Hairdressers price increase - can’t afford to keep hair colour up

Have you thought about a mobile hairdresser. They often charge so much less than a salon and use professional products. I couldn't afford to pay salon prices! I've had a mobile hairdresser for years. I pay £40 for a cut, colour & blow dry. I often receive compliments on how nice my hair looks.

Lovetopaint037

I’m 82 and still have about 90%of my own colour. However, my eyebrows are grey which is strange. I agree about dyed hair looking odd with an old face. For years people have suggested I have dyed hair. Some have looked in disbelief when I say I don’t do anything to it. If and when I get more grey it will be as it is.

I’m 74 and haven’t gone grey. It’s genetic, my mother still wasn’t properly grey when she died at 97 - just a sort of greyish mousey colour. Her original colour used to be called strawberry blonde - it really was ‘golden’ and when she was 80 it caused a big fallout with a neighbour who accused her of lying when she said she didn’t dye it.

Mine was a darkish blonde, which started going darker a couple of decades ago, but has been going lighter again for some time. When I remember (once a fortnight if that) and it’s looking a bit dull, I use a quick spray of John Frieda Go Blonder on wet hair. Just brightens it up a bit without being at all obvious, never mind needing the roots done.

Please be very careful if you have highlights and you are thinking of trying a box colour. If your hair is lightened it is quite a technical process putting another colour over the top . It can very easily go green, very dark or take on a metallic hue.
I would suggest that you are honest with your hairdresser and ask them to do a colour correction and get your hair all one colour. You then have a base that you could do yourself at home . One very important tip is always start with a slightly lighter colour than you think you need, it looks more natural and don't overlap it on existing colour . As you keep it short , you will soon have a blank canvas to work with which will be easier.
Yes , I am a stylist and colour technician of many years and hope that is of some help .

In theory fine, but depends on the pattern your greying takes. I have seen my family's pattern of greying in older generations. It didn't look attractive on them and certainly doesn't look attractive on me.

Anyway, the younger generation enjoy dying their hair all kinds of colours. Why shouldn't we?

Be grey - Be proud

You are not just paying for the stylists time you also need to make a contribution to the costs of the premises the stylist is based in. Rent, rates, heating, equiping, insurance, cleaning, waste disposal, support staff etc etc

Agree, it’s getting a bit crazy. I think though, for an established stylist who may have many years of experience under their belt, they wouldn’t see it as 90 minutes of their time cc. We are paying for their experience and specialist skills as well as time. Mind you, I’m not sure how long I’ll keep paying the ever increasing rates.

For years I tried unsuccessfully to lighten my mousy hair to recreate the sunkissed highlights I used to get in the summer but it just brought out the red tones which I didn't suit. Stopped colouring it and let it grow and it was actually the colour I had wanted all along! I would call it grey/blonde but everyone else describes it as blonde. My hairdresser refuses to add any highlights as she says it it is great as it is!
If you really want highlights I would recommend trying a college or salon where students, closely supervised, will do it for a fraction of the salon cost.

Lovetopaint037

I’m 82 and still have about 90%of my own colour. However, my eyebrows are grey which is strange. I agree about dyed hair looking odd with an old face. For years people have suggested I have dyed hair. Some have looked in disbelief when I say I don’t do anything to it. If and when I get more grey it will be as it is.

I use men’s moustache and beard dye for eyebrows. Yes, really! Was recommended by a stylist. Easy to apply. Box lasts ages, about £7. Think emphasis in eyebrows adds a lift to face.

MayBee70

I’ve got hardly any hair left. It’s always been thin but now it’s almost non existent. But my hairdresser still charges me the same for a trim as she charges for someone that takes at least ten times longer. So I just don’t bother any more. Just chop a bit off every now and again and have a wig to wear if I need to look presentable!

