This Is How Much You Should Tip At The Hair Salon

The proper way to say thank you for your new 'do.

Fact checked by Jillian Dara

Down South, a good hair stylist is essential. Who else is there to ensure your color stays fresh, your cut is on-trend, and your blowout keeps its volume all day long? Not to mention, a trusted hairdresser can be your sounding board when you need advice or want to talk after a particularly stressful week. And let's be real: Is there any better way to unwind than getting your scalp massaged during a salon shampoo?

But when it comes to paying a hairstylist for their services, there always seems to be a question about tipping protocol. We're here to set the record straight once and for all. Read on to learn how much you should tip your hairdresser and what to do in tricky situations like when you receive a discount or you're unhappy with your service.

How Much Should You Tip Your Hairdresser?

According to Kendall McElveen, owner of Kendall + Kendall Hair Color Studio, the proper tip for a hairstylist is 20% of the service fee. You can always tip more for excellent service, but 20% should be the starting point. Like many other service and commission-based industries, tipping is customary in the hair industry—and many hairstylists rely on tips as part of their income.

Meet The Expert

Kendall McElveen is a master colorist and owner of Kendall + Kendall Hair Color Studio in Winter Park, Florida.

What If More Than One Person Provided Service?

It's not uncommon for multiple people to be involved in your service at the hair salon. For example, you may have a colorist who does the color and another stylist who does the cut and blow-dry. Many salons will also have assistants or stylists-in-training working alongside their more senior stylists. So how do you tip?

"Make sure to tip both stylists if you're in for more than one service," advises McElveen. This means tipping at least 20% of each stylist's regular service fee. So if your haircut was $45 and your color was $75, you'd tip at least $9 to the stylist who cut your hair and $15 to your colorist.

As for the assistants, $5 is often suitable as a tip. But if the assistant was heavily involved in your services—perhaps they did the wash and blow-dry—consider tipping more.

Tips

You may have heard that you don't have to tip your stylist if they own the salon. While many salon owners don't expect tips when providing a service, it's always appropriate to tip to recognize their work and show your gratitude. If you're unsure, you can always ask your stylist or the front desk how they handle tips.

How To Tip When You Get a Discount

Whether the salon is running a special, your stylist offers you a discount, or you're using a coupon, tipping can get more complicated when you don't pay full price for your service. The consensus is to tip the standard 20% of the original, non-discounted price. Not sure what the original price was? Just ask the front desk at check out.

Related: How Much Is Appropriate To Tip At The Nail Salon?

Cash Or Card?

When it comes to tipping at the hair salon, cash is the most appreciated. With cash, you have control over where the tip goes, your stylist will get the money immediately, and they'll get the full amount of the gratuity (you won't have to worry about the salon divvying it up or taking out fees or taxes). That said, tipping with a credit card is always better than not tipping enough or at all, so if you don't have cash on hand and the salon allows you to add gratuity to the bill, don't hesitate to go that route.

As our culture becomes more and more cashless, some stylists have also begun accepting tips through payment apps like Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal. Though far from routine in most salons, you can ask your stylist if that's an option.

What If You're Dissatisfied With Your Service?

But what do you do if you have a less-than-stellar salon experience? Whatever you do, don't keep your dissatisfaction to yourself. "For clients [who] are unhappy, they should communicate their concern while they are in the chair," says McElveen. "Adjustments should be made the same day! Your stylist should always be communicating with you and aware of your satisfaction." The bottom line: Be honest and engage in open dialogue. Not only will this guarantee your hair happiness, but it will also leave your stylist satisfied with a job well done.

Related: How To Politely "Break Up" With Your Hair Stylist

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Read the original article on Southern Living.