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Hair salon trend brings to light gender-neutral pricing

Posted at 4:16 PM, Mar 06, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-06 16:25:36-05

It’s a rift that some women feel when they go to the salon: women with short hair, simple cuts still end up paying more than men, even if the time it takes for the haircuts is the same.

A new trend, though, aims to change that. Across the country, new gender-neutral salons are charging by the minute and not the gender.

At Bee Sweet Salon, giving unique cuts is nothing new, but how they price them is cutting-edge.

"Our salon is gender-free, especially when it comes to pricing," said owner Dani Bee.

Clients at the Bee Sweet Salon pay by the time spent in the chair, not by their gender.

"It's an arbitrary way to price a haircut," said Bee.

On average, women pay about $43 for a cut, while a man pays $28 on average, according to The Beauty Association.

Emily Hope Dobkin was tired of paying more for her haircuts than her husband was paying for his. She said the time they spend in the chair was the same.

"The price would go up every year, and I was like, 'Maybe I shouldn't be getting my haircut this often, because I can't afford it,'" Dobkin said.

It’s not just haircuts that are priced by gender. The Pink Tax has brought to light the extra money women pay for products such as razors, shampoo, clothes, dry cleaning and more.

"It allows us to see where things are gendered and where they don't need to be," said hair stylist Abrean Sophia Marie.

Abrean believes it’s about making everyone feel included. Besides giving great cuts, both Bee and Abrean say equality and inclusion is just as important.

"I just hope companies and salons do more of this because it's so important,” Dobkin said. “And it's 2020; it's about time."