26/10/2025
✨ The Reality of Being a Self-Employed Hairdresser ✨
The other day I started at 8:30am and didn’t leave until 9:45pm. Doing hair, listening, holding space....
Back-to-back clients, barely time to breathe.
Even when I schedule a break, I rarely get one. I don’t drink much water because my hands are always busy. I grab a bite here and there — maybe while mixing your colour or making your coffee.
Products are expensive, aftercare has almost no markup. I stock it because I care about your hair, not because it’s profitable. I use my experience, time, and energy to create your perfect colour — and then I cross my fingers you’ll care for it between visits so the plan stays on track.
I do hair because I love it. I always have.
But in all those years, my prices never truly grew with me.
Why?
Because part of me was scared to charge my worth.
Old beliefs told me I wasn’t worthy of money — that clients would only pay what I believed they could afford, or they’d leave.
But the truth is… most of my clients earn more than I do. And I have watched all of them grow and I am always so happy and excited for my clients wins.
I’ve always looked at it like they were doing me a favour by booking in.
When I was younger, I hurt my back six months out of my apprenticeship — right after having a baby. I had surgery, taught myself to walk and stand again, and slowly rebuilt myself, my career all while learning how to be a Mum.
Then at 22years old I became a single mum with a two-year-old, working for myself and studying.
Hairdressing was my safety net, my comfort.
It helped me survive when I wasn’t okay.
Then Covid came, and it forced me to stop — to face myself and start healing.
When I came back, I realised my prices hadn’t changed, but everything else had.
The cost of products, tools, and running a business have skyrocketed. And now, I’m barely breaking even.
It’s my massage and healing work that keeps me afloat — because the overheads of hairdressing are ridiculous.
So from January 1st, 2026, I’ll be charging a minimum of $100 per hour.
Appointments will be one-on-one, so I can eat, drink, and care for myself while giving you my full energy and attention.
I need my clients — my community — to help me take care of my mind, body, and soul, so I can keep doing what I do best.
Because I want to be here for the long run — creating beauty, connection, and healing from the chair. ❤️
