How much does a haircut cost?

[BuckyBadger]

As far as tips go, if I'm getting my hair cut by someone who has his or her own chair, I don't tip. People who own their own businesses don't get tips - they should charge rates that allow them to make enough money to satisfy themselves. I've always been told that one does not tip the owner of one's own business.

When I get it cut by someone working in a salon I tip 10-20%, depending on how happy I am and how much I had done.

$100 is downright cheap if that's a cut and highlights/color, but that's more than I would (personally) pay for just a cut. I think with tip my last full salon trip with cut and highlights was $120 with tip. I alternate with a regular cut, and I think that was maybe $50 with tip.

[isaac]

There is actually a barber here in my local small town that gives FREE haircuts to active military. However I very rarely go there because it's always full of elderly fellows that just sit there all day and complain about black people and how much they hate our "Muslim" president.

So I usually go to Wal-Mart and let the ladies there butcher my high-and-tight for $20/month. Seems worth it to pass on the free hair cut in my opinion.

[hamchan]

Although I have found that most people tip the salon owner or a chair renter these days, it's still perfectly acceptable not to. When I do massage on my own, and I am able to set my own prices, I do not accept tips. When I am working as an employee I do, because I am taking home a relatively small percentage of the service price. I've had lots of people ask me whether I am an employee or if I rent the space before, and I've always assumed the reason for asking me is so they know whether or not to tip. The reason I think most owners/renters are getting tips these days is because it's just easier to tip everyone than to try to figure out who owns the business.

[neatdesign]

There are so many factors that come into play when it comes to how much haircuts cost.

Style: The more complex the style, the more it's going to cost. Generally speaking, women's hairstyles tend to be more complex than men's. That's why so many of the men replying here have said, "I never pay for haircuts, that's what clippers are for!" I don't know any women who wear crew cuts or shave their heads. However...

Gender: For some reason, the hairdressing industry has managed to make it acceptable to charge men and women differently, even if the styles, hair lengths and/or complexity of the cuts are essentially the same. Women with short hair are charged more for haircuts than men with short hair (not crew cuts), for instance. But short hair is short hair is short hair. If the only difference is the hair owner's gender, then that, to me, is unfair.

I have never understood this practice and it greatly annoys me.

Location: I've had two haircuts in the past two years. (I'm female, btw.) In May 2012 I treated myself and got my hair cut at a very nice salon here in Richmond. With tip it cost $60. I didn't get another haircut (even a trim) until July 2013, when I was visiting my parents in New Bern, NC. My mom took me to her favorite salon and I got the same cut for just $30 with tip. WTF?

I am a very low-maintenance, wash-and-go girl, and my shoulder-length, no-frills hairstyle fits that. I usually get my hair cut every 6 months or so, but I trim my own bangs. I know everyone says not to do that, but honestly, I'm not going to spend money for someone else to do it!

[stoney508]

From my experience the renters do set there own prices but they also have to be competetive with the others within the shop so they do not technically get as much as you might think. Most of the time when they rent though they are bringing in clients that wont go anywhere else so they can have the price point a little higher also. My point though is that if you are in a bigger city you can make good money in cosmotology but in small towns in wisconsin its much harder to make those top dollars unless you own a business and those that rent pay a good amount to rent the space and are there 10+ hours a day.

[stoney508]

Where my sister works they owners don't necessarily come out ahead that often and most if not all money goes back into the business so I see the owner in there working every day pretty much. On another hand my aunt has a salon were she has premium products which then requires more specialized training in some cases but she is there 1 day a week and makes a lot. It matters on location and how you sell the company if it comes out ahead or not and if the owner is bringing in a lot.

[Gailete]

Today is my haircut day so this conversation is even more interesting. I always tip and the lady that does me owns the business. But there are circumstances about me getting my haircuts that I haven't and can't bring up here, but she knows the tip is an expression of thanks both from me and my HUBBY! I never even thought that the other ladies in the shop might rent their chairs since they all seem to be treated as employees, at least some of them do. those that have been doing it longer are always busy but newer employees are still trying to get their clientele going.

