Hair Care

SymphonynSonata

Hey all,

How much does it cost you to go to the salon and get your hair done? What do you have done? How frequently do you go? Do you go to a chain or 'private' salon?

I'm asking because I began my little hair-dying-regimen when I was 13. The first time ever I had my dirty blonde hair (which was beginning to darken) bleached, trimmed and had red low lights put in. It was $500 with a tip, shampoo, conditioner, etc at Dillards.
A few things happened and that was no longer affordable (I was going every 3 weeks and it was about $350). I got my hair dyed brown by a friend (natural color) and left it be for a few years.

..then I wanted to be blonde again, went to a cute little privately owned salon, and back to $400-$500 bills. I thought that was extreme, so I went to another guy I knew who does hair and, again, $400. This was for Caucasian hair that has been classified as a blonde (Darkest shade), not super thick hair, going to a lighter base with bleached streaks. It just sounds RIDICULOUS.

Where do you guys go, what do you pay? I don't know if I can keep up this extreme stuff for too long. >_>

WreckaRed

I color at home, and pay around $40 for a trim every 8 weeks or so. I would LOVE to be blond, but it is just too expensive to keep up. That is a car payment!!

my2kin04

A salon trip costs 100+ and and take hours...a friend of mine did highlights for me and i saved a lot, however, the drug store color does not last long in my hair so I need it done again.

seltzermint555

These dollar amounts totally freak me out...like the other person said, that is a car payment (or mortgage payment, even). WOW.

I have only had highlights done professionally, about 10 years ago and I think it cost only $50-60. I loved the results, but when I went back a second time after a couple of months, I was very disappointed that even a professional could not perfectly "match up" the old/new highlights to my satisfaction. I am way too OCD for that business - and went back to dark hair.

Honestly to me the majority of people who go to salons and pay hundreds for their services look no different than those who do their own stuff at home. I know that's an unpopular opinion, but whatever. A friend of mine has long, dark auburn hair and she pays around $200/month for salon services but her hair looks awesome for 3-4 days and then it has the same greying roots and greasy look as it did before she started "professional upkeep".

OTOH, I had a boss whose hair looked exactly like Jennifer Aniston's. Perfectly shiny with about 10 colors of gold-blond-honey going on. It was gorgeous hair and I know she paid dearly for it, probably close to the $500 you mentioned. But I could kind of understand that for her, she was a professional in the public eye and her hair was by far her best feature/asset physically speaking.

SymphonynSonata

Yeah, hair is a tax exemption if it is needed for business (representing yourself properly, etc, usually sales or PR people), but you are required to get it done a lot more frequently.

Unfortunately, my profession does not cover hair as an expense LOL, so I need to start finding cheaper alternatives. I watched Youtube videos of people bleaching their hair (I -think- I'm about 5 shades higher than natural when it is done) and it just looks so tedious and impossible. I'm also scared of burning my hair off (seen horror videos).

Anyone have experiences with chain salons? Pricing, results, etc?

bingefreeaubree

I don't color my hair or anything. I usually just get it trimmed, sometimes layered a bit, so my trips to the hair salon are very easy. I used to go to a chain and get a $15 trim. I recently found a local place that does a wash, cut, and dry for $13 and the lady that works there is really experienced, unlike the chains where you get girls just out of cosmetology school. I go about every 5 months. I need to start going more often though. But yeah, I can't relate at all to you guys spending hundreds at fancy salons haha

bingefreeaubree

Anyone have experiences with chain salons? Pricing, results, etc?

Chain salons totally depend on who you get. After going a few times you get the idea of who's fresh out of cosmetology school, and who has had years of experience and knows their stuff. I think you could probably looks up reviews of even the chains online and see what people have to say about each hairdresser. I was scared to go to a chain at first, but I found a person that consistently listened to me and did a nice job. My older sister gets highlights and such and has gone to a chain regularly since she found a great lady there. It costs her between 50 to 75 dollars every time she gets her hair colored I believe. And it comes out really nice! SO I think the moral of the story with chain salons is to make sure you find a good hairdresser there. There's generally one superstar hairdresser at those salons out of all the employees; it's just figuring out who the great hairdresser is that's the hard part haha

