What is the Tipping Ediquette at a Salon?

Hi, I often find giving a tip at the salon a stressful and uncomfortable situation. Sometimes several people work on my hair. Do I tip them all? This can get very expensive and often discourages me from getting a haircut. I always feel as though they are judging me. Can you offer advice? Thanks, Cindy



YouTips4U: Hi Cindy, that's a great question and I'm sure others share your concern as well. I'm happy to offer some guidelines to help simplify this for you so that you know ahead of time what to do and not have to sit and worry while your hair is being done about tipping at the end. The overall tip for services at your salon should be about 15 percent. Remember, that's before the tax is added on. You don't tip on the tax. Now, you can scale that 15% up or down depending on whether you were thrilled with your haircut or disappointed. Usually if you just give one overall tip, the salon manager will divide it up between the other people who serviced you, i.e. the person who shampooed your hair.

If you would like to control who gets how much of your tip, simply take that 15 percent and divide it up between the people who serviced you. A salon owner that I know suggests $3-$5 for the person who shampooed your hair. $1-$2 for the coat check person, and $1 for the person who brings you a coffee. Of course this depends on the salon you attend. Smaller-scale salons do not offer all amenities and so there is less tipping to worry about. Or perhaps your hairdresser does all of the aforementioned services herself, and therefore gets the whole 15%.

If the person who cuts your hair owns the salon, you do not have to tip them. Remember, they get the profits of the business. If you feel awkward about just walking out and not tipping, you can always give him/her a gift during the holidays like a bottle of wine, a box of candy, or a plant. Yes, you can give cash or gift cards too.

Salons vary as to how to leave the tip. You may just want to add your tip to the final bill which is very much encouraged these days by salons. Some have little cups or boxes at their stations, others you simply hand it to them. Many salons offer small white envelopes for you to place your tip in. If you use the envelopes, be sure to write the name of your hairdresser on the envelope and your name as well with a little note of thanks. This will help the salon owner know who the tip is for. No need to write the amount of the tip on the outside of the envelope. That's between you and your hairdresser.

I hope this will help take the awkwardness out of tipping for you. Having a standard by which you tip will make you feel much more comfortable and help you decide what salon you would like to go to. Some people love a big service salon with lots of people to pamper them, and others enjoy a smaller more intimate salon where it's just you and your hairdresser having a nice chat together. Whatever type of salon you choose, you now have a guideline you can refer too.

- YouTips4U

Cutting/Trimming Your Hair Yourself

Hi. I have not cut my hair since May last year. My goal was to go a year without cutting it to see how long it can get. I want it basically as long as yours, however I always became impatient and cut it. I feel like the ends are not as full like the rest of my hair and this has always been an issue for me. Whenever I attempted to grow it the ends would not look as good as the top. Right now I do not want to cut it because I do see it finally growing and I am not sure what to do. It really isn't bad at all but I do leave it natural (curly) every time it's washed so you wouldn't notice unless I straightened it which I haven't since May as well. I do see it dry when I comb it out before washing. I'm dreading the hair salon, so if you have any suggestions please reply. Do you go for hair cuts? How did you get your hair that long?! :)

YouTips4U: Hi, I understand your reluctance to go to a salon to cut your hair when you have been patiently growing it for so long, however, periodic trims can be very healthy for the rest of the hair shaft as they prevent split ends for traveling further up the hair and breaking off. Please take a look at my "How to Cut Your Own Hair" video on YouTube when you have time. Here is the link: How To Cut Your Own Hair. I think you will find it helpful. You can just trim a small dusting off the ends to keep the split ends under control and prevent your hair from breaking off from them. Depending on how long your hair is, you can separate it in two in the back and comb it all forward in front of your chest and trim a little off. This will help keep your hair healthier between salon visits and remove the fear of having to part with your new length because you are in control.

I always cut my own hair and very very infrequently will I go to a salon. I am always happy with my own work and I think you will be too. I wouldn't suggest you try to do anything fancy; just a little trim. Good Luck :o)

Will Hair Grow Faster and Thicker if It's Cut Frequently?

