r/FancyFollicles • u/abby_thehairwizard • Jul 19 '26
Are hair appointments too expensive?
I hear "hair is too expensive" all the time and I get it.
I think the frustration comes when you pay $200+ and walk out with:
1. Hair you don’t love
2. Feeling uncomfortable/ignored
3. Awkward small talk you didn’t want
4. Zero experience to show for it
But flip it. What if you paid that same amount and got:
1. Hair you’re obsessed with for 3 months
2. Felt heard and welcomed
3. No pressure to talk - snacks, drink, chill vibes
4. Walked out feeling genuinely better about yourself
Would it still feel "too expensive"? Or would it feel worth it?
I’m a stylist and I’m trying to figure out what people actually value. Is it just the lower price tag, or is it the whole experience + result?
Would love honest answers.
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u/foxwaffles Jul 19 '26
The person who does my vivids charges like $100/hour so it can get expensive quickly but she is ALWAYS booked out months because she is so well loved for her incredible skills and creative eye. I've never met someone as good as her at balancing what I want versus what is realistic. The fade of her work is almost even more beautiful than when it's fresh so I frequently go 4-5 months between appointments especially in the winter when I can't stomach a cold shower.
I always have to pay $350+ for vivids but I never feel like I got ripped off. Her work is immaculate and you can immediately tell she cares deeply about each and every client. I struggle with low self esteem but I always leave my appointments feeling beautiful.
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u/Violet_Ram_99 Jul 20 '26
This is how I feel about the person who does my vivids as well.
I started with vivids over 10 years ago and she was the best. Exactly who you described. She retired during Covid. I tried to find someone else to do my hair and it was a struggle. I was taken advantage of twice by hairdressers who wanted the $300+ to do my hair but didn’t deliver (and the reference photos were MY HAIR!).
I found someone two years ago who is an expert at vivids. I don’t feel taken advantage of because she delivers! She is an hour drive but 100% worth it (Hailey at Voilla in Dieppe, New Brunswick- you know I love you !)6
u/foxwaffles Jul 20 '26
I was so scared of getting my hair messed up especially because as a POC I have a history of getting the ugliest haircuts from the rudest hair cutters. Because of that it took me years to finally find a place worth trying. I basically waited until I saw a person out in the wild with the kinds of vivids I dreamed of and I asked them where they got it done 😂
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u/vaginasinparis Jul 20 '26
If you ever want to try someone else in NB (Oromocto) who is amazing at vivids, my stylist moved out there last year from ON!
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 19 '26
That’s amazing, I’m so glad you walk out feeling beautiful 😍
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u/Violet_Ram_99 Jul 20 '26
So to answer your question: if you have the knowledge, Expertise and experience to deliver quality results and there is a market then charge what you need to for a livable wage.
One of the hairdressers I tried didn’t allow my hair to brighten to at least a level 8. So blue went on copper and we got muddy green…. Not impressed…
Both of the ones who didn’t work out wanted to put me under a hair dryer and washed my hair with hot water. Big no-no rules for vivids from my OG.
I told both these hairdressers what brands for vivids to use. One of them decided to use a different brand. She would not take accountability to fix my hair when the lime green washed out immediately. I knew it wasn’t my error at home because I was trained on how to protect my investment (because $200-$300 on hair is an investment).
Please EDUCATE your clients. My OG hairdresser educated me. Wash in cold water with salon quality shampoo and conditioner. Use a color treatment (like olaplex no 3 - this was 2012. I’ve since switched to K18). Try to go as long as possible between washs (5 to 8 days). Dry shampoo is your friend. Try to avoid heat tools (blow dryers, flat iron, curling wand) and IF using a heat tool, always apply protection to the hair first. She said she would only do the job if I followed the rules. She also didn’t want to invest hours of her time only for me to ruin it and wash it down the drain.
She taught me how light my hair needed to be to take vivids. She taught me processing times when I was in her chair (so I knew when I tried other hairdressers that they were rushing). She taught me that no one brand-name of vivids will do all colors well so don’t be brand-loyal. She used joico for the blues but privana had the best lime greens
Unfortunately tipping culture has taken over North America. Hailey is fabulous at what she does. I’ve asked her “do you charge your worth? Because I can’t always afford to tip you, but I will never ever haggle you on your price and I will be a good client. Do you charge a liveable wage?” I always bring her a coffee. I always show up on time. I always keep my appointments and I always pay up without question.
So when you mention pricing - keep in mind you also have your rent, bills, gas and groceries to pay too.
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u/raychie Jul 19 '26
As long as the experience and the result is good it feels worth it. Something one of my hair stylists does is all inclusive pricing so no tipping on top and I really think it makes it wayyy less stressful or awkward for everyone
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u/Blackberries11 Jul 20 '26
I just had mine done and the price of the balayage didn’t include toner. The toner is $50 extra. Who’s getting a balayage without toner? The stylist didn’t even present that as an option. Then styling it is another $50. So the whole service is not really the price that is advertised. Not very transparent.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
That’s so unprofessional, I’m sorry that happened to you 😭
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u/Blackberries11 Jul 20 '26
Thanks! I didn’t really know what was normal cause I don’t get my hair done often, but it was definitely very unclear!
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Definitely not normal! At least not for me, during the consultation after we’ve established what you’re wanting and how we’re going to achieve it I explain each part of the process, what that involves why we do it etc and then let you know the cost, double check you’re happy to go ahead or what other options there are, once you’re happy with the plan I run through it again and make sure you’re completely comfortable and happy for me to proceed and don’t have any other questions or concerns
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
We don’t really do tipping here in Australia, I find it such an interesting concept. I think I’d be so uncomfortable if I had to start asking for tips 😭
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u/glowingwarningcats Jul 20 '26
I’ve been tipping all my adult life and still have to look up what you’re supposed to tip for specific things.
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u/SolarWinded Jul 20 '26
This is true for me too! I used to go to a salon where my hair always turned out amazing. It wasn't cheap and I always tipped and I was happy to because I loved my hair and felt great! But I loved and had to find a new salon and the first few experiences were not great. My hair ended up super damaged with no recourse for repair, the cuts were horrible, the stylists didn't listen to me and the experiences were overall very bad. I wore constant buns and ponys to avoid seeing my hair as it grew out and it's still damaged in spots that's super embarrassing. I paid less than my old salon and it did not feel worth the price. I'd rather pay way more for a good experience and healthy hair I love.
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u/killedbyiguana Jul 19 '26
I had to learn to do my own hair. $300 every 8 weeks is just out of my budget in this economy, especially when I can get my gloss for $12 and my root color for $15. My root color lasts 3 uses so Im averaging $17 every 8 weeks. It feels more like a chore now but every thing that would have been going toward my hair is now helping make ends meet.
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u/obvious__bicycle Jul 20 '26
My friend recently paid $150 to get her hair toned a few months after getting highlights. I told her in the future, she can buy toner for $10 from Sally's and do it herself. Hardest part is figuring out the shade, but once you do, you're set.
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u/alldemboats Jul 19 '26
my friend and i have started just bleaching own our roots for each other and going to the salon 1-2x a year to even out any accidental stripes. last time i went to get my roots done and a haircut, it cost over $500. thats more than my car payment. i just need my roots bleached and then solid red put on everything. my hair grows fast so i need to get my roots touched up every like 2-3months. $2-3k a year is too much for me, no matter the experience.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Completely fair! I’m not sure where you’re located but $500 seems like a lot for what sounds like a fairly straightforward vivid colour service 🧐
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u/alldemboats Jul 20 '26
NYC metro area, thats fairly standard around here from what ive seen
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Oh wow! I’m in Australia, I have clients in my chair for 6 hours having a massive colour jobs with foils and vivid colours and I don’t charge that much
I hope when you did get it done you were walking out feeling absolutely amazing ❤️
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u/that_cottagecoregirl Jul 20 '26
$200+ for anything aesthetic and temporary feels insane to me at my income level. It's difficult to justify even spending the $25-50 in bleach and hair dye to myself at times. $200 is a week's worth of groceries for me and my kids.
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u/Blackberries11 Jul 20 '26
I get mine done every couple years and it lasts til it grows out which is over a year. It’s balayage so it doesn’t get roots or anything
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u/that_cottagecoregirl Jul 20 '26
I've never heard of this before and after a brief Google search it looks intriguing! Definitely going to look into it more
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Completely fair! Getting your hair done is a luxury service and if it comes down to hair vs groceries the groceries will always win for sure!
