Man Complains That Haircuts Shouldn’t Cost $50 — ‘It’s Not A Hard Skill To Learn’
Imagine if he found out how much women are charged to get their hair done at salons.
EJManzaneque | Shutterstock Inflation has us forking over what feels like nearly our entire paychecks for simple pleasures such as getting a manicure or our eyebrows threaded.
Haircuts are just the latest self-care service that now costs a fortune, and one man can’t take it anymore.
A man called out barbers who charge more than $50 per session, arguing that no haircut should cost that much.
Sharing his opinions to the subreddit r/unpopularopinion, the man criticized “new-age barbers” who charge a large sum of money for a haircut, noting some important points as to why it should be cheap.
“Your hair grows fast. In 5 days you’ll be looking almost back to normal,” the man wrote. “$50 is more than most people make per hour.”
f.t.Photographer | Shutterstock
He also noted that haircuts are an easy skill to master and that people can save their money if they pick up a pair of scissors and watch a couple of YouTube tutorials.
“I’ve been cutting my own hair since 2020 and I can tell you it’s not a hard skill to learn,” he shared. “It sickens me that these new barbers get paid more than nurses.”
He even included photos of his newly acquired skill to prove it!
While most Redditors agreed that the prices for a haircut nowadays can seem outrageous, times have changed.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country, inflation has affected just about everything.
Services that used to cost just $20 or $30 are now up to $100 per session, which doesn’t even include tips for service workers.
This, of course, includes barber services.
“Ever since COVID happened, prices have skyrocketed. Everything. Everything's gone up. The cost of everything we use has gone up,” Joe Becker, the owner of Face’s Barbershop in Endicott, told Spectrum News 1.
“[A] box of gloves that used to cost maybe $12 is now $20. The hair care products we use, the combs, everything’s inflated. And honestly, we don't really see much of a shift in it changing or slowing down.”
In 2023, haircut prices experienced their largest annual increase since 1982, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Even if they don't want to charge extra, most barbers are forced to raise prices to afford all of the necessary products to ensure a good haircut.
"It's hard to keep at a low price, but you want to keep the client in mind,” Becker, who charges $28 per cut, says. “I have some clients who come in here and they have like four or five kids. I try to keep this place as cost-effective for them as I can.”
Still, barber shop prices are not nearly as high as those of salons that charge women $60 just to blow dry their hair!
But in this economy, people have to make money somehow, even if it means raising their prices to levels they couldn’t have imagined and potentially losing customers.
While it may seem silly to have to pay $50 just to get your hair trimmed, there is usually an economic reason behind it.
However, you are still welcome to learn a new skill, such as cutting your own hair, to save a few bucks!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.