Should a woman be charged $20 more for the same service a man receives? This is the question I posed to the manager of a local hair salon (it is a wonderful salon: very professional, does lovely work). I certainly understand women might ask for more services than men. Women might request a shampoo, flat ironing, mousse, blowout, maybe a perm or color, perhaps a very intricate updo. Most men forgo all that and just want a simple haircut. However, what about a woman who also just wants a simple haircut, no blowout, nothing fancy? That is exactly what I ask for, but I still pay more than a man. My hairstyles are bobs and pixie cuts. Isn’t that of comparable complexity to cutting a man’s hair? My husband actually has longer hair than I do. A doctor doesn’t charge women more for treating their sinuses, and a car dealer doesn’t charge women more for changing their tires, so why does the salon charge women more than men?

The salon manager listened and spoke with me politely. She told me the salon does indeed charge men about $20 less because men “don’t want to pay that much.” I admit I was a bit taken aback. That is a very frank and honest answer that states quite plainly men pay less for the same service because they’re men. When I asked about not wanting to pay that much, the manager seemed to be surprised. She told me I don’t have to go to her salon. A bit later, she said all salons in town have a similar two-tiered gendered price scale. 

Then where can I go? And why should I have to go somewhere else, especially when I think this particular salon gives excellent haircuts? To summarize, a man — because he doesn’t want to pay that much — gets a $20 discount, while a woman is told she can go somewhere else. However, no matter where she goes, she will still pay more than a man. I told the manager I am actually willing to pay the higher price. The service is fantastic, the stylists should be well compensated, and salons should be able to make a profit. However, a man should not be able to pay less for the same service. That is simply unfair. The manager said she could charge my husband as much as she charges me and I thanked her for listening. I hope that means she will charge all clients per service, not just raise the price for my husband.

Wouldn’t it be both fair and profitable to simply charge everyone for the service they receive, regardless of gender? Why not charge in proportion to the amount of time a haircut takes? If someone asks for a shampoo, a complicated cut, styling with blowout, mousse and hairspray, then by all means, charge more for that than for a simple no-frills cut. Go ahead and charge a premium price for being a premium salon. However, if my husband and I both ask for the same service, then charge us both the same price. New York has already passed a law stating  salon pricing must be per service and not differ by gender. I wish there was no need for such laws. I am asking salons to please treat all clients fairly simply because it is the right thing to do. Starkville salon clients, please speak with salon owners and managers because change only comes when we speak up. Starkville salon owners, you could lead the way and be an example to others. I hope you might even attract more customers who just want a fair price for that great haircut.