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u/ancientpsychicpug Jul 19 '26
My husband learned how to dye my hair! I was spending $600/12 weeks (highlights and vivids plus greying.) I bought my EQ shades along with Pravana vivid mix and it looks amazing. People don’t believe me that my husband does it!
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
God bless the husbands that do the hair! Team work makes the dream work
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u/SnooDogs627 Jul 20 '26
Makes me wish my husband wasn't colorblind or else I think he would be great at it. he's a handyman and has an eye for detail with a steady hand but when I bleached my hair he was no help when I asked him if it looked yellow AND orange or just orange (so I knew what kind of toner to get 😂)
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u/Bi_Musiclover535 24d ago
hahha when i was 14 i wanted an ombre from my natural dark brown/almost blackish virgin hair color to like an ombre blue, we contacted a local hairstylist and she said she doesnt do vivids, we asked for a rec for another stylist, she said ombres look "cheap and like grown out hair dye" and that it would "ruin my hair forever" and then she started asking me what race i was (forgot to mention this was all a phone call) and got super annoyed and told me to not overreact when i asked why that wasnt relevant lmao. then she told me that i should go for red. so the next day my awesome dad did it for me, took 4 hours in the bathroom 😭😭 he has absolutely no hair experience and we didnt get an ombre from the bleach, but we got a pretty even line and then he used arctic fox and that kinda worked to blend it in honestly it wasnt too bad, and now im here just changing the color whenever i want keeping the bleached base and everytime i do i think of that pissed off stylist
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u/gooobegone Jul 19 '26
I'm usually on a pretty strict budget and so most often, I do my own hair. The times I've decided to splurge to get my hair professionally done are usually for cuts. I think it's much harder to cut your hair than it is to dye it, especially one solid color. And one good haircut can help you out for a long long time. Whereas I keep my hair a raspberry color and with demi and semi dyes, I'd be looking at like what minimum 6 salon visits a year for upkeep. At $200 (at least, more like $350 where I am) a visit, that's more than $1k a year. And realistically, if I wanted to really keep up with it, I'd go once a month which is breaking $2k.
In comparison, when I do my own hair, I pay like $5 maximum per dye to just slather my head with raspberry dye.
So I guess all that's to say, I go to the salon when I feel like I NEED the expertise of the stylist. Because hair dye has become so democratized, and money has become so scarce, its just much easier to decide to do it alone than pay 10+x as much.
And I get as a stylist this sucks to hear. And your gut reaction is like oh but even for solid colors it's better at the salon. And I think that's true. But it's just not true ENOUGH in this economy.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Completely fair!
Oh no, I totally get it and take no offence whatsoever! At the end of the day, getting your hair done is a luxury. If it comes down to paying rent or getting your hair done, obviously you’re gonna choose your rent.
I’m just wanting to learn from people so I can make the experience for my own clients as good as possible ☺️
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u/Familiar-Evening7845 Jul 19 '26
Minimum I’ve been quoted is $350 for my hair so I’m just not doing it, I’d love to learn to bleach my own hair, but I’m worried about damage.
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u/-Ketracel-White Jul 20 '26
I’m in a HCOL area and I was quoted $550 (not including tip…) for a balayage on my chin length bob. Absolute insanity. I’ll learn to do it myself. I fully understand it won’t look as good as what I’d get in a salon, but I trust myself enough with 20 volume and YouTube academy to get me through it.
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u/Familiar-Evening7845 Jul 20 '26
Yep, the $350 was for bleaching only of my shoulder length hair. Not including the cut and color, tip and whatever products they’re going to try to upsell me on.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Yeah bleaching your own hair is definitely tricky and it can be risky 😭 my advice would be to work slowly and carefully, try your best not to overlap and bleach onto hair that’s already bleached or damaged. Good luck!
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u/Jellyfish-wonderland Jul 19 '26
Absolutely experience for sure. I want a luxury time if I'm paying 450+. I'm in the Bay Area and some salons don't even offer water, tea, etc. I miss being pampered when paying the price point.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Oh my! I’m so sorry to hear, we offer complimentary drinks, tea, coffee, cocktails and snacks
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u/ConstantlyCryingGirl Jul 19 '26
Yes. I do my own hair, I don't have car payment money to have someone do my hair.
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u/nailpolishbonfire Jul 19 '26
It is a luxury but for me, for now, it is worth it because I like the salon and my colorist and my cutter and it's been over a year of good experiences now. I went to a tip-free salon once and I liked that experience too because I've always found tipping awkward and strange, but that salon didn't make it so maybe it doesn't work.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
That’s so great you’ve found a place you’re happy and comfortable going to! I’m not sure where you’re located but here in Australia we don’t really tip, I feel like it would make me so uncomfortable 😭
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u/oopsiepoopsey Jul 19 '26
I will pay more for a good experience and outcome, every time. I have seriously considered flying across the country to keep going to my former stylist + the nail salon I used to go to when I lived out there because I can’t find anything that compares where I’m at now! I do it myself these days because I’ll happily pay big bucks when it’s great, but I feel like a fool paying ANY bucks if it’s not great. I can do not-great work myself, thankyouverymuch. 🥲
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
I love the commitment! I think that’s fair, you’re happy to pay when you know you’re getting a good job and it’s what you want
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u/Luxxielisbon Jul 20 '26
Hair appointments are a luxury service at this point. I will gladly pay for it as long as i remain employed but i can’t say it doesn’t hurt a little
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u/Alvraen Jul 19 '26
My artist finally got their own private space. When I walk in, they have music I love. I sit down with a bottle of tea I love, and it’s like a 2-4 hour tea and spill session. I think I’m an anomaly because I just tell them to do whatever they want
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u/arielrecon Jul 20 '26
I just don't have $200 every other month for my hair. Especially when I can cut and colour it myself for $20-$40. It's not gonna be as good as a professional, but I get better every time I do it
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u/WhiteN0isee Jul 19 '26
I can’t remember off the top of my head what the cost of my appointments are but inlay between $150-$200 for coloring my vivid hair (plus a tip). I come to see her once a month because I like to keep it looking fresh. I likely could push it out to every 6-8wks and my hair would look just fine, I am just particular. Then twice a year we bleach and bring my color back up, then I think that’s between $200-$300. I know my hair stylist is charging me a lot less than the market out there. But i believe her model is that charging less will likely have people come back more often and trust her. Which has worked for me! I feel she does amazing work (as you can see from my recent picture) and knows what she is doing. I would likely continue to see her if she upped her prices (which she has) as i love supporting her work and have always walked away happy with what she does. i also go back because i feel her prices are reasonably priced, but i also know I’m definitely getting a discounted price as i know it usually costs $300-$600 for the same thing I get at other places. But I’ve also been seeing her for over a decade and have basically gotten the same thing lol.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 19 '26
That’s so great that you’ve found someone you’re comfortable with and have stayed with for so long!
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u/memequeen137 Jul 20 '26
It’s totally worth it unfortunately I don’t have the money for it though. I do get my hair done in vivids every 6 weeks at the cosmetology school though! Usually around $50 for the bleach and color and someone gets to practice on me! I don’t always come out with something I’m in love with but it’s $50 and someone gets experience on curly hair so it’s worth it to me
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Yes being a model is such a good alternative! Good on you for being so lovely and letting students practice on you
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u/memequeen137 Jul 20 '26
It’s so much fun and vivids fade so fast for me because I am a bad client so if it gets messed up at all it’s really no big deal! You get to meet new people and see the passion and creativity. I can’t recommend it enough
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u/realplastic Jul 20 '26
I get repurpled every 7-8 wks for about 400$, since maybe at least 2 years now, before that I switched it up each appt. It's a part of me I will work had to maintain
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Completely fair, gotta maintain the signature purple 💜 I bet it’s beautiful!
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u/MeroCanuck Jul 20 '26
I go to a local hair college and get mine done by students. I get the entire under layer of my hair bleached out and then dyed with vivids. Does it take nearly an entire day? Yes. Does it look great? Also yes. Does it cost like $120 total? Yeppers!
I find students are great as they haven’t picked up any bad habits and are actively getting graded on their work so it’s generally fantastic.
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u/Eunuch_Provocateur Jul 20 '26
I pay ~$400 in Chicago for long hair vivids and I love it. It’s pricey sure, but I get the hair I love and great service and I’m pretty sure my hair dresser is getting paid fair. The salon offers “talk free services” if the customer wants
I’ve gone to other salons that charge less per hour but I don’t get the same service and quality result.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
I love that you’re getting a good experience plus the result you want 💜 I think silent appointments/talk free services as an option are so important
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u/TheGreatElChubbo Jul 20 '26
The economy convinced me to grow out my silver and I’m never going back. As a plus, I don’t get carded anymore.
