# Should men and women both pay the same price for a haircut? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 21, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941 "2013-01-21T21:06:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/21 "2013-01-22T16:34:40Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Why not just have the hairdresser/barber/whatever hit a chess-timer when you sit down in the chair? A dollar a minute, or whatever the going rate is gonna be. It’s just not practical. Customers will just end up complaining that the barber was working slow. Negotiating the details of each haircut isn’t cost justified in that type of business. Working off a schedule for the different types of cuts makes the most sense. And the services offered for men and women, even with the same type of cut, are sufficiently different to allow a price differential based on gender. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/22 "2013-01-22T16:54:35Z")
Equal charges for equal haircuts. I think it’s reasonable to charge for cutting longer hair or for performing a fancier haircut. I don’t want to be charged less and then get a perfunctory haircut. I’m a guy with long hair and anyone who gets to approach it with scissors had damn well better be prepared to do a really nice job. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/23 "2013-01-22T17:00:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s just not practical. Customers will just end up complaining that the barber was working slow. Negotiating the details of each haircut isn’t cost justified in that type of business. Working off a schedule for the different types of cuts makes the most sense. And the services offered for men and women, even with the same type of cut, are sufficiently different to allow a price differential based on gender. But why charge women more than men for the exact same cut? You haven’t actually given a reason. What extra services are women supposedly getting? If there are already different charges for different haircuts, then adding in a differential based on gender makes it more complicated, not less. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/24 "2013-01-22T17:17:00Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Sure, if everybody gets the same haircut. /thread. Seriously, what more is there to say? Women traditionally have more hair on their heads, in almost every culture I can think of. It takes more time and effort to cut and style. I can think of nothing that might discourage a budding hairdresser more than this decision. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/25 "2013-01-22T17:24:14Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Car insurance rates aren’t calculated like that; they are completely and utterly gender-based. So, why should hair cuts be any different? Because car insurance is based on what may happen in the future, and haircuts are based on what observable and requested right now. Big difference. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/26 "2013-01-22T17:32:38Z")
> [@hrhomer](#): > > /thread. Seriously, what more is there to say? Women traditionally have more hair on their heads, in almost every culture I can think of. It takes more time and effort to cut and style. Not really. I actually think a trim for my shoulder-length hair with no bangs and only some minor shaping around the front takes less time than cutting my husband’s standard guy haircut. The stylist only has to go around the bottom of my hair for a trim, and then spend maybe 5 minutes doing a bit more complex shaping around my face. His hair has to be cut all over his head, to ensure the length is good all around. I’m not saying that a more complex hairstyle wouldn’t take more time to cut, but I don’t see hairstylists charging different prices for trims for complex versus simple haircuts. A trim is a trim, regardless of style. And it’s not like I’m the only woman who opts for a simple haircut. Lots of women do the long-hair, one-length look; it’s pretty, easy to maintain, and has a lot of versatility. And it doesn’t take long at all to chop a few inches off the ends for a trim. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/27 "2013-01-22T17:40:36Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > But why charge women more than men for the exact same cut? You haven’t actually given a reason. What extra services are women supposedly getting? > > If there are already different charges for different haircuts, then adding in a differential based on gender makes it more complicated, not less. I guess I’m not saying exactly that. I think there are categories of womens cuts and mens cuts, that may overlap, but the way a woman and man are given a haircut can be different based on the type of business. A salon catering to women may include washing with all cuts while a barber shop catering to men does not. Men’s cuts may include more work shaving the neck and face. It’s not just different according to the cut itself, but other factors. The establishment has to have a simple system of determining price and hoping on average it will be profitable. Cases of men’s and women’s cuts being actually identical may be rare and not worth devising a special price for. In those cases it would be reasonable and good sense for a barber to charge the same price ignoring the way it is categorized. ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/28 "2013-01-22T17:50:32Z")
Some cases already see similar prices for a haircut. [Her hair is both naturally styled and low maintenance.](http://thegrio.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/issaraeawkward3.jpg?w=550) For the most part, guys can also wear a similarly low, lower maintenance style, with costs (and time to cut), being the same. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/29 "2013-01-22T17:53:06Z")
> [@hrhomer](#): > > /thread. Seriously, what more is there to say? Women traditionally have more hair on their heads, in almost every culture I can think of. It takes more time and effort to cut and style. > > I can think of nothing that might discourage a budding hairdresser more than this decision. That’s not at all the truth. When my SO goes to get his hair cut, it takes him longer than mine. He keeps it very short, but he wants it trimmed that short, plus shaved around the edges, and his needs to maintain a style. Mine is literally a two minute trim on the bangs and the back. It is longer, yes, but I do my own styles so she doesn’t need to do anything. Honestly, if she didn’t need to wash it first, I would resent paying more. But mine always needs to be washed so I just deal. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/30 "2013-01-22T17:58:27Z")
