For Christmas, one of the gifts I got my wife was a $75 gift card for a hair cut at her favorite mall hair stylist. She wanted a new style and I was all for whatever made her happy. She went today and, after a 3 hour hair treatment, she cam home and gently broke the news that the styling had cost $125! And not only did it cost that but she would have to go back tomorrow because the coloring she wanted to do to her hair didn't take. And we don't know if they are going to charge more for that (unlikely but it wouldn't surprise me). And initially I flipped out because we're on a budget and this was an unanticipated expense that had followed a very expensive Christmas. But a little while later, I apologized and told her what I truly feel, that if anybody deserves it, it was her and that she was truly an unselfish human being who did not have enough nice things that she should have.

So I guess my follow up questions would be:

1) Was I right to flip out or what is the proper response to a haircut that costs as much as 6 hair cuts at Cost Cutters?

2) Is $125 a normal rate for a hair cut that includes some hair coloring?

3) Does anyone have $125 I can borrow?

well, i shouldn't answer this because i'm not the kind of gal who spends large amounts on style. but, lots of women do spend money on that stuff, like nails and hair and facials and spa days and although $125 sounds a bit much if she had a good time she's worth it, right? pampered and spoiled?

tell you what though, next christmas buy her a wig instead okay?

That's about what I pay for a cut and all-over color (now that my normal stylist has moved away, cause he's one of my oldest friends and I used to get a super duper discount). I'd say that's a pretty mid-range price.

Hell no you were not wrong for flipping out. That's pretty damn high. I guess it depends on where you live. But that's steep around here.

XxAxX said:

I don't even think she was properly pampered and spoiled...she said an hour of that time was because she was put under some drying machine that didn't work and they had to keep moving her around and stuff. It sounds almost stressful what she went through.

CarrieMpls said:

Mid-range? I'm lucky I have very little hair so I can average us out.

It is sad but true, a color, cut and style can cost $125 easily That is why I get it done once or twice a year. In between I get trims from the cheap places. That was a great gift you gave her (not the flipping out part)

weused2luvhim said:

I thought it was steep...I mean it is just taking scissors to hair right? Don't the people who work at these places get the same cosmetology licenses as the individuals at Cost Cutters?

brocklynn said:

Yeah, I feel bad even though it was a fairly mild flip out. When she told me initially, it was just a little bit of a shock.

I never spend more than $25 on a hair cut, coloring I do myself

my in-laws had to sit down a few years ago to draw up a budget plan to see if they could get an allocated pension. I asked them to put in a category for hair, since my mother-in-law gets colour treatment every 6 weeks. My father-in-law freaked when he saw how much, but now at least it's budgeted for

I cut all the kid's hair, I've saved over $1500 in 8 years I actually added it together to present a case for purchasing expensive photographic equipment

It's regional... I have shoulder length curly hair and just for a press and curl and trim it costs me $150.00.

i cut my own hair most of the time.

paintedlady said:

I have dead straight long hair, so I get a trim maybe 3 times a year at JustCuts for $18

good lawd that's a lotta money

ZombieKitten said:

Trust and believe I learned QUICKLY how to do my own hair... I still go cuts once in a blue moon.

I have never heard someone pay THAT much for a cut and color.
wow. I've never paid more than 70? and thats cut color and highlights

paintedlady said:

I'd do it myself if I could too, but I can't cut straight, and you can tell really easy if it's crooked my sister and I used to cut each other's hair when we lived at home, we'd use a striped towel and cut along the line
I cut my own fringe, which is why it's such an untidy mess on account of my cowlick

ZombieKitten said:

When your hair is curly a straight line can be fudged a bit... you can get away with a slightly crooked haircut since the curls hide mistakes.
[Edited 1/2/09 21:30pm]

paintedlady said:

my eldest son has wavy hair, it hides all my amateur hairdressing well

Val gets pissed over here because it costs $200 for her to visit the salon, she does look HAWT though so i just try and tell her to do it anyway, but it is a battle given she is used to not having to splurge

I think $125 is reasonable actually, especially since there are salons that charge $500-800 for the same service. It's all relative, but hopefully she looked amazing

mdiver said:

It is outrageous! Just for a cut it is about $60 here. My hair grows really fast.
In Florida once, I did pay $90 for cut and highlights. She was a stylist from New York so she was charging NY prices.
I would think depending on where you live, $125 could be reasonable for the works.

One of the reasons I hate being a woman...too damn expensive to look good, well for me anyways.

I say if she looks good and it makes her feel good about herself then it is worth it.
It was a gift anyways so that is how you have to look at it.

My hair trimmer cost me about $20 and now I just shave my head myself.




I do miss my incredibly hot hair stylist I've had for years though. Wouldn't mind taking her out for $125 sometime.

Shucks well, you said yourself that your wife deserves it, and it was a Christmas gift...partially. I hope i'm understanding you correctly though, the service was $125 and she had a $75 giftcard, so that means she only paid $50 out her pocket right? Or are you saying that in addition to the giftcard, it was an extra $125?

$125 is the norm....BUT...it sounds like either the stylist she went to is inexperienced or the service she received wasn't worth $125. She shouldn't have to go back the next day because the hair color didn't take. The stylist should have told her that the hair color your wife wanted probably wouldn't work with the texture of her hair and may not take, and therefore, suggested another hair color that would work out best. That sounds like an inexperienced stylist she went to. And a faulty dryer meant that she had to waste more time there than she had to? My suggestion would be for her to go back tomorrow and ask for the manager to tell about her stressful experience. Some money should be knocked off there for what your wife had to go through. A client shouldn't have to endure all of that....and ESPECIALLY if they are paying $125 for the service.

That's what I used to pay for cut, color, highlights and style back when I went to City Looks.

My step-sister got her own chair and now only charges me $80 (including tip) to do all those things plus wax my eyebrows and upper lip. Plus she gives me a parafin wax dip for my hands. Of course, I have to do these things about every 8 weeks so it really starts adding up, even with the discount.

Nah man.
I know this chick named Shaquita Moniqua Jackson..she would've hooked ur wife hair up for $50.
For all of that!
Plus 2 chicken wings. :snaps finger: