Scouting for a NYC Haircut That Won’t Bankrupt Me
My luck in finding great hair cutters who work for a song may have run out.
The trouble started last year when my long-time hairstylist abruptly disappeared. After a few cryptic phone conversations, the awful truth came out. She had left the country and returned to her native Afghanistan to work for the US government. She was skimpy on details, but in speaking to others I surmised the work she was doing was both dangerous and lucrative. A heck of a lot more lucrative than the pittance she had been charging me for a great short haircut: a big $50.00.
For my next cut she recommended the owner of the hair salon where she had been working. Which turned out to be DISASTERVILLE! The woman whipped out a razor and proceeded to scrape and thin out my hair while bad-mouthing my previous short hairstyle and pushing her expensive salon products on speechless me. Numb and stunned, I finally made my escape and shambled up Third Avenue, spooking passer-byes left and right with my new witch wig.
So profound was the shock of that wicked haircut, I haven’t set foot in another salon for 16 months. Since then I’ve let my hair grow out and worn it pulled back in an elastic cord. When it gets too long I chop off a few inches, the unevenness camouflaged by the bunched hairstyle.
But finally I’m sick of that and have been looking around for a new stylist who knows her way around a good short haircut and who charges considerably less than $100.00. I have found both those things — just not rolled up in one person. The personal recommendations of women I know here in the city are in the more expensive category. Ditto the recommendations of women whose cuts I’ve admired on the street. It turns out haircuts with talented stylists can zoom anywhere from $100 to the stratosphere. Highlights now cost from $200 to $500. A smidge out of my range since I was previously paying for a cut AND a full head of highlights the awesome total of $110.00.
During my search I found a New York Timeout list of the city’s best cheap salons featuring beauty schools and top salons that charge low prices for hair cutting and coloring done by assistants and stylists in training.
I’ve also been reading customer reviews of hairstylists on Yelp and City Search. Conveniently the reviews are arranged by salon neighborhood, category and, in yelp’s case, by expense. I’ve also come across a few people who questioned the validity of excessive laudatory reviews for a few hairstylists at certain salons.
Whichever way the ball bounces here, no scissors are approaching this head until I’ve gotten a good gander at previous tresses they’ve snipped.
Has anyone else ever been the recipient of a botched haircut?
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Pat, that sounds awful. NYC can be really expensive. I’m not sure I have any advice besides what you’ve already mentioned, though one thing that did occur to me is to maybe get a higher priced cut half as often? My stylist is also charging me $50 and I dread the day he has to move on as all of my women friends report prices of their stylists at $90 to $100 or more. Yikes!
Yelp reviews can be unfairly biased, especially if the number of reviews is small.
Do you like your hair long?
I love mine short, but am having difficulty getting my stylist to consistently cut it short enough to retain the style for six weeks. The previous cut was great, but this last one — 4 weeks old — is already too bushy.
Nov.27, 2011 | 8:00 pmSusan Tiner recently posted..Happy Holidays!
My hair hasn’t been a priority for quite some time. The one good thing about having it long is that I do zero with it. I tie it back with an elastic and that’s the whole styling shebang. But flattering it ain’t. So it’s time to move on. The good $100 dollar cuts I’ve come across are all multi-subway rides away or in walk-ups or something. So looks like I’ll have to pay a lot more. But if your friends are paying so much for cuts in SF, looks like the city prices aren’t really that much out of line.
As far as the reviews I’ve read, I suspect there’s a fair amount of hanky panky going on.
You’re right about 4 wks being way too short a time for cuts to last. I always tried for at least 8 wks in between.
Nov.27, 2011 | 9:39 pmI suggest you get out of the city for a great, reasonably-priced haircut. Make a day of it: Take the train (off peak, to save $) to Tarrytown and stroll over to New Karma hair salon (a ten-minute walk from train station). Have Johnna (NK’s owner) cut and blow dry your hair for $50.
Then go across the street and have a delicious cup of coffee at Coffee Labs and check out all the little stores on Tarrytown’s Main Street.
Make sure you call in advance for a reservation and–if possible–bring a photo of the haircut you want. Johnna can cut any style.
Nov.30, 2011 | 6:39 pmThanks Lorraine for a great idea and recommendation. I’ve driven through the Tarrytown area but have never explored the town any.
Short haircuts can be tricky. Bad haircuts on long hair can be trimmed and cut off, but with short cuts, a bad shape is there to stay till it grows out. Like — eek — my last one.
I had pretty much given up hope for another $50 haircut, especially in a decent salon, so again, your suggestion is much appreciated.
Nov.30, 2011 | 9:24 pmUpdate: Stylist Moscow at Moscow Salon on first Ave and 81st St has cut my short hair the last four times and done a very good job at an EXTREMELY reasonable cost (http://centzy.com/place/salon-moscow-new-york-ny). If you know exactly what you want and bring him pictures, he is happy to work with you. Very personable man, homey neighborhood salon, helpful staff. Don’t let the fake beet red hair color of one of his stylists scare you off.
Jan.10, 2013 | 11:03 am