How Much Should I Tip My Hairstylist?

Even though America is famous for tipping culture, how to tip, when to tip, and how much to tip still boggles our minds. It’s not just you. If you’ve ever visited a salon, you know it’s likely that multiple people will be working on your hair throughout your visit. Usually, the person who’s mixing your specialized hair color or cutting your strands won’t be the person applying the color or shampooing you in the sink chair. 

We chatted with Rogerio Cavalcante, owner of The Second Floor Salon in New York City, who recommends you tip 20% for each service you get at the salon. If you get a cut and color, that would be 20% of the coloring fee, and 20% of the haircut fee. You can pay them at the same time or separate; it doesn’t matter. If you’re ever confused, ask the receptionist for an itemized breakdown of your services. 

But what about all of the extra assistants who worked on your hair in the process? Cavalcante breaks it down simply: “It's customary to give the assistant a separate tip, usually between $10 and $20,” he says. An easy way to tip at the end of your service is to hand everything to the receptionist and explain who gets what, or you can directly hand a tip to each person who worked on your hair. (Bring some cash in case it’s all they take for tips.) “You might encounter additional staff in upscale salons, like blowout or shampoo specialists,” he adds. “It's courteous to tip them as well.”

And what about tipping the salon owner? A famous Gilmore Girls quote notes that you’re not supposed to tip the owner of a restaurant if they serve you, but Cavalcante says this isn’t true of salons. “The same rule applies: The tip should be for the service, regardless of who provides it,” he says. “It is kind and very appreciated.”