while i need to save money, my hair had started getting a little annoying. pony tails galore. and this look was not helping me feel fresh and ready to take on the corporate world again. my last haircut, while i was employed, was about $75 (including taxes/tip). it was a really nice haircut and i felt great afterwards. the hard part is that i don’t want to send $75 on a haircut when i currently panic when i pay more than $12 for a meal. the last time i went to a discount hair chain, i spent the next couple weeks with my head tilted so that people couldn’t notice the significant length difference between the left and right sides of my hair.

so, what was the solution? an aveda institute haircut. the haircuts are done by students, under the supervision (and with some assistance) from an instructor. for $16 (no tipping allowed), i got the haircut i was going for. did i mention that there are some drawbacks? the first is that it took 3 hours. i have very, very thick hair, and i was going from shoulder length to very short, so it was already an undertaking, even for a seasoned salon veteran. second, my stylist was approximately 4’10”. i don’t want to discriminate, but it was difficult for her to see certain parts of my hair clearly, and shampooing seemed to be a challenge. third, it was my stylists first time on the salon floor. she was very sweet, but her inexperience showed. she didn’t really shampoo my hair, she more rubbed shampoo into my head with her palms. also, what took the instructor 20 seconds to do would take the student about 5 minutes. all of that attention to detail made her cuts very accurate, but she did not have the confidence to really take the haircut head on. 

overall, i would do it again. my hair definitely looks better than it would if i tried to go to a discount chain, no tipping definitely helps, and i still got a salon look. granted, i did get a $8 parking ticket for being an hour over the time i put in the meter, but it was still significantly less than what i would have paid at my regular salon.

things that i would do next time or tips for someone else?

1. eat before hand. my appointment was at 5pm, so i had a small cup of yogurt beforehand. mistake! i should have had a bowl of spaghetti or steak and baked potato to keep me full and more patient
2. bring a picture of what you want for your haircut. these students have not developed the intuition to know what you’re going for, and their instructor’s help them develop a plan of attack. they won’t be able to get to the desired destination without an idea of what direction they need to start. 
3. remember that its cheap and that’s why you’re doing it. you’re not paying an exorbitant amount, so don’t expect things like intuition, skill, and even confidence.
4. remember that the students really do want to do a good job. their grades depend on it. the instructor’s want the students to do well so that they learn and so that they can get more sacrificial lambs customers.
5. don’t be afraid to tell them what you’d like done differently while they’re working on your hair. too long? tell them. wrong part? tell them. they need to learn how to roll with the punches, and as long as you’re not a complete asshole about it, they should be able to use your feedback so that everybody is happy
6. they’re learning the newest methods, meaning that they know more than bowlcut and buzz. this is a great advantage, thought they don’t realize it.
7. it’s just a haircut. hair usually grows back. i’m sure there are cases where it doesn’t, but i wouldn’t ever expect my hair to not grow back unless it had been melted with laser beams.

the student haircut is probably not for every person. people who don’t have enough time, patience, or only trust their special stylist should not go to a student. also, those that always need to look perfect, this could still be rolling the dice. if you’re very risk averse, don’t bother. 

for the rest of us: cheap, patient, understanding, losers (with lots of time on your hands), it’s a great way to get a new, fresh look without spending a lot of money. also, you’re kind of helping some person get their start on a new career. my hair should have been a final exam, but teresa did great and should get extra credit.