I too have very little left particularly on the top of my head on each side. I used to colour with a box kit and had my daughter give it s trim, but when DS got married I had a colleague who had previously been a hairdresser give me a cut. I coloured myself. That's the last time I had anything done. Now I just cut a bit off where it grows longer in the centre at the back. I still have it long, but often wear it in a pony tail, though it gets thinner all the time. Being so thin on top my scalp shows through but it shows more when darker, so the lighter brown/grey looks better anyway. To cover up the thin bits I wore a wide headband which I decorated with fabric flowers rather than aa hat. It was a summer wedding and I knew I'd get far too hot in a hat and the scalp shows through much more if I sweat and my hair gets damp! I made a fabric flower brooch to match the headband and was happy with the look. DD was scathing about the idea but I think in the end thought it was OK. If she ever marries I dread to think what I'll do as I could be even more depleted!

Gannet that’s perfect!

Georgesgran

I’m just grey!

It looks lovely!

It really is a lot of money for just an hour and a half of their time isn't it? For the last couple of years I've been using a hairdresser who visits and cuts a few friends hair, but I know that she has moved recently and won't be coming for much longer.
It isn't hard to buy professional colouring products now and you can easily find out what colour(s) your hairdresser uses.
I can do my roots pretty easily at the top and on the front to keep it looking good between her visits and I'm hoping that my daughter will help me with the back every few weeks.
The cutting is another matter so I'm starting to ask around to find somebody who can cut well but doesn't charge a fortune.

I luckily have natural gold colour hair - stopped having highlights about 6 years ago. My natural colour is really nice so I don’t know why I had expensive highlights for years. I have my hair trimmed by the local barber as you can just go. When my hair needs cutting I just like to go immediately. It costs £15 and looks the same as when I had it cut at the posh salon

My regular salons prices were going up and up to well over £150 for colour and blow, then when one of the stylists moved to open her own salon , I went with her and the prices are so much lower, I just couldn’t justify that sort of money out of my pension ,

Im in same quandary mine wants £176. half head trim and blow dry. Its way too much for a retiree. Im asking around for local suggestions.

I stopped going to my last salon when I had to cancel because of illness. I was told off by the receptionist and charged a cancellation fee. The cancellation fee is fair enough, I understand it’s a business (that has been getting £100-ish ever 6 weeks from me!) but I don’t like being told off for getting ill!

I can’t afford to go to the hairdressers, so cut my own hair and colour it always looks ok, if your living on state pension there are other priorities.

I am 90% silver now after chemo this year and I lost all my hair it's now an inch long and there's a lot of it now waves but so soft no chemicals so I have decided not to use dyes and the only thing is what style to have.

I had to stop colouring - or cutting - during lockdown and afterwards I decided I like my natural colour which is a very creamy grey - almost platinum blonde. I’ve noticed many more people my age with different colours of grey and I expect it is for the same reason. All the photos on here look great, I think.
The one thing I do now is dye my eyebrows with Schwarzkopf dark blonde eyebrow dye which takes just 10 minutes and is quite cheap. It comes out quite dark and is very good for creating a more youthful look, I believe.

I stopped having my hair coloured when my hairdresser went on mat leave. It’s a lovely colour now - better than it was and half the price when I go (and half the time). Hope that helps.

My hair when young was a rather lovely copper colour, which I didnt appreciate at the time, but went grey quite early. With very limited money , hair colouring came nowhere in the list, as I do dislike seeing roots etc., so it would have cost me a lot to keep it the way I like it. So my lair is white now, I go swimming once or twice a week so it gets cut about every 6/8 weeks and that is it. Wash it and condition it myself, using whatever decent shampoo is on cheap offer when I need some more. I love classical music, art, gardens , travel etc so what cash is available goes on plants or whatever. If keeping your hair special is you special thing then I think the idea of modelling for a hair college course would be worth checking out, Good luck finding what suits you.

Thank you Jaxjacky, I may give it a try. My salon has had a big increase in price recently too.

Have you a training school or college locally that does hairdressing they often do very good supervised colours at a knock down price. I am not sure where you live but several hair academies in London also do this. I always went to vidal Sassoon
when I worked in London

Georgesgran beautiful colour.