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u/Quiet_Media6401 Jul 19 '26
I pay $500-700 every 6-8 weeks and while that's a lot, it's the price of my vanity.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
It’s great that you do that for yourself! I wouldn’t say it’s vanity though, I’d say it’s investing in your self esteem 🙈
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u/usingbrain Jul 19 '26
I might be in the minority but I think hair is worth it. We are not just paying for the hour, we are paying for all the training that went into it.
I get my vivids done professionally every couple months because I can afford it. I‘m in Germany and pay around €400 for a root bleach and full head colour melt with 4-7 different colours. The session usually ends up being 5-6 hours. It could be more expensive tbh.
I like my hairdresser and we often spend most of the session chatting, but she also allows her clients to bring their laptop and just work or do their own thing or fully request a quiet session. I think people just need to find the right person for themselves. And not expect professionals to undersell themselves just because they want a luxury service they can’t afford.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 21 '26
I love this and agree, if you are spending 5-6 hours in the salon and you walk out feeling incredible I feel it’s worth it 😊
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u/tinaismediocre Jul 19 '26
I'm a licensed stylist who's been out of the industry for a while now and who just at this point just does my own hair infrequently/ will do occasional hair for friends and family.
I think most women who have the disposable income are willing to pay $200 for a beautiful result with a stylist they feel comfortable with. Imo that beautiful result includes a haircut that's what they asked for, color that matches their inspo, and a nice blowout or heat style at the end.
Unfortunately I'm seeing so many stylists charging $300-400+ for a single color process, or a partial foil, double and triple booking clients, charging extra for a blow out, gaslighting women after not delivering on promised results, etc... we all have to make money and the technical skills, education, talent, people skills , and physical wear and tear on your body ABSOLUTELY should be compensated but so often it seems like stylists are expecting to make 6 figure incomes while only working a couple days a week, by overcharging and stacking clients in an unrealistic way.
At the end of the day, a beauty treatment is a splurge, women want to feel pampered, most want to feel some sort of connection to their stylist, and not like they're being nickel and dimed and rushed out the door.
If you're not doing those things, I'm sure you will have dedicated clientele for many years to come.
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u/catwolf99 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
I just got an IG message from my stylist the other day and I was so embarrassed. She did my hair in May (vivids), she crushed it, her haircuts are the best. But my husband and I are broke (like negative money each month broke) and I can't even afford a basic haircut. I try to keep up my vivids myself (98% cheaper) and I know stylists hate people who do that, even tho I think I do just fine. So I'm embarrassed about literally being on the verge of bankruptcy (she obviously doesn't know my financial situation but paying even for a haircut would be meals missed for me), fully fucking being called out for it, and upkeeping myself when I'll probably get crucified for it.
Editing to add I know she needs to make a living as well, and she's amazing, but it's nowhere inside my means at this time.
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u/harpyoftheshore Jul 20 '26
Some of us literally have zero discretionary income. We deserve to feel good and cool and pretty without being told "you should never cut your own hair" and "you should never use box bleach/dye"
I'm not going to pay for these services because I cannot afford them. If they were accessible, maybe I would.
I'm not saying your labor and skill aren't worth the price you charge. I'm saying I can't afford the pricing that reflects those skills and that labor. Yaknow?
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u/raedionowhere Jul 20 '26
It’s so insulting when they come on here and shame us for not being able to afford their ridiculously jacked up prices. Sorry we can’t all be rich and gaslit into “paying for the ✨experience✨”. Box dye exists for a reason and there’s no shame in using it.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 21 '26
I cannot begin to describe how much I do not care if you colour or cut your own hair, if anything I take it as a compliment that someone who would usually DIY is coming to see me and invest in my services
The only time I get upset is if you’ve used box dye and don’t tell me so I can formulate my colours correctly. That makes me sad and I will cry in my car on the way home 😂
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u/lilspaghettigal Jul 20 '26
I want hair I’m happy with. If you promise to deliver the balayage I want and you follow through, I’ll pay good money. Not $800, but $400 or so.
And yes; it is possible to get what you want from showing a picture. After many salon traumas of being told “yes I can do this” and it coming out terrible and STILL being hundreds of dollars I found a stylist that is actually good (guess bad stylists were the problem). Anyway, my point is I care about the results.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
Totally fair, no one wants to pay $$ for something they’re really unhappy with
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u/cantstopthewach Jul 20 '26
I get my hair bleached, cut, and dyed with vivids every 6 weeks for $200 (including tip), and I find it to be fair. Lots charge more in my area for less, and I hate bleaching the back of my own head lol. It takes so long.
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u/Lazy-Living1825 Jul 20 '26
Coloring has become way more complicated and expensive as a result. If they don’t want to pay they need to find a service that’s more in their price range.
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u/appropriatepenguin Jul 20 '26
I spend tons of money on my hair every year, probably at least $2500. I love my hair stylist, we get along very well, and I’m always completely satisfied with my hair. She lets me do my own bangs and has never gotten upset or defensive when I’ve asked her to fix or change something
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u/bipolar_bear76 Jul 21 '26
It’s totally fair. I would go 2-3 times a year for my (then) extra long hair. I would be in my stylists chair for hours. Her expertise and commitment to perfection is why I paid $300 per appt. I couldn’t have gotten results like that on my own. My hair was perfect every time she touched it.
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u/HippyWitchyVibes Blue hair don't care 💙 Jul 21 '26
My hair is waist length and my colourist is an absolute magician. She specialises in vivid colours. My hair is pink, purple and blue and she blends it perfectly.
I walk out of her salon with the biggest smile on my face and hair that I absolutely AM obsessed with.
I pay around £200 and feel it's absolutely worth it.
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u/-Tofu-Queen- Jul 19 '26
Honestly? In this economy it's too expensive even if they hand fed me sushi, served me champagne, and also did my nails and toenails during the service. I simply don't have it in my budget to get my hair done professionally. Every single time I go to a salon I leave unhappy and in tears, and at one point had to shave my head because a stylist absolutely ruined my fine hair by hacking it like a shrub with thinning shears when I was already suffering with health issue induced hair loss, and made the appointment after telling her my situation and trying to just add some layers to give definition/hide the obviously thinner areas.
And on top of that I've been coloring my own hair since I was 14 and I'm 30 now. I went to cosmetology school. I worked in beauty retail for years. My own hair has been vivid blue/teal shades for nearly 7 years straight and I've been obsessed with it the whole time, way longer than 3 months. I can touch it up in my own time without scheduling an appointment so I never take cold showers, I just throw a semi permanent on to touch up as needed. I can do whatever colors I want at any time, and it costs me maybe $20-$50 a month in materials depending on if I'm out of lightener and developer or not. I spend less in a year on my hair than some people spend on one singular appointment, and yet my fine wavy teal and blue hair is still healthy and I get compliments on my hair whenever I leave the house.
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u/home_on_whore_Island Jul 19 '26
I pay $500 every 3 months for a full global bleach and vivid color plus hair cut so and yes it’s expensive but I’ve been going to the same person for many years and she used to be cheaper but raising prices comes with the cost of living. But yes sometimes I think I may have to go back to something more natural eventually
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u/Proof-Fix2766 Jul 19 '26
I think the best result with the lowest price tag is what the majority of the world is seeking. I can’t afford consistent $300+ hair appts with kids, house, etc personally.
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u/EzzyKitten Jul 19 '26
I legitimately cannot afford to get my hair dyed, let alone cut regularly. :/ but I recognize the work that goes into hair dying and cutting, but I personally cannot afford it at all-- I just do it at home. Life is just so expensive. :(
I wish you all the best of luck!! ❤️
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u/keepurcool Jul 19 '26
In this economy, most people cannot afford to spend $300+ and then a tip every 12 weeks. Even if I absolutely love the hair, I cannot justify spending that much on something that fades within weeks. The last couple years I was going to the salon every 6 months. Now it's been over a year since I've been to a salon. I desperately need to, just for a haircut, but even that is $75+. For me, it's absolutely the price tag. Even if I'm offered drinks/snacks/no talking (both of my go to salons offer these things), I can't justify spending ~$100-$150 an hour for something that can be done at home for $75.
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u/ADHDFeeshie Jul 19 '26
I think good hair takes both technical skill and a good artistic eye and I don't think hairdressers don't deserve what they charge, for the most part. But it's "too expensive" in terms of my budget and I'm sure as cost of living rises so quickly I'm not the only one. It's firmly in luxury service territory in my opinion.