[maryadavies]

I did say be careful about asking at a beauty school, correct? Cheap isn't always a good deal; it depends on the school's policies when it comes to beauty schools. (i.e. how much practice/training they get before they are allowed to cut strangers's hair. I would rather they got plenty of practice/training before they touched my hair thankee, and the local one insists on that before they do customers)

Mind, I'm pretty easy to please; I got a simple haircut (blunt cut, wispy/thin bangs) so it's not a huge deal and I like the deal. ^^

[Blessed]

I have found the prices to be slightly less where the chairs are rented. Chair rental is very reasonable but one pays for ins and products them-self. I have lots of friends that rent and enjoy only working the hours they want. We charge $28 for a haircut. 99% of clients tend to tip well. Commissions range from between 45 and 60% in our area. Chains pay a flat per hour plus a production per hour increase ( you are going to make less full time than part time in a private salon). The most expensive salon in our area is $50 for a haircut and the cheapest is $12. With 25 years in the biz I have never seen anywhere local charge more for women. Well I take that back. Very bald men get a slight discount. Many of part timers in a private salon tend to make as much or more than the full timers do in their first 5 to 10 years in the business. It takes a good while to build up a clientele where you never have any downtime for a full time employee. As a general rule unless one wants to work mall hours and for a big chain there are no benefits.

[97guns]

i han't paid for a haircut in over 15 years, thinking around $10 tip included. i have a flowbee that has paid itself off 1000x

Had to bump up this thread because it doesn't get enough press here, I also had a situation last night that prompted me to give myself a haircut today.

Went to a Chinese restaurant last night and couldn't help but to listen in on the Chinese family's dinner table topic. The dad says "we all just got haircuts today" it didn't peak my interest until he said "yep, Flowbee" my head flipped around faster than the lazy Susan with sweet and sour pork on it and I quickly observed everyone's heads, that's when It dawned on me that maybe only Chinese people use these, at that point I was feeling a little shaggy and had to use my free haircut card.

[Gailete]

My husband has been trimming his own hair for years now. He just picks up scissors and whacks at whatever clump is offending him. It looks horrible. I used to give him his haircuts but he knows how hard it is on me now. I did get a hair grooming kit to review so I'm hoping I can get him to sit still for a few minutes so I can even some of the mess up.

My husband had something that I think attached to the vacuum that he used for cutting his hair for years. Not sure if that was a Flo-bee or not. I don't have a barber’s license, but I sure have cut a lot of men's hair over the years!

The other day I paid at WM for someone to wash my hair. Between too much rain and trouble with our septic system and the fall where my back is still so sore the thought of holding my hands over my head or leaning into a sink to wash it, was more pain than I wanted to think about. But it sure felt good to have clean hair! Even if I paid for it. I do miss going to get my hair trimmed every 6 weeks, but just can't afford it with having to hire help to do things like dishes that I can't do anymore.

[Snydley]

I pay $130 (not including tip) for a cut, highlight, and color. I have shopped around and this is the going price. I have always gone every 3 months but for that 3rd month my hair looks really bad so I've decided from now on I'm going every 8 weeks or so.

I have thick, very wavy/semi-curly hair and when it is uncolored and not with the correct cut (long layers) it is a mess- I've tried everything, different styles, etc.

I don't like spending this much but my hair color and style is so nice with this stylist.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Me $0. I use the 1" attachment on my Wahl and go to town, 30+ years but not with the same Wahl. One haircut pays for the Wahl itself. Monthly haircuts.

[FLA]

my hairstylist is a friend of my parents, he knew when I got divorced things were tight for me. He would cut me and the two kids for $20! I used to cook my own hair blonder but it consistently started pulling red no matter what brand I used. Now that it's just me going he charges me $20 for a cut and color and style. He does really good work, if I do say so myself. I've gone for $75-100 haircuts as a splurge, they never got my long pixie cut right the way he does. I know I am incredibly fortunate to have this man. He's getting older, I don't want to think about him retiring!

for those of you that are cutting your own bangs between cuts, most stylists do that for free

[veronak]

How much is a haircut?

Honestly, I get my hair cut once a month and when I do, it includes a relaxer, color and a cut, that comes to about $110. Trying to maintain my hair weekly is too expensive