FOR A HAIRCUT.
I just had the most expensive haircut of my life.
It wasn’t even in Melbourne or Sydney, either.
It was in Adelaide. City of Churches. Where I just went to my local hairdresser for some foils, toner, root colour, a trim.
What was the damage?
FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT DOLLARS. And thirty five cents.
No, there weren’t gold flecks in the shampoo. I didn’t see any diamond encrusted serum. There wasn’t an elaborate head massage or chackra alignment either. Just a good colour and a trim that, evidenced by these photos and the inability of my boyfriend to notice, looks like I haven’t really had anything done at all:
To be fair, I expected this hairdressing trip to burn a slight hole in my pocket. I have long hair, and I only go a few times a year. Plus good balyage, despite supposedly looking effortlessly chic like you spent last summer in Europe and your hair naturally went lighter and now it’s casually grown out- requires good skills.
I went to a great hairdresser. I had the works, and I bought products.
I only kinda expected to crack the $200 mark. With the products, maybe $250.
So when the tally hit $438, my face, it could not lie. It was this.
$438 is dinner for me and 5 mates at a really good restaurant. It’s a pretty good digital camera. It’s a new phone. It’s a Marc Jacob’s handbag. It’s four and a half years of Netflix.
Hairdressing prices have been creeping up like foreign investors at a real-estate auction. The following graph shows how housing prices have risen (in black). Note how the hairdressing prices have risen alongside. A slight peak in the ’80’s with perms, then “The Rachel” cut and colour saw salon prices spike again.
The horror stories flew thick and fast in the office today: salons sneaking in pricey treatments while you’re at the basin. Blondies forking out hundreds every six weeks to get roots done. Hairdressers that prefer to be called artistic directors and then charge like they’re in the Guggenheim.
I don’t know if it’s the rising cost of small businesses, an over-legislated industry, or just salons being punch-drunk on their own self-importance, but paying that much for a haircut takes all the shine out of it.
I know hairdressers have overheads – good products aren’t cheap, those weird chairs that lay you back into a sink are probably pretty expensive, and the coffee machine needs servicing.
But holy f**king dreadlock, Australia. This is out of control.
How much is too much to pay for a haircut?
Top Comments
After being frustrated with greys appearing every two weeks, I went to a hairdresser and asked what a bleach would cost upfront prior to booking my appointment.
I have dark brown hair and wanted to lighten to blend greys. I was advised the gel to protect my hair would cost $120 and then there was a charge of $70.(??)... no other charges were discussed. I did end up having my hair trimmed, not styled or dried.
Whilst I had a feeling it COULD cost more I wasn't expecting the final $700 charge.
I had been bracing myself during the appointment expecting that at the very most it could cost $500 ...at the very most! I walked out of the hair salon gobsmacked as well....
I had mentioned at the initial consult that I was on a budget as I was unemployed.
Before leaving the salon I asked how much it would cost to maintain and again an airy fairy response that did not give me any idea of how much I would expect to pay???.
Why is it so difficult to get a quote??
I understand it is costly to run a business but I believe hairdressers should be upfront and HONEST advising every step of the way, just how much it is going to cost!! And allow the client the choice to go ahead or choose an alternate direction.
Wow so many angry hairdressers commenting but totally missing the point. The point is the lack of transparency in prices, and the way additional services are often sneakily added without your consent. Some casual comments from my hairdressers over the years that have added heaps to the bill include and phrasing 'I'm just going to add a couple extra foils to the mix' mid way through or 'Your hair is really dry, lets pop on a treatment' not being clear that you're actually adding cost that we haven't really consented to or know what the additional cost is.
Like if the hairdresser said to me yesterday that she was going to charge me $200 more than the listed price on their website for foils (which was listed as $150 but I was charged $350) for whatever reason like length/additional foils/additional colours then I would have a choice as a consumer to either say 'my budget is $150 so what can we do for that - can I do half head instead then? etc' or I would have had the knowledge it's going to cost me a lot more than what I anticipated and consent to that.
That is what is upsetting. Because the fact of the matter is I was anticipating spending $250 for a full head of highlights and trim for my fine shoulder length hair, and I have paid $450. It shouldn't be the obligation of the client to constantly ask 'how much' 'is that extra' etc sounding like a tight arse and feeling embarrassed all the way through their booking while also swatting away constant attempts to upsell to products - there should be some managing of expectation during the process. Believe it or not, the people visiting your salons have budgets and other expenses in life just like you do, and wouldn't you be upset if you walked out with a bill almost double for what you were anticipating based on listed prices for a service you weren't even happy with?
I know this is an old article, but this comment is spot on. I have been burned at my local hairdresser this way and I simply dont go there anymore. So to scam me of $25 for 'hair curling' that I didnt ask for that took about 30 seconds, they have lost a repeat customer.
Its also not true that lower prices = bad skills. It can do, but it also depends on the rental of the salon. Plenty of good hairdressers in smaller shopping centres with lower rent so they can charge a bit less than somebody on the high street.