The ever rising price of a haircut

All in favour of cheaper hairdressing prices? Hair, hair!

However, since 1951, the price of a trim has increased from about $6 (in today’s terms) for men to somewhere about $38 depending on where you live and the type of cut.

For women a haircut would have set them back about 3 shillings in Auckland or Wellington. That’s roughly $8 in today’s terms. Nowadays, a woman’s cut could cost up to $118.

Over the past 30 years, prices for hairdressing services have increased at an average rate of 5.2 percent, well above the average annual rate of 4.4 percent in the general basket of goods used to measure the cost price index by the government department, according to Stats NZ.

But one Tauranga stylist says Stats NZ may have underestimated the cost of a haircut today – for women anyway.
Senior stylist at Carol’s Hair Salon Mount Maunganui, Grace Knell, 22, says that’s because women are paying for more than a haircut – they are paying for the experience.

“We don’t let them walk out of the salon until they have had the full experience.”

Carol’s charges $69 for a woman’s haircut which covers the full salon experience including three stages: shampoo, massage and style. But, colours range from an additional $80 to $150.

The final price can depend on the length and thickness of hair and whether the client wants foils or a full dye, including, of course, toner.

A blow wave is an additional $35 to $55 depending on the length and thickness of hair.

That means a cut and colour for a woman with thick, long hair with a blow wave and all extras could set a customer back by as much as $274.

CHS charges $28 for a man’s clipper cut while a fuller treatment can range from $37 to $46.  The full price can depend on how long the process takes.

Knell says wages and the cost of hairdressing product supplies increase every year and salons have no choice but to pay the cost.

The increased cost of hairdressing means some women are choosing to extend the 6-week wait between visits, to 7 or 8 weeks to save money, Knell says.

But there is one thing you can do to save money on haircuts – do not live in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch. A cut in any of these three centres will set you back more than elsewhere in the country.