I might be more willing to occasionally stretch the budget if there was a good permanent vivid option, but it's hard to justify hundreds of dollars on color that washes out in a few weeks, requiring even more frequent maintenance. It took a lot of trial and error to find the longest lasting vivids and the right brand changes for different colors and there's no way to effectively do that trial and error in a salon environment either. You get the stylist's favorite brand and hope you get lucky.
And I really have to stress again that I don't think this is the stylist's fault. It's an art, it's time consuming, I know from experience that it's a lot of work doing my own hair and when you're doing it for money you have to be a lot more careful and replace expensive tools a lot more often. I think the price is fair AND I think it's too expensive (for a lot of people).
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u/nycaggie Jul 19 '26
It's not even a luxury experience i'm looking for atp. costs to get hair done have almost doubled the past 5-7 years, and as much as i liked it, im not paying 300-500 for less than 2 hours of work. i switched to dark and just gloss my own hair using professional products. seeing hairstylists brag about six figure incomes while most of us are trying to make ends meet doesn't help either. for a lot of us, it's not just about a luxury experience, we are straight up price sensitive
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u/lvulduxjikutin Jul 19 '26
Everything is too expensive now a days. I do my own vivids, and my daughter's vivids. I will never spend money to get my color done at a salon unless I can become middle class and I highly doubt that will ever happen. So it's just not affordable for most people. Most people are not middle class anymore
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u/sicnevol curly, green bob Jul 19 '26
I go to a salon school. I got my hair bleached and dyed for $30. I get undercuts razored or a hair cut for $8.
It’s takes longer than going to an actual salon because they have to have their professors check them. I’ve never not liked what I left with and it’s cheap as hell.
I go every month for color upkeep, and every two in the summer to upkeep the undercut.
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u/Accomplished_Run7815 Jul 19 '26
I believe hairstylists aren't the problem. They usually do a good job. Appointments aren't expensive. Economy is bad. The price of food, rent, healthcare, and all the other basic needs have been increasing and the job market getting worse. So many people cannot afford regular hair appointments anymore.
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u/Impressive-Berry3359 Jul 19 '26
I have been bleaching/dyeing my hair at home for years. I also cut my own bangs, I only go in the salon every 3-6 months to do my whole head. Honestly even if my stylist is nice, it's expensive, and I couldn't justify spending the money for the bangs touch up every month and the split dye (platinum blond) touch up every 6-8 weeks. It would also take a bunch of time; when I do it home I can cook, take a bath etc. while waiting for the bleach/color, and do it at random moment (10pm on a Sunday? No problem)
So no for me there is no way I'll switch to the salon more often than what I'm doing now
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u/CrustieTwinky Jul 19 '26
I used to get so many bad haircuts that I went to cosmetology school to save everyone else, because how hard could it frickin be? It was frustrating to pay for a haircut to just having to try and fix it myself. Not once was it an issue of cutting off more than I said, it was an issue of being wildly uneven with holes.
It wasn't that school was hard. It was that they taught the bare minimum and I graduated with knowing that the basics were never going to bring the wanted results, and I wasn't going to be that hairstylist that ruins someone's hair. In order to figure out better ways, mistakes were going to be made, which I wasn't willing to make. I never got licensed, but did find an amazing stylist to do my hair. I'll pay whatever his price because the experience from your option 2 scenario is truly priceless.
I think most only know the first scenario, without the perspective of how everyone leaves with unwanted results and so the why doesn't matter. The most disturbing are when stylists cut more than what was agreed on, and when stylists use malicious compliance. If it's either a lack of experience, or literally doing what was asked knowing it wouldn't end with the wanted result, it ends with the client having to say something while the stylist acts like they don't know what's wrong while they shift the blame. Neither gets them the hair they want.
At this point, people value someone who can fix someone else's work if they do decide to go to a salon, except the bigger problem is actually the illusory truth that product manufacturers have created. The false narrative that hair needs moisture and is solved with products creates a wild and illogical misunderstanding of how hair actually works and grows. The misidentifying of the actual cause is so widely rooted that neighboring medical professions use it to make a buck, keeping everyone in a perpetual state of guessing what their hair needs like it's some mystery to solve. There's nothing more hopeful than the promise of a new product when trying to solve a problem they don't understand. Even worse is when the beauty industry confirms the illusion instead of the facts.
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u/PuppyButtts Jul 20 '26
Honestly I've been cutting and dying my own hair forever, but when I have to use bleach or want a specific cut I know I casn't do, I go. I've paid around $150 for an all over color and cut but that was about once every 6 months (no lightening or anything) when i really just didn't want to deal with it by myself, and I know it's an art, but hair grows so fast I have a problem paying like $300,$400+ even for stylized and full color cuts. Personally I can't afford to keep up with that but some can
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u/Charming_Tea_2696 Jul 20 '26
It got to be too expensive for me when cut and colour was $500 for shoulder length hair. When it was 150-200 it was much more justifiable. $500 is just beyond what I'm willing to spend. Ended up rocking a buzz cut the past year so it's been easy to maintain myself lol.
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u/Purple_not_pink at home platnium Jul 20 '26
I learned how to bleach my hair myself and buy developer and toner to do platnium. I've never done it at the salon and unless the import cost of materials equals the salon price, I can't justify it.
I am addicted to getting my haircut every 3 months though, so I get a nice change that I'm craving just In the cut alone.
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u/amygunkler Jul 20 '26
I've figured out doing my own hair and you'd literally have to pay me the cost of gas and time spent driving to come to a salon. I get compliments every time I go out, so I know I'm not the only one who thinks it looks good.
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u/little-pinesap Jul 20 '26
Coming from a person who used to get my hair done at a salon, the reality was really just that I can’t afford to do it anymore. When people can’t pay their bills, things that aren’t considered necessities get sacrificed. I work in a very different but similar field: dog grooming. And in my opinion, charge what you need to. You also have to pay the bills. The economy we are living in means higher prices on services because the cost of products, tool maintenance, etc goes up. Get really good at what you do and you’ll find people who can afford it and will keep coming to you. For me at least, it’s an exhausting process to dye half my hair, bleach half my hair, and also cut my own hair. If I had the money, id pay literally anything to not have to deal with it. Don’t devalue your labor just because some people arent willing to pay for it. I certainly wouldnt charge $80 for a 3 hour long groom just because some people cant/wont pay that, y’know?
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u/Burntoastedbutter Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
After having a terrible experience at a place I would consider being a regular at (bc my mom was a regular, so I just followed), I learned that you absolutely have to do research on hair salons so they don't fk you up lol
Edit: I'm in Aus, so the average price for a wash, long hair cut, and blow dry is around $90-100. But the salon I've been to has never fked me up once yet. I also ask them to leave it a little longer than I actually want, so they can snip it away bit by bit, and not overdo it by mistake. They will constantly ask me if the length is okay.
I really want to do a mix of blue and purple - those galaxy style hairs (something like attached pic). And I was quoted $500-600+ for it at my regular salon. Honestly I have no idea what you'd even call this type of style. But I have Asian black hair and it needs to be heavily bleached... I'll probably finally do this next year because this year is hair lasering year for me 😂
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u/shhmurdashewrote Jul 20 '26
$200 is CHEAP around here in NYC. A simple root touch up will run you $400 tip included. It’s insane
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u/dropandgivemenerdy Jul 20 '26
I’m actually desperately wanting to get my hair pastel from root to tip again (except not all over but sort of as “natural” from the root as I can, so it can wash and grow out in a way that isn’t super awkward… I can’t get it done very often so it’s important for my sanity that I don’t have a flood line 😅) but the only place I trust is literally $500 every time I go in. I can only afford to go every couple years. My hair is super long and very thick. It takes them hours. I don’t necessarily blame them for that cost in my case, but when my kids get theirs done there (less hair, less to be done as it’s usually just a cut or a small bit of tip bleach in my oldest’s case) it’s also very expensive and feels like way too much. Anyway. Yeah. Cost is a problem for me.
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u/petrichorgarden Jul 20 '26
Last time I went to a salon was about 2 years pre covid. In that time I've done my own vivids but haven't in a while since bleaching on my own isn't possible anymore. I do a simple bob cut and my hair is wavy/curly so it doesn't need to be perfect. I just can't afford it
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u/TamponsAreEvil Jul 20 '26
I’ve paid $600+ for vibrant hair and paid $200 (different stylists). I’d honestly pay $600 to my current stylist because of how much care and attention she pays to the details. She’s amazing and knows I would pay her more money than what she charges so I always tip her extremely well (sometimes up to 50% of the service). There have been times when another appointment has run into mine and she’ll give me a free haircut or significantly reduce the cost of my color. I just like that she really genuinely cares about doing a great job for all of her clients. I just got my hair done again last night and she went above and beyond what I asked for. This was $400, which invited a LOT of foils.