snowflake954

I'm 59 now and for years I fussed with my hair. It was always fine, and sick straight, golden blonde up until 20 when it darkened to ash blonde. I hated it, so started painting lightened streaks in myself---I've always been artistic. I also paid for permanents for years, which dried out my hair and made it brittle. I started swimming 19 years ago and the clorine dried it out even more. I started putting on a moisturizing pack, a cloth swim cap,and then a slicone one. I swim for an hour and my hair gets a beauty treatment 4 times a week. I then shampoo, moisturize, and put on a linseed oil for shine and suppleness. I no longer get permanents---I decided to live with the hair God gave me. After i began menopause my hair started to get naturally wavey--oh the irony after a lifetime of permanents. Now I have great hair. I stick it in a pony tail and I've done the shading thing--left the roots darker shading into blonde at the ends. I still touch up with lightening streaks myself. My hair is smooth and silky, and I wish I'd done this 20 yrs ago. I get a cut and blowdry every 2 months and leave it shoulder length, with a simple cut. No worries, no hassles, and no expense. My advice is to simplify as much as you can, and do what you can yourself. Best

Kitten2629

I live in what I could call a town instead of a city. I just had my hair done on sat. I paid 95 dollars to have a dramatically different hair cut, 3 different color high lights put in and for her to style it after she was done. In my experience since my hair was origionaly half way down my back and I did have dark brown hair that is actually pretty cheap in my experience of having my hair done.

The pricing ranges from City to towns. From chains, to individuals who work at salons, but can set their own pricing b/c they are their own boss, or from people who do it out of their homes.

CyclngChick

You can also try a beauty school! An instructor supervises a student, and it's super cheap! I go to this chain of beauty schools: http://www.marinello.com/beauty-schools/santa-clara-ca/Guest-Services.aspx

ilfaith

I spend about $150-180 every 10 weeks or so to have my (shoulder-length, naturally light brown) hair colored/highlighted at an Aveda salon (that happens to be located in a Dillards department store.)

kinkyslinky16

I spend $180 (with tip) to get full highlights and a cut. My guy used to work with some celebrities in LA and was a national color instructor at Aveda. He does such an amazing job on highlights that I once went 6 months before I had to go again... and my hair grows SO fast.. But he does them in a way that it really isn't obvious when it's growing out. He's super awesome.

kendall916

Mine's natural. I just use cheap shampoo/conditioner and trim my hair (or have a friend/family member help trim my hair) when I notice a lot of split ends.

toiletski

Holy cow...I go to a privately owned salon and pay $75 for multicolor high and low lights, shampoo and a cut!

Laughter_

I do my own hair and just go in for a cheap trim. Been dying since I was 15 and have been every single color including the fun ones like purple.

mccindy72

I have a serious amount of very long hair, and I go to a privately owned salon about every three-four months. I get highlights and lowlights, (full foil) a trim and my eyebrows waxed, and buy a product or two and it's a usually about $120. It takes 2-3 hours.

HerkMeOff

$15

Every 8-12 weeks.

KrazyDaizy

I usually go every 6 weeks and typically my bill is around $170 or so. Usually color, cut, highlights.

Barbellarella_

$500?! Where do you live, Beverly Hills? lol

I spend about $125 each for myself and my daughter. And she has the light brown taken to blonde look, too.

TheVirgoddess

Hey all,

How much does it cost you to go to the salon and get your hair done? What do you have done? How frequently do you go? Do you go to a chain or 'private' salon?

I'm asking because I began my little hair-dying-regimen when I was 13. The first time ever I had my dirty blonde hair (which was beginning to darken) bleached, trimmed and had red low lights put in. It was $500 with a tip, shampoo, conditioner, etc at Dillards.
A few things happened and that was no longer affordable (I was going every 3 weeks and it was about $350). I got my hair dyed brown by a friend (natural color) and left it be for a few years.

..then I wanted to be blonde again, went to a cute little privately owned salon, and back to $400-$500 bills. I thought that was extreme, so I went to another guy I knew who does hair and, again, $400. This was for Caucasian hair that has been classified as a blonde (Darkest shade), not super thick hair, going to a lighter base with bleached streaks. It just sounds RIDICULOUS.

Where do you guys go, what do you pay? I don't know if I can keep up this extreme stuff for too long. >_>

That price is INSANE. I used to get the trim/highlights/style and it was around $120ish (without tip) every 6 weeks or so.

