyris;

I attended a business seminar a few years ago and the lawyer teaching one of the classes said he had researched how many hair salons had been sued, I don't think this included small claims, I'm not sure. He only came up with one in twenty years, in the whole State of Michigan, and that was for a slip and fall.

That was a while a go, I don't know what the current stats are. I do know that professional liability (this does not include premises injury...i.e.; slip and fall) is relatively cheap mine is only $80 per year. This tells me that there's not a whole lot of stylists' being sued, or you can bet that the insurance would be much higher.

On a personal note, 19 years of doing hair and never sued....Thank God. I have made my share of mistakes. I've always taken responsibility for them. Honesty really works especially if you fix it and always try to send them out happy.

Once, I had an old color teacher say; "The best Stylist isn't a Stylist who never makes mistakes. The best Stylist is a Stylist who can fix their mistakes."

I love the work and I'm a tweeker.
I try not to make mistakes I can't fix.

I personally have never been sued but I know stylist who have (quite a few of them). Its not that they "ruined" their hair but what the client thought to be a bad job. As everyone knows, people will sue over anything, therefore I would rather be safe than sorry. These people who are too quick to sue usually does not go back to ask for a "fix" or even call to complain. They just head straight to the lawyer hoping to get money for nothing.

Sad but true, the society we live in today.

Suing over a hairstyle! With so many much more serious problems that is just absurd!

No haircut could be that bad to actually sue someone over.

And doesn't the person going to the hairdresser have some responsibility to check out a salon before they go there!

No wonder America is considered a lawsuit crazy country with too many lawyers and too many trivial lawsuits!

It is just a matter of what the market will bear. If you live in a big city and go to high end stylists you will pay much more than $100 for a haircut. When I used to live in Atlanta I went to Siggers and had one of the owners cut my hair. Her charge was more than $100 but her haircuts were superior and there were people flying in from all over the country just to have that lady cut their hair. Her very first customer (she has been doing hair for almost 40 years) was there one time when I was there and she had come from Nashville. Granted, these were not poor people but I guarantee that the owners of that salon are millionaires. I am in a small town now and am happy to pay $50 for a haircut and $125 for highlights. My stylist came here from Miami but he is very good and I can go longer between cuts now. I can afford this right now (thankfully!). I have NEVER gotten a decent haircut from the cheap, cookie cutter salons.

I find it hard to believe that a hard working stylist who works full time can't make a good living anywhere. One thing people will always need is someone to take care of their hair. They earn their money, they provide a good service, and they are professionals. I think the stigma of "just doing hair" is long gone. These people are regulated, educated, hard-working, and very necessary.

As far as suing goes, just watch those "judge" shows on TV. I have seen several hair stylists being sued from everything from too short (girl made money using her looks) to bad extensions, to a supposedly ruined wedding due to bad hairstyle. I would think that this is a good indicator of what is going on in the court rooms all over the country. We are lawsuit crazy in this country. I would have insurance too. Teachers and nurses have to have it.

Personally, I feel that most salon prices are fair. You're paying for the specialized knowledge, expertise, education and talent of the stylist. You are paying for the facility (rent or mortgage, utilities, water, etc.) and of course, in most cases, superior products (e.g., salon color, shampoo, etc.) You may also use the professional's consultation and design services. All of the above are built into the price of services, and rightly so.

Now, I do my own color at home, but only because I am doing deposit-only color and my stylist friend purchases Redken for me at beauty supply. If I wanted any degree of lift, I would definitely do it in the salon.

I have a great deal of respect for these professionals, and I don't think it's fair to complain about salon fees. Unless they are utterly ridiculously high, as some are in NYC. For those, I simply pretend they don't exist.

By the way, I just got a gorgeous haircut for $12. Why so cheap, even with my long hair? I walked into the salon with just-washed & conditioned hair, so I only needed a wet-down. I asked my stylist (the one who has been cutting my hair for years) not to blow-dry. There are ways to save if you want to.

Demodoll, Elissa and Melba,

Thank you, Thank you and Thank you,
It feels so good to feel appreciated for all the studying and seminars I attend.

Our profession is really trying to emerge from the stereotype of the "gossiping, gum-smacking, cigerette-smoking" people society tends to label us as. I feel I am constantly trying to prove myself as being a normal person. I am a mom, wife and a business woman.

Thanks again, you really made my day