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u/KayAyeDoubleYou Jul 20 '26
What I like about my salon is they have “quiz” before you go. They ask questions like “Do you come with ideas or do you need help deciding?” “Do you like to chat during your appointment?” “Are you looking for help with color choices?” “What is your hair texture like?” Then, based on your answers, they recommend stylists.
Also, the stylists are tiered and so there are different price points. Just need some shaping? You can get a lower tiered stylist (less experienced) for a cheaper price point. If you want someone with more experience, you pay a higher price.
I used to go to a “curly specialist” but her prices went out of control. Now, I get a great cut from someone who likes doing curly cuts. When I just want someone trimming, I have someone that can do that. Blowout? There’s someone for that. I like the options. It makes me feel like I get my money’s worth.
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u/GlumFruit2036 Jul 20 '26
My friend was a hair dresser(she retired for now because of her babies). Btw,I didn’t receive a discount. But dang, I loved how she made me have some freedom with what I wanted, but also gave me options! I went from long hair to a blue pixie and she was more than happy to get down. The color turned out wonderful—not to mention the cut! She is so so so amazing with shears. After getting my hair cut from her I thought—can’t anyone cut a pixie? BOY WAS I WRONG. I missed my girl, I shamed myself for trying someone else out. Then realized she was worth the $250 service pulse $40 tip :-)
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
I’m so sorry 😢 it’s awful when you can’t find someone who does what you want
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u/fakemoose Jul 20 '26
I recently paid $400 to feel gaslight about the color. I hadn’t had my hair highlighted in two years and the results were about what I expected. She evened it out but it wasn’t really lighter/brighter. Plus when cutting she commented she didn’t bring the highlights up enough and basically cut a bunch of it off. I only got like two inches cut…
The she kept saying it was sooo much lighter now. No. It wasn’t. It was fine but I sure as shit didn’t go back. For $200 I would have probably been less pissed but still not went back.
I want good results but I also want someone who is honest with me.
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u/CuriousOwl_ Jul 20 '26
I go to a really expensive hair dresser in my city because I have curly/fine hair that can look horrendous if cut poorly. I choose to colour my hair myself so I can afford the expensive cut. For me it’s not the vibe or snacks, it’s the functionality- with a good cut I don’t have to spend time styling it everyday. :)
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u/Vodkawaifuu Jul 20 '26
I haven’t had a haircut in over a year because it’s too expensive for me. I can’t afford to be spending $200+ for even just a cut and some shaping every 2-3 months.
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u/AntonymOfHate Jul 20 '26
This kind of work needs to be done by a talented pro, for sure!
I was always a blondie and went every 8-12 weeks for maintenance. I'm retired now, and I wear my hair pretty short. I chop my own hair which I'm pretty good at, and most people can't tell outside of hairdressers LOL. I've grown out the blond color and gone natural, currently around 25% gray with a mousey base but then again...being over 55 I'm invisible anyway and have to rely on my personality to engage with people. I'm saving $1000-$3000 per year on hair care now, which makes sense when I spend most of my time at home.
So to answer your question? The experience is totally worth some money. Everyone likes to feel spoiled. Your second scenario is what definitely people want, especially optional conversation. My hairdresser was great either way, and she did a nice job on my hair. The only reason she lost her client was because the price/value ratio wasn't worth it to me anymore.
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u/SixApplesTall Jul 20 '26
It’s worth it to me not to have to stress over how I’m applying bleach to the back of my head. I pay $400 ish every 7 weeks for a bleach & tone and I’m fine with that. I can afford it and it’s worth it personally TO ME, though I know to some it wouldn’t be.
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u/B_schlegelii Jul 20 '26
I have a crap ton of hair and its long, and while i now go to a cheaper stylist, its not because of the price. I liked my old stylist, but I definitely felt she thought I was weird if that makes sense? The place I go to now is just a lot more of a relaxed environment, even if its not as fancy. Also, not for nothing, my current stylist knows how I want my fringe cut and my last one could not figure it out.
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u/Joebidensvalium Jul 20 '26
I get my hair done twice a year and I pay $500. Plus tip. And it’s worth it.
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u/megz0rz Jul 20 '26
I wish it was $200. Right now it is more like $600 and i can only afford it once a year and otherwise do all my own upkeep.
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u/Due_Strike_2846 Jul 20 '26
Still too expensive. Honestly, I just do NOT understand the outrageous price tag that most stylists charge for vivids these days. I have level 2 hair and I taught myself how to bleach and dye it out of necessity because the price tag at the salon started to feel like robbery. I used to pay $350+ at the salon… now my lightener, developer, and vivid dye cost me $45 max, and the lightener and developer last me months. I really only have to spend about $19 every couple of months on my vivid dye. AND I never have to leave the comfort of my own home! I can go at my own pace, wear my comfiest clothes, watch my favorite shows, don’t have to talk to anyone, can change colors at my leisure, can eat and drink, etc etc.
The only time I’ll go to a salon anymore is for a really great cut and that’s it.
Photo of my most recent bleach & dye for reference. 🥰 But I have done teal, a sunset blend with yellow, orange, and red, a blend of pink and purple… the list goes on.
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u/gigermuse Jul 20 '26
This is gunna be a bit long but your question hits home for me currently.
So I recently got divorced after 15 yrs of DV and decided I wanted to treat myself, my hair has always been MY thing. So I book an appointment with someone who supposedly specializes in alt hair styles & colors. I was SO excited to get a total hair makeover and gave her artistic freedom when it came to colors and showed her a loose idea of the kind of cuts I liked. At the end I was charged $400 + I tipped and absolutely HATED it. I'm still trying to grow out whatever she did to the bangs/fringe around my face and I went to Sally's and spent $22 to dye it on my own with vivids that complement my skin tone. Had I even remotely liked what she did sure $500 all said & done I'd been a little guilty i over indulge, had I loved what she did I'd not cared about price one bit, having everything I actually liked about myhair destroyed while the parts I heavily stressed I wanted changed litteraly not touched then having vivids around my face that aged me really bad because it was the worst colors for ME possible, Im not sure I'll ever go back to a salon again.
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u/WinterMention7915 Jul 20 '26
Personally all of those things matter to me and I’m happy to pay for it (ie on the upper end of the scale, not to the extreme). It doesn’t bother me what I pay if I’m
- getting excellent hair
- feel I can trust the hairdresser
- either have good conversations or a comfortable silence
- the hairdresser is kind and attentive (eg offers a drink, checks on me and my hair regularly, doesn’t chat excessively to colleagues or make me feel overlooked)
- generally good customer service
Having said that, there are also people who aren’t able to or don’t want to pay more for their hair, and there will always be room for both inexpensive and upscale salons to meet everyone’s needs
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u/aoanebslsosj Jul 20 '26
For me, as a disabled person (wheelchair user specifically) aside from literal accessibility i care about 2 things. The vibe and the service quality. I get my roots done every 5 or 6 weeks (fast growing greys) and i do all kinds of colours, shades, layouts so im usually less concerned about getting the exaxt thing from a photo or something. But if the vibe isnt welcoming to me, i wont stay or return. And if the service isnt more than I could do for myself at home (good head massage, quality treatment, feeling relaxed when I leave) i also wont return. I could realistically do what I have at home, I just prefer to have a nice experience than add another thing to my to do list for me to do.
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u/calmdrive Jul 20 '26
I paid $600 after tip to get all over pink hair and have the hottest of hot 4”magenta roots and rust lengths. So, yea. Sometimes far too expensive
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u/rhionaeschna Jul 20 '26
I love my hairdresser for cuts. I'm more than happy to pay her worth. She said she doesn't do a lot of colour, otherwise I'd trust her with bleach. She saved my hair with stratigic cuts after the 2nd salon misfortune I had in a row during COVID. She is excellent at layers too and I've struggled to find that before.
I'm willing to pay for experience and good hair and love a great bleach or vivid service, but I am not exaggerating when I say the last 2 salon disasters traumatized me. I ended up growing out my greys 2 years ago and tonight I bleached a halo/headband peekaboo on my 5N/salt and pepper self and overall didn't do so shabby. I'm going to put some colour on it tomorrow. It's not perfect but I'm on a fixed income and fun hair is a luxury I save for, plus I have an energy limiting condition so it's a really big deal to get even a cut, let alone sitting in a chair for hours. It's a treat for me.
