Why Your Hair Costs SO Much
I just want to air some grievances.
For those of you who are hairdressers, this post will just be a lot of what you already know (and probably complain about).
And for those who have never had the pleasure of doing someone's hair- please understand this post is not meant to make you feel bad. My sassy demeanor and straight forward-ness is not an attack on your character, it's merely my way of phrasing.
This post though, is meant to help you understand why I (and other cosmo's) charge the way we charge.
First of all, let me tell you some things you may or may not already know.
For the hourly worker, this is how your paycheck breaks down:
First, you start with your grand total income- and most people make minimum wage, however some have had raises.
Then come the expenses in the month, which employers (usually) automatically withdraw from your check. This covers liabilities, insurance, and taxes (taxes, though you can get back during tax season in April).
But those expenses cover a multitude of things- slip and falls, chopping off a finger, someone robs the bank you work at and shoots you, mental distress, etc. Ex: If you fall at work and smack your noggin, you can go to a hospital and the insurance covers you because it happened AT WORK. (This is a very generalized summation, but you feel me)
Salaried employees are much the same. As long as you work under a company, there are certain things that are covered for you, or you can opt to get even better insurance through your employers.
With paychecks, you can also ask to have more money withheld so you can get a better tax payoff in the beginning of the year, you can have it directly deposited into your bank account, etc.
You have a lot of options when it comes to working for another person when it comes to your check and money.
So here's how hairdressers come in.
First of all, to even go to school and take state board, we pay roughly between $15,000 and $20,000. It depends on the school, but when you factor in extra training and the costs to even APPLY to state board, it adds up and fast. Especially when it comes to equipment because no matter what you do- you will eventually have to replace combs, or a flat iron, or whatever the case is.
We have 3 general options for making money.
A) Rent a booth in a salon, which costs a lot- but we get to be our own bosses.
B) Work commission, which can be anywhere from 50/50 to 70/30 depending on the salon. We are technically our own bosses, but we are still paying out a lot of money at the end of the month.
C) Salaried, where we make minimum wage working for a corporate chain. Think places like Sports Cuts, Super Cuts, JC Penney Salon, Ulta's, etc.
Category C automatically gets everything I talked about before, because you make a paycheck every month (or 2 weeks, I don't know your life.)
But when it comes to A and B, this is where those options differ:
Commission covers jack, you guys. The only reason commission exists is for you to build up clientele without being strapped with monthly rent. This is great for people starting out but it's not great in the long term when you have a busy booking schedule.
And on top of that, a lot of salons will offer to up the percentage of commission to cover the costs of buying your supplies- like hair color, developers, perms, etc.
That's great and all, until you realized you worked on a $200 client to only make $100 because you opted for a 50/50 deal.
(Some places will try to gouge you on commission, take heed.)
Rent is a little different. I'm basically paying for the space and the pleasure of doing my own thing, being my own boss, and practicing my business how I see fit.
But now let's talk about the money break down:
I don't make a paycheck. My money depends on me hustling my name out there to draw people into my shop.
So there is no pull from my check to cover for insurance, or taxes. None. Whatever I make, I must claim on my taxes- but because I don't pay into them bi-weekly, I have to pay a lump sum at the end of the year.
This could be hundreds, or thousands of dollars all at once- because it depends on how much I made.
My medical insurance is also separate and not covered by a corporate entity.
In case you forgot, most medical insurances are out the nose, crazy expensive.
Slip and fall incidences are mostly my own problem at that point. The owner of the salon or space will usually have insurance on the building, but it's mostly so that if someone slips and falls- the owner can't be sued.
So now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about supplies.
Here's what the average set of supplies costs me at a beauty supply retailer.
(Allow me to rip the veil off and be crazy honest)
Scissors range anywhere from $100 (for really terrible quality) to $1000 (for amazing quality). My school set costed me $700.
Hair color is roughly $8 a tube (usually 2 oz). Some are $6, some are $10, but it really depends on the company.
Developers are between $5-$10 a container.
Shampoos and Conditioners for a gallon are around $20-$30 a piece.
Any good flat iron worth it's salt is $80 or more.
Blowdryers are over $100 at least. (Mine was wholesaled at $200, but I got it for $100 on a black Friday sale.)