Myhaloslipped

$100 plus a $15 tip every 6 weeks. I go to a private salon.

melb_alex

oh wow that is excessive. I usually wouldn't pay any more than $280 every couple of months but now that I have gone balague/ombre it's a lot less maintenance, only need to retouch the colour up top which is only like $70

Erin_goBrahScience

I go to a private salon in the Dallas area, I use a master stylist/salon owner that I have known for close to 15 years. While I receive a special rate I believe a cut, color & blow dry is around $300 before tip (which as an owner he told me he doesn't accept).

PunkyRachel

*kitten* that *kitten*! I go to fantastic Sams (chain salon) to get my hair cut $15. I color my own hair, the dye cost anywhere between $5-20, depending on what I'm doing. So for less than $50 I look fabulous!

Yesterday I colored my hair dark brown, with alpine green highlights, $5 for the punky colour, $3 for a box of brown dye, and $7 for the highlighting kit. I just had my best friend pull my hair through a cap and I was able to do the rest. All together I spend $30 for a haircut and dye job.

Kakeslyn

I used to go to a few different independent hair salons. For a cut and dye, most charged around $100-$120. The most expensive visit (where I went from blonde to red) was $190... and that was half price! (my friend was apprenticing at a very expensive salon).

Right now I'm using a henna hair dye at home instead, which only puts me out $20.

margannmks

Ive been a hairstylist for over 30 years and i think the prices some of these places charge are over the top. Im old school as far as prices but am very up to date on color as its one of my specialities. I also own my salon and have 2 other stylist working with me. My personal view is id rather have my clients be able to afford to have their hair done more often so i am more in the under $100 range for full hilites haircut style.

SymphonynSonata

$500?! Where do you live, Beverly Hills? lol

I spend about $125 each for myself and my daughter. And she has the light brown taken to blonde look, too.

I know, RIGHT? I always feel like I need to get a damn loan to go get my hair done and might turn around to see a celeb near me. LOL

Thank you guys, I will try calling out some chains, schools, and if it doesn't get any better I'm gonna just do it myself. I really appreciate all of the feedback!

I texted someone off of -CRAIGSLIST- to get my hair braided (figured it'd be less upkeep), more than I was spending for the whole dealio - $600!!! On CRAIGSLIST. I might just have the worst hair in the world, if it's this ridiculous at other places I'll post back. LOL

SnuggleSmacks

I dye my own hair: about $8 for Feria at Walmart. I also cut my own hair. Nobody else touches my hair, because no one else does it right.

NotGoddess

I went blonde for a while (mistake) and if I remember right it was around $120 for the touch-ups.

Now I go to JCPenney - found a woman who does magic with my hair. Every 4-5 weeks, $60 for a cut & threading brows + $15 tip.
For color, I do my own. Clairol demi soy from Sally's to darken a tad, a protein treatment & shine treatment ($15 every 3 months or so). I like demis because they fade slowly & let more of my natural highlights through, plus no dye line.

47Jacqueline

So reassuring that some of you guys pay more than me. I used to have really short hair and paid $5 to a men's hair cutting school, the the results were spotty. I live in an expensive neighborhood, but I finally decided that I really wanted to go to a women's stylist and it started costing me around $75 pre tip. Then I switched to someone else who charded about the same, but they included washing and blow drying. Last time I went there, the guy (who does a great cut, btw) suggested I add some color. I'm 67 and have very little gray, but my hair has lost it's brightness, so I agreed with him, chose this really pretty color and it's going to cost another $90, so I'll be payingabout $165 before tip. It took my breath away! The last time I dyed my hair I had a special deal where the stylist was leaning to color and they only added $15 for color.

I just heard about a new stylist on the lower east side who has a place called "Crops for Girls". He specializes in short hair, but feminine. don't know what he charges, but I'm going to check it out. I like short hair because it's easier to take care of and I'm always leaving the gym soaking wet and have to wash my hair every day. With it longer now, I have to spend a lot of time on my hair. So money plus my time, I'm really disgusted with myself. ;-)

kkeeth1087

I get mine foiled blonde with a high and low light every 3 months. My natural color is blonde, but it's a challenging color to keep on top of due to the grow out (and grow out is a pet peeve of mine). I started through a salon and found a hairdresser I liked, she ended up setting up her own facilities in her house as well as continuing working at the salon. I ended up just getting mine done at her place, as it's cheaper since she doesn't need to pay a chair fee. Mine ends up costing $85, and that's including a full foil and trim. A little pricey for me, but it always turns out well. Call me high maintenance, but I refuse to go to the cheaper salons or dye from a box, blonde is such a fussy color to get right thanks to the bleach component.