How Much Do Black Hairstylists Around The World Charge?

“I showed up for an appointment but the stylist was not there — the salon lights were out!” shared one anonymous Black woman to Unbothered earlier this year. “I had to come washed and blow-dried but [I was] also taxed extra if it wasn’t ‘properly washed’,” revealed another. “One stylist scheduled me at 11 am and didn’t show up until 3 in the afternoon.” Whether on Black Twitter (X) or in the contents of my WhatsApp friendship groups, debates about the standards of Black hair salon services and Instagram hairstylists are increasingly rife. Black customers are routinely reporting “extortionate” costs for braids, weaves and even simple wash and blow dries, as well as inordinate add-on fees — from extra charges to detangle 4C curls to even a hair parting charge — that are driving up the overall costs of much-needed Black hair care services. “Bring your own hair [extensions], blowout your own hair or it’s an extra fee…” tweeted one exasperated customer recently, “… if it’s 4C type of hair it’s an extra $25, if your natural hair is too long it’s an extra $30, if you want to mix colors it’s an extra $40…like, it’s nonsense.”