Brushes are anywhere between $5 and $20, just depends on the type of brush (and you need more than just a couple)
But then you factor in combs, bowls, brushes, capes, towels, etc... it adds up, and it adds up quickly- ESPECIALLY working your first month when you have to buy all of those things preemptively.
So let me break it down for you as a client.
First of all, you are coming into a salon or having me come to your home for the pleasure of being pampered and having someone take care of you. If you wanted to only pay $20, you can happily march your ass to the drugstore and get your own color. I'll be here when you botch it and you have to pay me $100 to fix your $15 dye job.
Sorry, not sorry.
I have fixed so many dye jobs, I can say with confidence, "You get what you pay for".
And lets not forget either, I have thousands upon thousands of hours of training and a year and a half of working under my belt- and I do really good work.
Hair and Makeup
Hair and Makeup
Cut, color, styling
Creative Color
And there's a lot more (I'm just really bad at taking pictures at work).
So when you come in as a client, and sit in my chair- this is what it costs me to do the work.
Highlights:
First of all, highlights start to finsh can be anywhere from 2-4 hours of work depending on how much hair you have, how dark it is, etc.
Lightening powder costs about $15-20 bucks for a tub and I'm using around 4 or 5 scoops of it (but most likely a lot more if your hair is long), let's say $5 just for the math.
total so far: $5
Foils are roughly $10 for a big pack. Some are cheaper, some are way more. For the sake of the math, I'm averaging. I go through those all the time too. So lets say your high and lowlights are around 1/4 of a 500 sheet pack. So that's $2.50 in foils.
total so far: $7.50
Any other color you use, and you will use some either for toning your blonde, or adding lowlights or something like that is an $8 tube (I'd probably use half), plus the $5 developer to activate the color. If it's toner only, it's about $4.
total so far with lowlights and a toner: $20.50
Hair product costs anywhere between $5-$30. Most styling agents by Paul Mitchell for example are sold to stylists at around $8-10, their gallon size shampoos are around $30 with tax.
So between the shampoo, conditioner, my beloved cutting oil, mousse, creams, etc- I'm spending probably around $3 of product one way or another. On average, a stylist will use around 3-5 products on you. Shampoo, conditioner, something that will speed up the dry time or heat protects, something to smooth, curl, whatever you want, and then something to finish (hairsprays, oils, etc)
total to far: $23.50
This is all assuming I already have towels, bowls, brushes, etc.
Grand total in costs: $23.50
What I charge in a salon: $110
Total profit: $86.50
Roughly- I only make 79% of what I charge.
Now lets just so a straight all over color.
Color, developer, and gloves are all I need.
Grand total in costs: $11(ish)
What I charge in a salon: $40
Total profit: $29(ish)
Roughly- I only make 73% of what I charge.
Where this DOES tip the scale in my favor is haircuts.
Haircuts at my salon are $20, and like I said before, I spend $3 in product on you, so I make a pure profit of $17.
Now I realize you're looking at this and saying, "Why are you complaining? You still make good money!"
And I do, I agree. But here's exactly why hairdressers charge like they do.
While you're working 40 hours a week (full time) at lets say, $10 an hour, you're making $400 a week. With taxes and craziness, I'm just roughly subtracting $50 a week. (I'm probably going overboard but whatever. For the SAKE OF THE MATH).
$350 a week x 4 weeks in a month= $1400 a month.
This covers additional insurances, (maybe even corporate insurance, who knows) and your taxes.
I make anywhere between $500 a month and $2000 a month. And here's why-
I do not not get "sick days" that are a paid. I do not get vacation days. I do not get insurance unless I provide it for myself. If something breaks, I have to replace it myself, if I use color and supplies, I am paying for it. And when it comes to taxes, I'm basically withdrawing $200 from my funds per month to pay them.
I don't get the luxuries that comes with corporate living.
So on the months when I make $500, it's usually like this month where I had a sinus infection and missed days, or saved up for awhile to take a much needed vacation. Or frankly, something breaks, my supplies suddenly went up in price (which they did recently), or something just comes up.
Health insurance, by the way, on average costs around $200-400 a month.
