Hair Stylists: The Female Equivalent of Mechanics

For the past four years I have been struggling to find a good hair stylist (cut and colour) in the "burbs" but have failed miserably.

Finally, I went back to modeling for a well-known, high end salon downtown for the past year. It was a glorious year of hair for me, especially because it didn't cost me a dime.

Well, not for the hair care. I did have to pay for the train, subway, and a day's worth of babysitting for two kids. (Brad was never home during the day, and that was the only time the apprentices cut.)

Now that I have three youngsters at home, and still, no Brad, it is aggrevating to make it all the way downtown to have a 3 hour cut and a 3 hour colour job. (Plus about 2.5 hours in travel time round trip.)

So, I went out to find a salon.

Not just any salon.

I have tried any.

I have even tried "good" and "great". None of which offered a decent cut. Colour, well, that's a different story as I will go on to say.

This salon was supposed to be one of the best in the country.

The prices weren't horrible, but they were pretty steep for me. Especially since my last year or so of hair was basically free.

I sat down to consult with the colourist. "Single process colour." That's what I said. Both on the phone, and in the consultation.

Now I know highlights are great, one of the apprentices I had in the past used to do a few highlights in with the single process and it was no biggie. In fact, it was great for me. I just didn't have $150 for highlights on top of the colour! She told me that she was going to bring one colour here and lighten it up over there. Sure, sounds good.

The reveal came out. The colour was gorgeous. She really did a great job. The few little highlights she put in to "lighten it up over there" looked great.

Until it came time to pay.

$220!!

Now, in the past, I would have coughed up the money using my "emergency fund" that I stash in my wallet so when these unexpected expenses come up I can take care of them without the lecture from Brad.

(In fact, this has actually happened. I was getting an apprentice at a "great" local salon who did a "single process" colour that was supposed to cost $30 and then wound up with some highlights totalling $110 . . . for an apprentice! Not being natually squeaky, I paid out of my emergency fund.)

But not to be a fool two times over, (and the fact that I was using Brad's credit card to pay and didn't have any "emergency funds"), I had to stand my ground. It's a good thing I had just read an article in a magazine about how to be squeaky and get your way.

They brought out the manager and I insisted that I had said single process and nothing more. How could I explain such a drastic price difference to my husband who would never understand why a hair do would need to cost so much. And of course, I could totally understand, and love it, but I'd hate to have to "discuss" it with my hubby.

Finally, they did just charge me the price for a single process.

Now I am beginning to wonder though, are hair stylists the female equivalent of mechanics? Do they purposely add in treatments and things to boost their bottom line?

As a side note, Brad really loved the cut and colour and told me I could get it done every six months. But not for $220.

Sigh. What do you do?