h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I never know how much to tip a hairdresser. I'd probably say ten percent, but if you go somewhere expensive and have your hair cut it can cost up to £70, even up to £150 if you have highlights or something. Then paying 10% of £150 is £15 and that seems an awful lot for a tip. And do you tip the person who cut it, and/or the person who washed it, and/or the person who coloured it, or none of them?

What about if the person who cuts your hair is the owner of the salon? Do you tip him? He's making the profit from cutting your hair already?

What do you think?

I know..tipping hairdressers can be such a headache...it's enough to make you want to pull your hair out (of course then they would be surplus to requirement)!

I agree that 10% on a haircut costing £150 does seem a lot, but then it has to be seen in a relative context..the amount of work done to warrant that price .e.g. highlights are labour intensive.

Unless, that is, one is visiting the latest, 'in' hairdresser, because one has the money to be 'high maintenance' and can therefore afford to tip £15 or more.

Generally I tip £1 to the person who washes my hair, and 10% to the hairdresser who cuts it, normally rounding it up to £5 for anything below $50, and the next round number for anything above that. So actually, yes, on reflection, I find I fall in line with the 10% tip.

It is important to bear in mind that it is very much worth tipping slighly over the odds if you are pleased with the way your hairdresser cuts your hair, as, tipping well establishes loyalty, and they, being pleased by your tip, will put more effort and care into your next visit.

No tip at all, and on your next visit you might end up with hair like this...

Go Go Girl

I tend to tip between 25% and 30% for manicures and haircuts--but my hairdresser doesn't charge anywhere NEAR the prices that you are talking about.

By the way, I'm delighted to see the word "hairdresser." They are called "stylists" here in the northern US, and I've gotten myself into trouble with many of them by calling them "hairdressers"(I am from the south, where the term is more common). But, I tip well, so...