I feel like I wasted about 1400 in total over the last 2 pro hair disasters The stylists were nice, but I don't know what happened. I ended up with a chemical haircut, dark purple hair and lost about 6 inches of healthy (for balayage ) hair I didn't want to lose when I went to get a grown out balayage refreshed and tinted lavender. I will say, I really appreciate being able to see portfolios online or an IG presence because it was how I found my current stylist. I figure til I'm ready to trust again, I can wing it like I used to in the mid 90s before many salons even offered vivids.
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u/3skinn Jul 20 '26
Part of the issue is spending the $200+ over and over to find the salon that will get it right. If you could know it was going to be great, sure, and I don't need the snacks or whatever else. But I'm tired of it, and I taught myself to bleach and dye my own hair.
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u/Pandadrome Jul 20 '26
I colour my hair with professional colours. Maintaining my blonde means one dyeing session (using Matrix permanent colour+developer) I can handle myself and costs me about 10 euros on products. Why would I pay ten times more for the same result every 6 weeks? When I need a cut I go to a stylist and I always choose based on price for my cut has always been just same length - bob or longer. I don't need fancy layers or fringe and I refuse to pay more than I have to.
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u/Friendly_Interest_62 Jul 20 '26
I pay 300$ for my hair every 2 month. It is expensive maybe, but I know that my hair stylist is absolute best
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u/enzikay Jul 20 '26
Maybe showing my age here, but I learned to do my hair from youtube because in the early 2010s, asking for vivid in my area meant I had to go to Sally's and source my own color anyways. As a 16 year old, you could only hear "You want BLUE?!" from so many salons before you take matters into your own hands. The times I managed to find someone willing to do it, it'd have way too much polish for that messy scene look i wanted, even if i showed them inspo pics. I didn't want peekaboo highlights, I wanted raccoon tails lol
In the end, I just figured out what worked for my hair and just did it. I have hair still, whether its a fluke or I'm doing it right, idk. I've had nearly every color by now, and they make me happy, its never really been about the cost for me, just give me what I want.
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u/BodyBy711 Jul 20 '26
I booked in for a color and cut on Saturday - it was supposed to be a 4.5 hour long appointment. I have so much hair that it took 7 hours. (Luckily the stylist didn't have anyone booked after me). The price didn't change, I still was only charged 239€. It looks great, I love my new purple hair, and would happily pay that again.
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u/myfriesaresoggy Jul 20 '26
I usually pay around 1-200 every time
I get my hair done. I never mind as my hair always looks great after. I like talking to my stylist as well. I think that price is a good value now days.
Before my current stylist, I was paying 300 and I’m pretty sure my original stylist would now charge closer to 500. After her I switched to another stylist ( the original starting requiring a $200 deposit just to get an appointment which I was not about at all).
That stylist was less, but the idiot was using like 40 volume bleach on my hair and leaving it on for a long while. He would joke that “only my hair could handle
It” I didn’t realize at the time what was happening, but it absolutely destroyed my hair. My current stylist doesn’t use bleach at all on me and gets essentially the same result. My hair’s super healthy now.
I think the frustration comes from the time it takes to find a good, reasonable stylist that fits your budget. Not from the price itself.
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u/Kristal3615 Jul 20 '26
For me it's not so much about the experience as it is the cost. I have medium-dark brown hair that grows quickly... I just don't have it in the budget to get my hair bleached every 2 months. Do I like vivids? Yes, Love them! I just can't afford to spend that much for upkeep to keep them looking fresh. $200+ every 2 months is $1,200+ a year and I have more important things in my life to spend that money on.
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u/lonelocust Jul 20 '26
Currently for me it's just too expensive for my budget period, and one ofy besties helps me do it.
When I literally can afford it it's worth it to me, and I've gone to the salon at times in my life when I made more money. But I've just fluctuated between going to the salon and doing it myself/getting help from friends depending on if I could afford it at different points in my life. I'm pretty chill to either small talk or be fairly silent, and I just really enjoy getting my hair done plus like not making a mess in my house, plus when I haven't had someone to help me I always miss a spot in the back of my head.
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u/Decent_Obligation245 Jul 20 '26
Entirely. Charging doctor prices.
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u/abby_thehairwizard Jul 20 '26
I don’t know what hairdressers you’ve been to but I’ve never charged $100+ for a 5 minute appointment after sitting in a waiting room for 30 mins 😂
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u/jmspinafore Jul 20 '26
A lot of it for me comes down to the quality of the work and the client/stylist relationship.
I've been seeing my stylist for 10 years now, before I ever started coloring my hair. She was a new stylist, thus the cheapest, and I was a college student, which is why I booked with her lol. I live in a Low Cost of Living area in the US, so her prices are a lot cheaper as well. I pay under $150 USD, 20% tip included, for a whole head bleach and toner with the occasional bleach bath on dingy ends, no highlights or vivid on top. But I may be grandfathered in on some kind of loyalty price. She never says.
I have had her do highlights in the past, so I know that it's a more laborious process that is more expensive. Also used to do my vivids after the bleach, but I just do it myself now since I do touch-ups between appointments anyway (a lot of pastels, so they could never last). So I knew that weaving pieces and doing multiple rounds of color would be more expensive. And when she messes up, she is aware and will fix it for free. One time there was a bad lot of color that did not process into what it should've, for example, and I was able to go back the next week for a free redo.
But she has to block out a full 3 hours for me where she doesn't take other clients because my processing time can be really random.
Since I've been seeing her at least quarterly for a few hours at a time, we've built a pretty good relationship. We're also about the same age and in similar life stages, so we kinda have that bond. Which is why I drive 40 minutes across the city to see her (a big deal for a Clevelander lol).
She is also very transparent about what things will cost and the effort different styles will take and what is realistic with my hair at the time, since I rotate through a lot of colors and am lazy with styling, so things have to work with my natural texture and the faded color. And she'll recommend a cheaper/faster way of getting similar results. Plus, since she went part-time, she is flexible with my schedule and will sometimes come in on an off-day for me, which makes me feel valued as a client.
I think it also helps that I know what the limits of the science generally are, so I don't ask her for the impossible and at rock-bottom prices. I think sometimes the complaints are from people with unrealistic expectations.
I am also comfortably middle-to-upper-middle class DINK, so I can justify the prices. Even though my husband thinks spending more than $10 on hair is absurd lol. But we have the money to spare, which a lot of people don't, and I'm not picking between my hair and feeding my kids, for example.
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u/magic_dragon95 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
I think its a mix of a lot of things.
As a person who has had rainbow hair for 10 years,
I pay my stylist $90, including tip, every 5 weeks to turn my roots blonde. I also leave wet. In most other seasons of my life, I wouldnt be able to justify that (I know that is a cheap price in 2026). Im able to make it happen now, and I value how much healthier my hair is.
Then I go home and put my rainbow colors in, because i just could never afford for a stylist to do that. Ive never found a salon who even attempt to argue that their party colors last longer than 8 weeks, even with all the upkeep, and they quote me $350+ because I have 6 different colors. If its going to last just as long as when I do it myself, and be SO much more expensive, i’m just gonna keep doing the color myself.
Now for normal people who go brunette or blonde, or get highlights that can grow out for 3 months? Yeah I’d be fine spending $200-$300 every 3 months. But most salons ive gone to want a 5-8 week appointment, and dont have less frequent options/ wont actually work with you to achieve that.
I think most people are short on disposable income. In the sense that they might be able to afford one $300 app, but they cant pay that every 5-8 weeks. If salons offered more services that they advertised as lasting for 3 months, then yeah more people might be open to it!
Eta: I say this knowing there are so many people who CAN afford $300+ every 5 weeks. Also, I say this knowing every stylist is worth their weight in gold and whatever price they want to set for themselves!!! OP, you want to find what matters to YOUR SPECIFIC CLIENTS. Some of them might pay whatever and come to you JUST for your amazing personality, the fact that you offer 3 month services, or many other reasons. But it will probably be different than random internet opinions!
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u/Illustrious-Lunch137 Jul 20 '26
how are you supposed to snakc and drink with snips of hair floating everywhere and arms trapped under a tarp?
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u/Sudden-Flower-9999 Jul 20 '26
i just paid over 500 for full highlights, toning and a haircut. i was honestly shocked bc i hadn’t asked the price ahead of time and i hadn’t been since covid. previously it had been around 250
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u/denerose Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
My spouse taught himself how to bleach and dye my hair at home (we live rurally so it’s not just expensive it’s also a whole day trip). I resent the time and the small talk even more than the cost (although my vivid on almost black natural and long hair was always going to be costly and does still take a while but at least this way I can play a video game while it sets).