On the other hand - if you go to any nightclub in Las Vegas (or most other big cities as well), you will see that men have to pay double or more to gain entry while women pay little or nothing to get into the same club. Yes, I know that for business reasons the club owners want lots of women in the clubs to bring in the guys - but it still seems a bit unfair that there is such a huge difference in admission charge. I don’t hear any women complain about that fact. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/31 "2013-01-22T18:06:49Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I guess I’m not saying exactly that. I think there are categories of womens cuts and mens cuts, that may overlap, but the way a woman and man are given a haircut can be different based on the type of business. A salon catering to women may include washing with all cuts while a barber shop catering to men does not. Men’s cuts may include more work shaving the neck and face. It’s not just different according to the cut itself, but other factors. The establishment has to have a simple system of determining price and hoping on average it will be profitable. Cases of men’s and women’s cuts being actually identical may be rare and not worth devising a special price for. In those cases it would be reasonable and good sense for a barber to charge the same price ignoring the way it is categorized. Hair washing is an extra charge at all the places I’ve used. It’s actually not that uncommon for women’s cuts to be less complicated than men’s, and it really is pretty easy to charge on the actual effort involved - hairdressers and barbers both do this already anyway. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/32 "2013-01-22T18:07:57Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > On the other hand - if you go to any nightclub in Las Vegas (or most other big cities as well), you will see that men have to pay double or more to gain entry while women pay little or nothing to get into the same club. > > Yes, I know that for business reasons the club owners want lots of women in the clubs to bring in the guys - but it still seems a bit unfair that there is such a huge difference in admission charge. I don’t hear any women complain about that fact. That’s also illegal in Denmark, I think. Again, they’re being consistent. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/33 "2013-01-22T18:11:46Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Hair washing is an extra charge at all the places I’ve used. > > It’s actually not that uncommon for women’s cuts to be less complicated than men’s, and it really is pretty easy to charge on the actual effort involved - hairdressers and barbers both do this already anyway. I’ve been to several places where the wash was included in the price whether you wanted it or not. There’s more than one way to do business. And I’m not saying womens haircuts should cost more than men’s, only that it’s reasonable to sub-categorize cuts as men’s or women’s, and have different prices associated. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/34 "2013-01-22T18:38:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’ve been to several places where the wash was included in the price whether you wanted it or not. There’s more than one way to do business. And I’m not saying womens haircuts should cost more than men’s, only that it’s reasonable to sub-categorize cuts as men’s or women’s, and have different prices associated. But that is charging women more. Unless you mean men choosing that haircut also pay the higher price, but then why categorise it as a woman’s haircut? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/35 "2013-01-22T21:20:44Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Not really. I actually think a trim for my shoulder-length hair with no bangs and only some minor shaping around the front takes less time than cutting my husband’s standard guy haircut. The stylist only has to go around the bottom of my hair for a trim, and then spend maybe 5 minutes doing a bit more complex shaping around my face. His hair has to be cut all over his head, to ensure the length is good all around. > > I’m not saying that a more complex hairstyle wouldn’t take more time to cut, but I don’t see hairstylists charging different prices for trims for complex versus simple haircuts. A trim is a trim, regardless of style. > > And it’s not like I’m the only woman who opts for a simple haircut. Lots of women do the long-hair, one-length look; it’s pretty, easy to maintain, and has a lot of versatility. And it doesn’t take long at all to chop a few inches off the ends for a trim. Congratulations on being the exception. Edit : **Anaamika** , too. To claim that your situations are anything other than unusual is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/36 "2013-01-22T22:07:17Z")
> [@hrhomer](#): > > Congratulations on being the exception. Edit : **Anaamika** , too. To claim that your situations are anything other than unusual is ridiculous. They’re really not unusual at all. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/37 "2013-01-22T23:12:53Z")
My hairdresser has different rates up for men and women but charges me the blokes’ rates despite my ovaries as I have a simple cut that takes just a few minutes every four weeks or so. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/38 "2013-01-22T23:17:25Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > They’re really not unusual at all. “Unusual” does not imply the same things as loaded words like “strange” or “weird.” It is **not the** **usual** **situation** to have a man’s haircut be more complicated than a woman’s. Again, to disagree is to ignore reason, and I won’t defend or restate my position on this again. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/39 "2013-01-22T23:49:13Z")
> [@hrhomer](#): > > “Unusual” does not imply the same things as loaded words like “strange” or “weird.” It is **not the** **usual** **situation** to have a man’s haircut be more complicated than a woman’s. Again, to disagree is to ignore reason, and I won’t defend or restate my position on this again. But it’s not so uncommon for it to be irrelevant. And it’s still not a justification for charging one gender more because of their genitals rather than their hairstyle. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941/40 "2013-01-23T00:01:09Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > But that is charging women more. Unless you mean men choosing that haircut also pay the higher price, but then why categorise it as a woman’s haircut? Some haircuts are more likely to be selected by women, that’s all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-men-and-women-both-pay-the-same-price-for-a-haircut/647941.md?page=3)