Although getting your hair trimmed will help it to look better and fuller because you are removing the split ends where hair tends to be thinner at the bottom, it will not make your hair grow faster. Hair is actually dead protein. The root is where growth takes place and it is not aware of what goes on down at the end of the hair. Tiny blood vessels at the base of every follicle feed the hair root to keep it growing. But once the hair is at the skin's surface, it is not alive anymore and has become dead skin cells. That's why it doesn't cause pain when someone cuts your hair with scissors! A healthy diet, proper rest, and regular exercise will help to keep your roots healthy and growing hair to their maximum potential. Massaging your scalp is a good way to stimulate your hair follicles to grow because it helps to increase blood flow to the follicle.

Greasy Hair Tip

My hair is terrible. I have to shampoo my hair EVERY day when I wake up. It's so greasy. Is there anything I can use to stop it?

YouTips4U: Hi, be sure you are using a shampoo for OILY hair because if your shampoo has too many moisturizers and conditioners in it, it is adding to your oiliness. Also, be sure you rinse your shampoo out thoroughly. Any residue left behind can contribute to product buildup and increase sebum production and weigh hair down. This is a common problem in puberty because oil glands become very active. Sometimes it's just a matter of trial and error to find the right product for your hair. Also, when you condition your hair, be sure you only apply conditioner to the hair below your ear lobes; the hair you can gather in a ponytail. Do not condition your scalp. You can use a bit of baby powder massaged into your scalp to soak up excess oil throughout the day. Just apply a small amount in your hands, rub them together and apply to your scalp - not your hair. Try rinsing your scalp with apple cider vinegar. Put a teaspoon of vinegar into a pint of water and use as a finishing rinse. It will help remove any soap residue.

My Natural Boar Bristle Brush Smells?

Hi, I just bought a new boar bristle brush that has a wooden handle. It has this horrible kind of nauseating smell that i assume is coming from the glue that bonds the bristles in place. Is there any way of removing this smell without harming the bristles? I've tried washing it with baby shampoo but the smell still remains.. Let me know if you know anything that could do the trick! thanks!

YouTips4U: Excellent, congratulations - you did a great thing. Don't be alarmed by the smell, they do have an odor when they're brand new. It has been compared to a wet dog. Give it time, the odor will fade in a few days. You can speed up the process by washing it with shampoo and rinsing it as you have been doing, but I don't recommend doing this because it wears down the brush and wood. If you do decide you must wash it because it's really bothering you, use a gentle shampoo and water to lather; no conditioner, and rinse well. Do not soak it in water when cleaning it. Shake it out really well when you're done and let it air dry on a dry surface. Your brush will last for years and years if you take good care of it. For normal use purposes your brush should be shampooed about once a month and the loose hairs should be removed daily with a comb.

Can Products Fix Split Ends?

Hi, i straighten my hair frequently, and i have a lot of split ends because of it. I am trying to grow my hair out to about a foot. My hair is currently at about shoulder length, about 6 or 8 inches. It seems my hair grows very slow, and cutting the split ends seems to defeat the purpose of growing it out longer. what can i do to not only fix the hair, but try to prevent it from happening again because of the frequent heat? please write back!!!


YouTips4U: Hi, straightening your hair frequently can be very damaging and cause split ends. Using conditioner after you shampoo and using leave-in conditioner products to repair the split ends can mend them, but this is only a temporary solution. Conditioning products will smooth out the hair shaft, but it quickly wears off within a day or two. If you ever look at your hair when it's been a few days since you washed your hair, you will notice that your split ends are very obvious, and they weren't obvious after you washed and styled your hair. That is why the only way to save your hair from further breakage caused by split ends is to trim the split ends off. If you don't, they get bigger and ride further up the hair shaft. Eventually they break off leaving your hair shorter. When you have time, please take a look at my video on YouTube on how to blow dry and straighten your hair to minimize damaging it. In this two-part video I give you some tips on how you can still achieve your desired look using a straightener, while minimizing the damaging effects on your hair. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D2kNVE_Fyk