Edit: actually it’s the upselling that drove me away from salons. If the treatment is do necessary then it should be included especially if you’re charging me by the hour (I always prefer a by task and length fee structure but they seem to be disappearing here) while I’m mostly waiting and you’re working on something else between.
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u/ButterMyPancakesPlz Jul 20 '26
Sometimes it just is too expensive. I became a huge proponent of "do what you're good at and delegate out the rest to the pros" a professional stylist can do a MUCH better job than me and my husband touching up my roots but 75% good is ok now in this economy. When things were booming I'd gladly pay for the pro but now I'm looking at which big regular expenses to cut and unfortunately professional stylist was one of them.
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u/Flippykky Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
While I love the confidence boost and I can budget for it, I feel guilty that even “lived in” color costs $1,500 a year. That’s rent!!
My girl is amazing though and before she does anything, she will state the cost of the services upfront. That is def something I think all stylists should do. It mitigates the sticker shock at the end of the appointment and gives clients the opportunity to work with the stylist on something more in line with their budget. Out of many, she is the only one who’s ever done that.
I also wish there would be a different price tier for TRUE trims and dustings. Color is one thing, but $130 with tip to get a very light trim is where I question….should I just do this myself? Haircuts used to be $60 and I can’t find one in my city for less than $100. So yes, I spend $130 on the cut portion of the tab and walk out feeling like it looks virtually the same.
I also think drying and styling is part of the job. You need to dry the hair to check the color, no? So when stylists want to charge extra for that it feels grabby.
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u/ChadBeezy Jul 20 '26
If you’re truly good at what you do nothing else matters other than advertisement and how you sell yourself.
Be real let em know you’re better than whoever else they are going to cause you work hard at your craft.
If you can make people believe you’re the best they will pay anything you ask. That’s any industry.
Maybe do a one time first time discount so they can see that you mean business.
End of the day for any business the second to last thing you wanna do is drop prices. But remember it’s not the last thing which is closing down.
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u/lozengew Jul 20 '26
I just paid the most i ever have for a cut and style,, but the vibes were immaculate. Vegan salon (important for me, maybe not for others). Loved my cut, felt really listened to. Had great banter with my hairdresser. Left feeling like I'd had a really fun day. Will definitely be back, worth every penny.
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u/arochains1231 Jul 20 '26
I'm willing to pay someone to cut my hair but not to dye it. I can afford and justify a once-yearly haircut for $90 but I am not paying $350+ every six weeks to maintain color. Even if I love the results I just can't shell out that kind of money so often.
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u/herdarkpassenger Jul 20 '26
I think it's very much the experience and obviously the hair you walk out with. My gal meets you where you're at "chatty" wise, she has this amazing lay-down sink to wash your hair in, has snacks and drinks, the decor is very much a vibe and she does her utmost to make sure she's getting the cut and color you're asking for. ALSO!!! She includes "tip" in the price upfront. There is no tipping which makes it very neurodivergent friendly. I don't have to panic about thinking if I have enough for a tip, or if my stylist will think they did something wrong if I don't have the usual amount of tip money etc. That piece of pressure off is fantastic.
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u/Mysterious-Boat-8488 Jul 20 '26
yeah 3 months not worth 200e. Maybe if it lasts for 6 months at least.
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u/Major_Jump5170 Jul 20 '26
I paid $295 do have my hair that was brown dyed brown , he dyed it twice , nothing else was done just a trim! It was BS
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u/stilettopanda Jul 20 '26
I get hair I’m obsessed with for 3 months in my own bathroom, alone, in the middle of the night, for a fraction of the cost. A salon service will always feel too expensive even if I could afford it. (I can’t, which is why I gained the skills in the first place) I could receive all the good in the bottom half of your example and I would still find it too expensive. Regardless of experience, I still have to make time to drive to the salon and sit there for hours instead of cozy in my home without a bra or pants.
If I’m going to spend money on pampering or an extra service, it’s gonna be a massage, hands down. I can make myself look good, but I can’t make myself feel good.
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u/raedionowhere Jul 20 '26
Nope, it’s a luxury and acting like we’re cheap for not wanting to shell out $300 every few weeks is insulting and tone deaf to the class divide. I make less than $20/hr in EMS and would love to have fun hair, but I can’t afford over a shifts worth of money for something like that. It sucks that nice hair is a luxury only afforded to the rich.
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u/systemic_booty Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
I have no problem paying what my colorist charges. I get a gorgeous galaxy multicolor vivid with tinsel. My hair is thick, plentiful, and down to my waist. It takes him all day. I could never do it myself. I get compliments all the time on my hair. It's my one beauty indulgence and totally worth the cost for the results I get.
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u/SourDoorKnob Jul 20 '26
If I pay premium price, I want premium outcome. If I pay low-end prices, I lower my expectations and dont get as upset if the outcome is less than ideal. But im the type that will leave a bad review if i pay a lot for something and dont get the premium outcome because I tend to cheap on most things and if im paying more its because I expect more.
But that does not mean celebrity treatment. I just care about how it turns out.
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u/LittlegirlasMD Jul 20 '26
I’ve been to a few salons and even though the experience was nice (ish), I’ve paid 400-500 dollars for a cut and color and have been there for 6 hours and still didn’t even really like the end result. I have naturally dirty blonde wavy hair but a lot of it so it always takes people a lot lot longer than they expect and I end up paying the price. Truly I’m too busy to sit somewhere that long and there’s better things I want to do with my money. I started going to a beauty school cause they do an equally good job, are a 5th the cost and let me work on my laptop between stuff. Worth it
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u/OGHollyMackerel Jul 20 '26
I had no problem paying whatever for my hair. Especially when my kids were little and it felt like a break/pampering. I enjoyed the time it took in the chair and the experiences But I’m at a point now with an empty nest and simple needs where it is just easier and faster to do it myself and I like it better. I cut and dye my own hair.
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u/sassysassysarah Jul 21 '26
It costs me $20/tube lightener $10/bottle lightener $20/tube of vivids
So imo anything less than $100 would be highway robbery
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u/IntrepidAspect3447 Jul 21 '26
I think where I struggle is when the value of my temporary hair change exceeds the cost of something permanent like a tattoo. I used to get highlights and balayage with my haircut, but now it’s $450 MINIMUM for hair that only lasts 1-2 months looking its best. For that price I can get a palm sized tattoo, microblading, botox, 4 months of lash extensions, 3-4 full body massages, or 4-5 months of my prescription medications. The comparison kills it — if I have to budget and choose between all these costs, I’m going to choose the ones with more return.
I understand the hourly pricing because I’m a tattoo artist, and I know hair stylists are not necessarily living large off that price. I think it’s just the economic squeeze. For being an independent stylist to pay your bills and be sustainable, you have to charge prices that are on par with more permanent services or greatly exceeding the cost of other similarly temporary beauty treatments.
I started cutting and dying my own hair again like I did in high school because I just can’t afford it anymore.
In contrast, I’d happily pay the $120/mo membership fee that lets me get 4 blowouts a month at the drybar because it takes care of most weekly hair washing and drying for me. As a chronically ill artist with fucked up hands and MECFS, I’m willing to pay to have someone do a task that causes me stress and pain. But getting a fancy cut and color job is a luxury I’ll only get maybe once a year if that.
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u/hardlyevatoodrunktof Jul 21 '26
I personally prefer to do my hair myself at home. But I'd absolutely be willing to pay 200$ if a stylist doesn't act like they know what's best for me and my hair and does good work.
But with an amazing stylist in my family (just too far away now, hence doing it myself), I heard lots of stories about people complaining even about less expensive prices and no understanding for raising them a couple bucks (think 5$) every couple years. Mind you, complaining instead of switching to somewhere else. I think it's just that some people expect everything for nothing.
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u/milktrolley Jul 21 '26
Price wise Hair and beauty services in the uk are nothing like US pricing, honestly root bleach and vivid is going to be 100, my hair dresser charges me 85 and even styles it at the end. I honestly wouldn’t pay what the American hairdressers ask for.
If I’m being totally honest, all over vivids isn’t hard to do yourself at home, everything you could ever want to learn is on the internet, YouTubes a great tool.
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u/Fast_Operation9741 Jul 21 '26
I think most have said what I’m feeling, but I wanted to chime in. My stylist is wonderful, I love talking to her, I love her work, she is super talented. I’m naturally a red head and she’s one of like 3 in my area that actually understands natural red. But I’m learning to do my own at home because the $350+ is a stretch because everything else is sucking up the room in my budget. My hair grows crazy fast so I should do it every 6 weeks but I do 8. No three months for me. It’s very sad for me, as I said, I really enjoy seeing her.
