# California law mandating equal men's and women's haircut prices- What was the effect? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095 "2002-12-07T05:30:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/1 "2002-12-07T05:30:03Z")
For California Dopers. What was the effect of this law? Are men’s and women’s haircut prices equal now in California? [Law mandates equality in dry cleaning, hair styling](http://www.nctimes.net/news/2001/20011007/25000.html) > [@](#): > > The new law, which was signed into adoption by Gov. Gray Davis last month, will require businesses that offer dry cleaning, laundry, tailoring or hair grooming services to refrain from charging different prices in relation to gender for the same basic services. > > Businesses that offer those services will be required to post easily readable price lists in their shops, noting charges for the 15 most common services offered. They also will have to provide customers with a written price lists on request. > > Owners will face a civil penalty of $1,000 if they do not conform to the law within 30 days of receiving violation notices from the state. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/2 "2002-12-07T06:14:17Z")
I dunno but that always bugged me. I also hate how they charge extra for long hair. Like it’s any harder to trim a little off an inch from below my shoulders instead of at the base of my neck or on top of my head. I could understand maybe, if I had curly hair or something that really would be harder, but to make me shell out $10 or $15 extra solely because of the length is stupid. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/3 "2002-12-07T06:25:59Z")
Personally, I find this pretty inane. Doesn’t the California legislature have anything better to do? Is inequity in drycleaning prices the most significant issue this august body of lawmakers could find to address? Also, regardless of sex, why doesn’t more hair = more cutting = more labor for barber = higher price? Wouldn’t it take longer for a stylist to complete a very long head of hair than a tonsorially deficient cusotmer? If so, why shouldn’t the clipper get more for the laboring for an extended time? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/4 "2002-12-07T13:33:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, regardless of sex, why doesn’t more hair = more cutting = more labor for barber = higher price? Wouldn’t it take longer for a stylist to complete a very long head of hair than a tonsorially deficient cusotmer? If so, why shouldn’t the clipper get more for the laboring for an extended time? Depends on the style more than the length. My daughter has long hair, and when she gets it trimmed, an inch taken off straight across takes no more time than the same cut on shorter hair.My hair is much shorter, but the layers make the cut take longer. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/5 "2002-12-07T14:43:32Z")
Avoid the hassle, just don’t get your hair cut. I’ve not had one in 4 years. Of course, my hair is pretty long now and for the first year it does look like crap, but after that it’s pretty cool! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/6 "2002-12-07T16:09:46Z")
I think what will happen is that hair cutters will simply increase the price they charge for men, and perhaps reduce the women’s price by a small amount. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/7 "2002-12-07T16:13:12Z")
Well, **Frankd6** , it might mean more to you if you were the one having to pay more for the same service. Why should I have to pay extra just because my shirt buttons on the other side? ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/8 "2002-12-07T16:28:25Z")
Because women’s haircuts tend to take longer and require more work, that’s why. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/9 "2002-12-07T16:46:10Z")
Maybe they shopuld charge by the type of styling, regardless of the sex of the customer. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/10 "2002-12-07T16:48:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freyr \* > \*\*Avoid the hassle, just don’t get your hair cut. > > I’ve not had one in 4 years. Of course, my hair is pretty long now and for the first year it does look like crap, but after that it’s pretty cool! 😉 \*\* Man, I wish I could do that. My hair is very curly, near-afro curly. It gets big, not long. I go 4 months without a haircut and I look like “Undercover Brother”. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/11 "2002-12-07T17:37:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*Maybe they shopuld charge by the type of styling, regardless of the sex of the customer. \*\* This makes sense to me. My hair used to be 2/3 down my back (getting closed to my waist) I’d get it permed and it could sometimes take 6-8 hours – there is NO WAY it would be fair for me to take up my hairdresser’s time like that and only be charged the same as a short shoulder-length perm. A blunt cut on hair is the same whether it on shoulder-length hair, Crytal Gail-legth hair or a guy with a hockey-hair mullet. Layers takes a lot longer and is more difficult on either short hair (like my SO’s) or long hair (like mine). We ofte get our hair cut at the same time and we require about the same amount of time and attention despite the radically different length. Charging by style would also deal with the “women’s hair takes longer and needs more work” fallacy. Maybe it’s the company I keep, by I know a lot of guys with hair half-way down their backs and a few women with buzzed heads. Charging by general style sounds appropriate to me. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/12 "2002-12-07T18:07:17Z")
\*\*RevTim wrote: Man, I wish I could do that. My hair is very curly, near-afro curly. It gets big, not long. I go 4 months without a haircut and I look like “Undercover Brother”.\*\* Well, some of us got it and some of us don’t! 😉 My hair has a slight wave to it, so it looks pretty good. \*\*Eats\_Crayons wrote: Charging by general style sounds appropriate to me.\*\* I agree with this, too. IMHO, women seem to have lots more choices in styling than men. Does anyone else’s experience bear this out? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/13 "2002-12-07T18:53:55Z")
I go to a unisex salon and the owner who cuts men’s hair can typically seat and finish 2-3 men in the same time as it takes for his co-owner girlfriend to cut the hair of one woman. In this context I am talking basic style and trims not perms or other stuff. A woman’s style and trim is not necessarily apples to apples with a man’s style and trim time or effortwise. In observing the process, on average, the main time differences in womens haircuts are: 1: The preliminary conversation about that they want done takes noticeably longer and involves lots more back and forth and discussion of options between the stylist and the female customer. The barber to man preliminary conversation conversation is typically under a minute and often less than 30 seconds. 2: Women’s hair layering is more involved and there is often (not always) a bigger volume of it to deal with. 3: Blow drying and combing out a woman’s longer hair takes a lot longer than the minute or two blow and brush off at the end of a man’s hair cut. There is often a sales pitch for conditioners etc that goes on during this period as well and takes time to explain. All these items add up to a typical women’s cut for a style and trim taking 2-3 times longer than a mans. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/14 "2002-12-07T21:24:13Z")
Sure **astro** on average a woman might spend longer talking before and the cut and blowdrying may take longer. But not always. I don’t see any reason why the charge has to be based on the gender of the head rather than the time involved. Just like the dry-cleaning. Perhaps an average woman’s blouse is more difficult to clean than the average men’s shirt- but the price shouldn’t be different for the same shirt depending on who drops it off. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/15 "2002-12-07T23:30:25Z")
Haircutters should charge by the hour? Drycleaners/launderies have no such excuses - charge by material and/or length, and special processes/services (blocking, mending, whatever - I use neither haircutter nor laundry). Eat your hearts out 😛 ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/16 "2002-12-08T04:43:34Z")
As a bald guy, it takes about 1/2 the time to cut my hair as the average guy. Obviously this is “Baldie discrimination” Grin. Hey, I really have no problem with paying the same costs. After all, what is the hair cutter supposed to do…negotiate with each customer. Now, if they could just make me look like those guys in the pictures on the salon wall… ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/17 "2002-12-08T12:53:46Z")
Back to the OP, since this law went into effect on Jan 1 2002, it is supposedly in effect already, so we should know exactly what happened to the salons. California Dopers speak up! What actually did happen? Enquiring minds want do know! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/18 "2002-12-09T00:57:22Z")
Well, the woman who does my hair in California has one price for everyone. It’s always been that way for 18 years. You know, haircut $12, shampoo $3.00 ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-law-mandating-equal-mens-and-womens-haircut-prices-what-was-the-effect/141095/19 "2002-12-09T04:29:23Z")
I live in California. My last couple haircuts have been at a salon in Santa Monica that charges $15. I honestly don’t know what they charge women. I do know that back in Kentucky I paid $25 at a salon that’s about equally professional as far as I can tell. Which is odd, because most services are more expensive here in California.