It can be complicated to figure out how much to tip at a hair salon, especially when there are many services and people involved. Here, etiquette experts share how much to tip hairdressers, Tipping Hair Stylist, colorists, and more. This may sound familiar: You hit the hair salon for a color, cut, and blow-out, and you’re feeling fabulous, but when you reach the checkout counter, you freeze. You quickly realize you don’t know whom to tip, let alone how much to tip each person. As you probably know, conventional tipping etiquette requires you to tip your hairstylist, but what about the person who washed or dried your hair for you while your Tipping Hair Stylist cut someone else’s? How much should you tip if you used a discount offer? I have so many questions. Check out these tips for tipping your hairdresser – and everyone at the salon who helped you.
Reasons for tipping your hair stylist:
A significant portion of a hair stylist earnings comes from tips. Steve Waldman, technical artistic director and product consultant for Hair Cuttery Family of Brands, says that amount “affects the way they think about their income and how they will allocate it for their expenses.” Tipping also shows appreciation for your hairdresser, whose job has likely changed and become more dangerous during the pandemic. Crystal L. Bailey, the director of the Etiquette Institute of Washington in Washington, D.C., says that a lot more needs to be done to ensure the safety of employees and customers. So, if nothing else, we should make sure that they are properly tipped, considering the great efforts they put into their work.
The correct amount to tip your hairdresser is:
Tipping your hairstylist should always follow the golden rule of 20 percent, says Daniel Post, spokesperson for the Emily Post Institute. Hairdressers, like servers in restaurants, rely on tips to earn their living, he says. During the holiday season, this is not true: Give your hairdresser an extra 10 percent as a nice bonus around the holidays. If you plan to tip a salon, bring enough cash with you when you arrive. A lot of salons don’t allow you to tip using a credit card. In the world of tipping, cash is king, says Sharon Schweitzer, international etiquette expert and the founder of Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide. Most salons also have websites with a list of services and prices, or at least price ranges sometimes service rates differ depending on who’s cutting your hair-the salon owner, a senior stylist? or how wide, coarse, or thick it is.
How much to tip for hair color and shampoo:
If you get an unexpectedly wonderful scalp massage from your colorist or hair washer, how much should you tip them? Don’t forget the golden rule: “You should tip 20 percent on the entire service cost, not per person,” says Schweitzer. Therefore, if your haircut and blow-dry cost $40 each, and your color cost $60, your total service cost would be $100. You should tip the colorist and stylist for $20 each. However, if an assistant blow-dried or shampooed your hair, you should tip them $4-$5, since they’re likely earning minimum wage and rely heavily on tips.
The following people handled your hair stylist:
This is where the confusion begins. Your hairstylist might do the major part of the job, but there might be an assistant handing over the highlight foils, an apprentice shampooing your hair, and sometimes even a fourth person handling the blowout. Tiffany Molina Pachl admits that this can be a tricky one. “Every salon has a different policy, so I wouldn’t be afraid to ask the receptionist or your stylist about it. The stylist and assistant may agree that all tips will be split equally. Salon assistants at other salons may be paid on commission, or they may be in school earning credit hours, so the salon tips them differently.” You might consider giving each of them a $5 bill to show your gratitude.” Leticia McKay-Everett, a hairdresser in Dayton, Ohio, says, “I love to tip stylist’s assistants. Honestly, they’re the hardest workers, and most of the time, they’re the thankless ones. A tip shows them how important they are.
How much should a hairdresser be tipped?
Although tipping is not necessary, many hairstylists rely on Tipping Hair Stylist to round out their earnings. With that in mind, we believe 15 percent is the absolute minimum you should tip your hairdresser. In general, you can tip 15 percent if you’re trying out a new stylist and aren’t sure if you’ll return. However, if you like your haircut so much that you’ll return, you can tip closer to 20 percent. If your stylist turns you around to face the mirror and you don’t like your cut, it may be acceptable to leave a 15 percent tip. However, you should first explain to your stylist what you don’t like about your hair and determine if there is any way to fix or alter your style.
