I was at the salon about 5 years ago and the lady paid $400. I was floored. I was paying about $70 + $20 tip. I was floored. I wish I saw what she looked like before.

This was in Bethesda.

I pay $50 at Jc penney salon. It looks good and my hair is light blonde (easy to see mistakes). I got tired of paying more than $100 for a haircut.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cut DD's and DH's hair at home. DD has knee-length hair. DH cuts my hair. DS in college goes to a cheap barber.

What I really need is a good conditioner!

Also, DC hair salons cost way too much for the quality of the cuts. I've been to Paris and other capital cities where it's much cheaper, and the cuts look great.

It's true but it's actually sad, because they don't make a good living.

Then go to college and get a better job! It’s not my job to subsidize crappy job decisions.

Lol. Plenty of college grads out there making less that stylists.

My stylist owned her own home (as a young single woman) in a nice area in the exurbs, takes phenomenal vacations, and dresses really nicely. And she basically only works part-time. I think she's doing pretty well -- this is an expensive salon in Bethesda. I'm sure she makes $50K in tips per year that she is not paying taxes on.

Yeah, the stylists I know do all right. They all started earning real incomes right out of high school and many of them are owners at this point.

My MIL has been actively searching for a hairstylist for over 30 years - as long as I’ve known her. I’ve sent her to my stylist (of about 20 years) - nope, didn’t like her - went once and never again. Then back and forth to “beauty schools” and loved the bargain aspect but never had the same stylist more than once.

Found out the source of her dissatisfaction; she refuses to pay more than $80 and is a PITA customer who expects and asks for free samples like shampoo, then never returns.

She might have finally found someone but only out of desperation-she longer drives due to failing vision. I think she pays over $100 but not much more. FIL is now her errand runner and driver and apparently told her that she needed to find one nearby consistent stylist that he wasn’t spending days getting estimates and consultations and driving her to faraway hair salons.

You tip the owner. Its no longer the 1950s.

Consider how many places were not open during covid. Your stylist couldn’t work from home. And rents everywhere have increased.

Have you gotten a pay increase in the last five years? Your stylist lives off these services. Even if they are the owner they have non personal expenses. Your service fees are how they stay open.

SMH

My thoughts are:

1. You weren't tipping her enough when you were paying her $100 for an $85 bill.

2. $125 is still pretty cheap around here (and by "here," I say that for the exurb I'm in, not even just D.C.).

I totally disagree with you. She was tipping almost 20% - that's enough by itself, and when you factor in that her stylist owns the salon (so keeps the entire cost of the cut), it's very generous. General tipping "rule" is that you don't tip the owner.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am vain; I will eat ramen noodles, drive a used car, wear thrift store clothes, but I will go every month for a trim/highlight/blow out (about $200 to include tip, sometimes products) and manicure & pedicure every two weeks (about $150).

No apologies and I’d spend my last few bucks on this self-care - so relaxing and enjoyable for me.

I agree. My hair is important to me. I can't believe some people are so cheap.

I used to be this way. My hair was the one thing I would splurge on because it was the one thing I wore every day, so I was going to the most expensive people in the nicest salons. Then two things happened. One is that I have a teen with super curly hair that doesn't trust most stylists, so she started cutting her own. Two is the pandemic, and it was so hard to get appointments, I gave up and started cutting and coloring my own. Then I decided I could not actually tell the difference between what I did and what the stylist was doing. I've been watching the stylists for years, so I basically know what they were doing, and I mocked it. I get compliments all the time on my haircut -- it's just not that hard to cut shoulder length hair with some layers and angles. I do splurge on expensive conditioner and hair care products, though -- that, along with a good blow-dryer and styling tool, seems to make more difference for me than the cut. It's not even about the money for me -- it's more about the inconvenience of having to make an appointment, take time off work on one of the few days that my stylist works, get up there, get parking, sit there for two hours, etc. Whereas I can do it in my bathroom whenever I have a spare hour and watch TV or answer emails while the color sets.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cut DD's and DH's hair at home. DD has knee-length hair. DH cuts my hair. DS in college goes to a cheap barber.

What I really need is a good conditioner!

Also, DC hair salons cost way too much for the quality of the cuts. I've been to Paris and other capital cities where it's much cheaper, and the cuts look great.

It's true but it's actually sad, because they don't make a good living.

Then go to college and get a better job! It’s not my job to subsidize crappy job decisions.

Lol. Plenty of college grads out there making less that stylists.

My stylist owned her own home (as a young single woman) in a nice area in the exurbs, takes phenomenal vacations, and dresses really nicely. And she basically only works part-time. I think she's doing pretty well -- this is an expensive salon in Bethesda. I'm sure she makes $50K in tips per year that she is not paying taxes on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cut DD's and DH's hair at home. DD has knee-length hair. DH cuts my hair. DS in college goes to a cheap barber.

What I really need is a good conditioner!

Also, DC hair salons cost way too much for the quality of the cuts. I've been to Paris and other capital cities where it's much cheaper, and the cuts look great.

It's true but it's actually sad, because they don't make a good living.

Then go to college and get a better job! It’s not my job to subsidize crappy job decisions.

Lol. Plenty of college grads out there making less that stylists.

I know stylists that clear $800. for highlight and keratin, in a lower rent area. Same process was half as much before covid. Price gouging, pure and simple. AND the stylist gets paid under the table. Must be nice to not have to pay taxes for making money!

(Plus generous tip!)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cut DD's and DH's hair at home. DD has knee-length hair. DH cuts my hair. DS in college goes to a cheap barber.

What I really need is a good conditioner!

Also, DC hair salons cost way too much for the quality of the cuts. I've been to Paris and other capital cities where it's much cheaper, and the cuts look great.

It's true but it's actually sad, because they don't make a good living.

Then go to college and get a better job! It’s not my job to subsidize crappy job decisions.

Lol. Plenty of college grads out there making less that stylists.

I know stylists that clear $800. for highlight and keratin, in a lower rent area. Same process was half as much before covid. Price gouging, pure and simple. AND the stylist gets paid under the table. Must be nice to not have to pay taxes for making money!

Anonymous wrote:I cut DD's and DH's hair at home. DD has knee-length hair. DH cuts my hair. DS in college goes to a cheap barber.

What I really need is a good conditioner!

Also, DC hair salons cost way too much for the quality of the cuts. I've been to Paris and other capital cities where it's much cheaper, and the cuts look great.

+1. The entire DC area seems yo be lacking in proper training to justify half of their pricing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cut DD's and DH's hair at home. DD has knee-length hair. DH cuts my hair. DS in college goes to a cheap barber.

What I really need is a good conditioner!

Also, DC hair salons cost way too much for the quality of the cuts. I've been to Paris and other capital cities where it's much cheaper, and the cuts look great.

It's true but it's actually sad, because they don't make a good living.

Then go to college and get a better job! It’s not my job to subsidize crappy job decisions.

Lol. Plenty of college grads out there making less that stylists.

Anonymous wrote:When the cut costs $125, how much do you tip the person who washes your hair?

I always give the person who washes my hair $5. Unless they do more, like apply toner or something, in which case I'll give a little more if I have it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cut DD's and DH's hair at home. DD has knee-length hair. DH cuts my hair. DS in college goes to a cheap barber.

What I really need is a good conditioner!

Also, DC hair salons cost way too much for the quality of the cuts. I've been to Paris and other capital cities where it's much cheaper, and the cuts look great.

It's true but it's actually sad, because they don't make a good living.

Then go to college and get a better job! It’s not my job to subsidize crappy job decisions.