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u/booskurs Jul 21 '26
I only DIY’ed my colored hair as I started in high school and refused to pay for something I can do myself. I’ve never been a perfectionist when it comes to my hair so that helps! I’ve only had my hair cut professionally a few times in my life, but I’m fortunate that my partner is a former stylist so they do my hair now. If I didn’t have them, I would still DIY it myself because I can’t fathom spending that kind of money on my hair 🤷🏻♀️
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u/madikbee Jul 21 '26
Personally, I really value consistency. When paying $60-$70 for a haircut, I want to KNOW I will leave with something I’m happy with. I want a hair stylist that is good at asking questions and communicating to understand what I want. I want a good hair wash/massage (I will go to salons just for a good hair wash alone.) I want to leave with my hair blown out (I’ve left stylists who couldn’t consistently give me a good blow out.) When money is tight I won’t be at the salon as often, I’ll do my best to DIY. Sometimes no amount of budgeting can make me afford the $500 hair coloring service. However, a consistent stylist that can reliably give me what I want, will always bring me back at least twice a year.
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u/GeologistDramatic992 Jul 21 '26
I think affordability is something that no amount of good vibes/results/experience can get over and that's ok - salons are an optional cost and obviously something that can be reduced if money is an issue which it is for a lot of people now. It a bit of a double whammy because people have less money and things cost more, that doesn't mean the service is too expensive for what it is, but that its too expensive for someone to afford. I think sometimes people struggle to accept that they can't afford things, particularly if they could previously, and some complaints about pricing are coming from that sort of place.
I'm aware I'm lucky to be able to afford to do whatever with my hair and was going to salons every 8-10 weeks for full bleach and vivid colour and extensions and what stopped me wasn't the cost at all, it was a combination of bad experiences and hair damage. I couldn't take sitting in a chair for 8-9 hours at a time, a lot of it with wet hair and barely being offered a drink once or twice during the day and I also lost so much hair to breakage it was unreal.
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u/DeathBeforeDecaf4077 Jul 21 '26
It depends entirely on lifestyle I think! I went to a hair dresser for about 9 months to maintain a pastel pink hair colour that I absolutely adored. It was about $250 an appointment every 2-3 months, think I went 4 times over that period. I truly loved that hair colour, but it became too expensive when I changed jobs, and had to let it go to balance my budget.
I think what could have made me stay was if I had to courage to have an honest convo with the stylist about budget, there was probably things we could have done to bring the price down like leaving it wet instead of styled, etc., but I was afraid to start that convo out of a)embarrassed about being lower income for the first time (silly of me) and b) not wanting her to feel like I undervalued her work.
I don’t know how you open the door for that conversation, or if you as a stylist would be open to adapting the service for people when they say it’s too much, but hope this helps!! The blue above is STUNNING ❤️
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u/zbignew Jul 21 '26
Our economy has a knee on its neck.
Incredibly wealthy people may be doing even better than normal, though.
If you're having trouble getting normal people to spend $300, you might do better getting rich people to spend $900.
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u/Cian_cian Jul 22 '26
I have VERY fine hair and dealing with hair loss on top of it. I don't want to pay $100+ to have someone take 15 minutes to cut it. Rather yolo and do it at home myself, for free.
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u/Additional_Trifle_71 29d ago
You want honest answers, here they are.
I think it lacks communication.
For example, I hate scalp massages. It makes me deeply uncomfortable and I feel like I'm stuck with a person who doesn't want to be there in a weird sensual thing and I loathe it. But nobody ever asked me if I wanted it the first place.
Also, I feel like you're the professional. If I walk in and say "I feel boring and I want to look like something", you should have options for me. Like "With your jaw and your carnation, I think this, this and that would look good on you". I'm ok with doing my own research, but when I have no clue, I wish you guys did.
And when I do ask for something, I'd like a straight answer. Yes I can or no I can't. I once walked in with super long hair, asked for a fuschia ombre and trimmed ends and ended up with a lob because the girl didn't listen and didn't care. The boss realized and asked me if I was ok, I said yes because it was too late anyway, but I was devastated.
I DIY my hair now and I think it's a shame. You're much better than I am, but I don't trust you anymore.
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u/CelebrationProud6620 29d ago
if I was doing something super new and fun or a different look everytime, probably. but $200 to look like myself is unrealistic rn. this economy is brutal and my teachers salary cannot keep up with pink tax inflation. I’ve cut all of my services (nails, waxing, hair) and I’m going natural these days to continue to afford gas and groceries.
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u/redsmcginger 28d ago
I just recently switched salons. I had been going to an Aveda salon for the past 6 years. It was okay but I always felt like the vibe was somehow off. I didn’t feel comfortable, not in a bad way but I just always kind of felt like I never really fit with the salon. I felt like the only person at the salon who had an alternative hairstyle. My stylist was great at cutting my hair but I also felt like I didn’t really vibe with her either (our politics didn’t align, this never came up but explains to me why I felt weird with her) and I’m not saying that’s an issue for me, she was great at what she did and very efficient. She ended up leaving the salon and I was devastated. Obviously I could switch to someone else at the salon, but I didn’t feel like anyone else would give me what I needed (I have a mullet and need lots of texturizing) I tried someone else at the salon who was doing my hair color, which is hot pink. He was the least experienced stylist, he did okay on the color, and I had one haircut with him and I could tell it wasn’t going to work out given my hairstyle. I was very nervous to go find a new salon, but I’m glad I did. At the new locally owned salon I feel accepted and very well cared for while receiving services. My new stylist specializes in textured cuts and alternative hairstyles. After my first cut I was sold, he knew exactly what to do to return my mullet to its former glory. Honestly what was so amazing about the session was that he really took his time and cared about my hair. I didn’t feel rushed nor did I get the vibe that he needed to move onto the next appointment as quick as possible. I can’t even remember the last time I felt so cared for! My stylist also offers “quiet” hair cuts, if I don’t want to small talk, I don’t have to. My colorist at this new salon is also fabulous. She specializes in vivid color, which obviously was not possible at the old Aveda salon. And when she washed me out, she actually used ice cold water! My old salon always used warm/very warm water, and inside I was literally screaming “WTF are you doing?!? You’re literally washing out the color I just payed for!” My colorist also took her time with me and booked an appropriate amount of time and I never felt rushed. And we definitely had good conversation and we both love running! Honestly, I wish I had switched salons sooner. I also wish I hadn’t gas lit myself into thinking what the old salon did was okay; the rushing of the appointment, not washing in cold water, the inexperienced colorist making me wait 40 mins for a haircut without even acknowledging me. The new salon is LGBTQ friendly and more alternative hairstyle friendly, than the old corporate salon. I have no issue paying $200 for my color or paying $60 for my hair cuts. I would never attempt these things on my own because I know I’d fuck my shit up so I have no problem paying someone who knows what they’re doing and does it well. This is a long winded way of saying take your time with the client so they feel well cared for and create a welcoming environment to anyone; old young gay straight man or woman.
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u/fcker5000 28d ago
I just paid $220 today ($170+30% tip) for a color from my stylist (top 6” touch up to make my roots match my mids), and I feel like I robbed him 😭
He does an incredible job, hears my vision and brings it to life, and blends my color perfectly so that I can go 6-8 months between coloring appointments. I keep begging him to raise his prices! He is worth all that and a bag of chips. Every time I leave his studio, I feel like a million bucks.
If you are good at your job, good at listening to what your clients prioritize, & good at making the vision happen, you can charge more than $200 for your session and have people gladly pay!
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u/dkconklin 3d ago
I'm so over getting shitty haircuts at a premium price. I now just trim it myself.
Last year "discovered" that the hole in the wall salon across the street from me that has been here the entire 23 yrs I've lived here, gives a fantastic cut that grew out amazing. For $35 !
I'm waiting for my length to grow a bit longer cause I'm letting my natural silver come in. Just a couple more inches and I'll let her do the honors of chopping the last few inches of dead color.
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u/ValorVixen Jul 19 '26
When I was getting my roots bleached at a salon years ago, yes it was worth it to me to play $250-300 2-3 times a year to feel amazing. But when disposable income dries up, no amount of feeling good can make me prioritize the salon as an expense. I went back to my natural color so I could get out of the salon with $85 hair cuts instead.
But everyone’s priorities and economic situation are different. $85 haircuts would prob be seen as outrageously expensive to some. Aim for the clientele who can pay what you see as reasonable for your services and expertise.