Hair is a sensitive issue.

Not just since the corona pandemic, when after the end of the lockdown, many had to wait weeks for a hairdresser appointment, worrying about their own head of hair was an important issue for most.

Women in particular are said to spend a lot of time in salons because of their beauty. But more and more men are also becoming more courageous and vain. The days of the classic style are long gone. But the prices that are called at the hairdresser's are following this trend. And that in favor of men. They regularly pay 20 to 60 percent less than female customers. Even if women prefer a simple short haircut.

Is that fair?

Shouldn't it rather be the case that the hairdresser, like colleagues in other trades, bills his work according to time?

So far, however, no one has run a storm against pricing.

A small, unrepresentative survey of friends and acquaintances also confirms: Protest by women because prices are too high in salons is the absolute exception.

At most, they complain that the prices at the hairdresser are generally too high.

A case for the anti-discrimination agency

Even politicians, more precisely the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency, have already dealt with the price differences in a study. When the results were published in 2018, it stated: "Hairdressing services are the area with the highest and at the same time most frequent deviations in directly comparable services." According to this, in 103 of 116 hairdressing salons surveyed, women paid 55 percent more than men for a short haircut (washing / cutting / blow-drying ), with long hair it was even 72 percent more.

The study goes on to say: "The argument of the companies that women with a comparable hair length always require a significantly higher amount of work can be observed and therefore partially confirmed, but there is only a very limited choice for women." In other words, a woman who wants a simple haircut without a lot of effort will either not express this wish or not get it fulfilled.

Hairdressers are well aware of the problem.

Industry representatives who have come together under the seal of “Der faire Salon” argue that the time required for haircuts for men and women is often, but not always, comparable.

“A men's short haircut usually takes 20 to 30 minutes, which is not always enough for a women's short haircut.” In addition, hairdressers need up to 30 minutes to dry and style a mop of hair.

This argument is also used by Thomas Trapp, member of the board of the Hessian state association for hairdressing.

Nevertheless, he is not happy with the pricing.

"I've been thinking about how I can make prices fairer for years," says the master hairdresser.