So when I set my prices, I set them for a reason and it's not because I'm trying to fleece you of your hard earned money. I know hair is an expensive upkeep and I'm lucky in that I have training that makes me irreplaceable. You need me to give you a good haircut because you can't do it yourself.
So for those of you who sit in my chair, stare at me in the mirror and have the balls to say things like, "I can do it myself cheaper", "You're too expensive", and fight me on my prices-
You are the worst. And you can (censored) off.
I would never go into your line of work and tell you you should earn less. Never. You're telling me that I'm not worth your time or money. When you say I charge too much, you're implying that my skills aren't up to snuff.
I am not a swap meet, or antique market- my prices are not up for debate. This is not a fun job where I get to play with hair all day and piss away money. This is my job, and my career at that. This is where I make money to support my home, save for my wedding, and plan for my future. I don't get to have an automatic set up for retirement, or 401k's unless I do them on my own. And I can't put away money if I don't make any.
I think people get surprised when they ask me what I do when someone haggles me on the price, because my answer is simple.
If someone is asking me to charge them less money for a service that still costs me the same amount of time to perform, then they can leave.
I'd rather them not take up my time when I could fill that spot for another person who's willing to pay- than to take what they're willing to give me.
I'm trained in color, cutting, and chemicals and I have all the knowledge to perform them safely. If they're willing to risk their safety and happiness to save a buck- then they can get to it and get out of my chair.
I've sent girls home before when they want to haggle me on prices. I have a set price sheet on the wall and if they don't like it- there are plenty, PLENTY of other places they can go.
And to top it all off, when it comes to hair and makeup- I understand there isn't a whole lot of cost involved in that on my end. Updos are all bobby pins ($5) and product ($3) and makeup is probably just a couple bucks in terms of product. Why the costs are so high on that is that you're removing me from the salon to perform a task (weddings, proms, etc). In the time it takes for me to airbrush faces on 5 girls and do all of their hair- it's around 5 hours, maybe more. 5 hours in a salon could potentially earn me $500 in the right setting.
So when I charge each girl $80-100 dollars, it's because that's what I would have made it in the salon. Makeup artists and stylists work out of the salon WHEN THEY KNOW THEY'LL STILL MAKE MONEY. That's how it works!
Do you think we're really going to spend money on gas and time packing our kits to come to your out of town wedding, pay for our own hotel rooms and then only make a couple hundred? THAT BARELY COVERED THE COSTS OF JUST GETTING THERE.
If you're a bride and you want to have someone come and do everyone's hair and makeup, budget in $100 a girl. Maybe like $80 if you're lucky. But if you want to spend less- find a cousin to do it. Sorry, I don't and can't work for less. I can't. Keeping a kit is pricey (makeup in particular), gas is pricey, hotels are pricey- and I ain't working for free. Sorry. (Unless you're a friend and I've offered to do it as a wedding present. That's a different story entirely.)
I understand that a lot of this info doesn't circulate around. A LOT of people don't understand exactly how expensive my job can be on my end, and then don't understand the implications of wanting "discounts" and "deals". My prices are flexible- they really are. I could easily go to my price sheet and write down a new cost for highlights at any time- but that doesn't mean I want you to do it for me.
To make this even more infuriating...
I work in a very small town next to a pretty good size city. In the city, rent is between $600-1000 for a booth depending on where you go. Their haircuts are $40 and WAY up, their highlights start at $100 and are more likely $150-200.
My haircuts are $20 and my highlights start at $75. You could leave with highlights and a haircut for less than $100. So when someone has the audacity to ask for a lower price, I'm floored.
I'm already a low price and I keep it that way not because of my skill level but because I know people are hurting and hair is truly a luxury. I want people to afford to get their hair done. I know how powerful hair (and makeup) can be and what it can do for a person. It's a game changer and I want that for everyone. That being said, I can't work for free. I can't. Not with the lifestyle I want to live (house, 2.5 kids, dog, white picket fence).
So, before you (censored) haggle and fight a price- ASK someone what it costs them to do that job. Genuinely, ask. They will be happy to tell you.
For me, I don't make a huge percentage off my income. I could make much, much more if I wanted to.
So don't come into my salon and haggle me, because I will send you packing.
#sorrynotsorry
-SamanthaK
