having hair can get expensive

**becomingkate** · 10-14-2008, 04:37 PM

I have always struggled with expenses due to my long, thick, dark hair.
Salon products don't last long since I have so much hair, I require a good quality flat iron, and it needs to be trimmed regularly, since I wear blunt bangs.
Here's how I save a bit of money on it.

1) I get to know stylists well at certain places and ask them to call me when products and styling tools go on sale.

2) One month I get my bangs trimmed ($12) and the next month I get a full cut ($45)

3) One month I buy drugstore products, next month I buy salon products. Honestly, I LOVE the salon quality, but it hasn't hurt my hair to do the month-to-month thing.

4) I only ever use drugstore quality hair colouring products, but an esthetics school can do foils for highlights/lowlights.

**Araceli** · 10-14-2008, 07:09 PM

Yeah, i know what you mean. We thought about it, and today, to reduce expenses, both my fiancee and I shaved our heads. It's SOOOOOOOOOOO comfortable and cheap that I think I'm never going back to having long hair. You also save a lot on water and shampoo as well. AND it gives a very unique and clean look. I highly recommend this.

**Shoshana** · 10-14-2008, 09:25 PM

Sorry for laughing, but the title of your thread is quite funny! With hair, at least you don't have to spend money on hats!

**becomingkate** · 10-15-2008, 06:43 PM

Araceli - my husband shaves his head, or rather, keeps it "high and tight" which means his haircuts cost about $15.00 every six weeks. I couldn't imagine shaving MY head! Good for you, though. I bet it feels really free!

Shoshana - That's so true! And with this hair, I couldn't fit a hat anyway, lol.

**Judi Dial** · 10-15-2008, 07:00 PM

Re saving $ on hair products. I have 1 major idea. See if you can't get a salon version of the shampoo/creme rinse you use. You used to be able to buy the concentrates the salons buy at beauty supply stores. You buy 1 gallon of stuff and it makes 4 or 5 gallons of shampoo, for example. I did this until "aromatherapy" made all of them so smelly I couldn't use them any more.

JD

**MomToTwoBoys** · 10-15-2008, 07:34 PM

I have pretty thick hair and for about four years, it was really long. I got it almost all cut off in December of 2007 and decided after that that I'd get it cut medium length and keep it up during the day in a bun.

When it's down, I have to straight iron it and put in some smoothing product. I also use smoothing shampoo and it does the trick. However, I have to wash it every day because it's really greasy the next day.

**Sassyclass** · 10-15-2008, 09:06 PM

Well I have hair down to my waist and I refuse to spend more than $1 on my shampoo & conditioner. I buy V05. It's on sale right now at a local drug store for .69 cents a bottle. Time to stock up.BTW my hair is very healthy and shiny, so cheap doesn't always mean cheap quality.

Cat

**dcompton** · 10-15-2008, 09:24 PM

I agree with Araceli. When I had chemo I LOVED being without hair, and was really ticked when it grew back in. I was tempted to keep shaving it and just look puzzled and say, "I don't know what happened...it never grew back!"

I keep mine quite short and spend little on products, but do have to get a haircut (about $16) every 6-12 weeks - depending on just how the cutter interprets "short." Once in a while I come out with an almost boot camp cut, but I tell myself, "hey, it saves money!"

**nvmommyx6** · 10-16-2008, 12:00 AM

Man do I ever feel like a simpleton!! I use the baking soda shampoo, hubby cuts my hair, I trim my bangs, the boy's hair is all 1/2 inch, the girls hair is all cut pretty straight, None of us have been to a "salon" in more than 7 years and I spend about $10 a freakin year in hair products for all 8 of us!!!

nvmommyx6=cheap!!!

**Laura2** · 10-16-2008, 01:32 AM

I don't know why, but I hate spending money on my hair. I just cut off 12 inches of my hair and donated it to locks of love. I'm going to grow it out and donate again, so I won't need a haircut for about 2 more years. Whenever I need a trim I prefer to have my husband trim it. As for shampoo and conditioner, I will use any type of shampoo, but I need to use Pantene Pro-V conditioner. I don't know why, but Pantene is the only kind that won't make my hair greasy. I try to use only a tiny dab so a bottle lasts a long time.

**mrsfoamy** · 10-16-2008, 02:22 PM

I'm just a shaggy hippie.
I get my hair trimmed once a year.
It's long and straight. We have hard water at our house, so I switch up shampoo brands every once and a while and I don't know why but it seems to help my hair from getting fried.
I clip coupons and watch the drugstore sale adds and try to buy the higher end stuff. I do color my hair but i do it myself using natural Instincts.

**IntlMom** · 10-16-2008, 02:27 PM

I'm a hair cheapie too.......I colour it at home when I can get a box for free at the drugstore.......I get it cut only a few times a year at the discount hair cut place, the rest of the time I just cut my bangs myself, I use whatever hair care stuff is free after rebate at walgreens.....it;s thick and annoyingly wavy - hair is just not something I put alot of thought or money into.

**PinkWolf** · 10-16-2008, 03:43 PM

I've realized that making my own Herbal shampoo has saved me $100's per year. I did allthatglitters regimen. Check it out:

Part 1
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syttkkFZDM&feature=related[/media]

Part 2
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWgMucLhaew[/media]

She has a lot more home remedies to try.

I'll either use the Herbal homemade shampoo, Indian shampoo bar (they are $1 each) or Indian Herb tea (the herbs are only $1 each per pack).

As far as conditioning I use VO5 or Suave Conditioner mixed w/ honey & EVOO (just a little of each).

My sister did a method where she mixed 2 capfuls of shampoo and 3 capfuls of conditioner into a bottle and filled it with water (she used a big old ketchup bottle). She shook it up and poured it over her hair, massaged, then rinsed. I've tried it and it works wonders. Thanks Felisha.

**Araceli** · 10-16-2008, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by becomingkate

Araceli - my husband shaves his head, or rather, keeps it "high and tight" which means his haircuts cost about $15.00 every six weeks. I couldn't imagine shaving MY head! Good for you, though. I bet it feels really free!

Shoshana - That's so true! And with this hair, I couldn't fit a hat anyway, lol.

Well, if you get your hair cut, it will be that expensive. My fiancee and I shave our own heads, and it is pretty cheap. We only spent $50 on the machine to do it.

**SweetCasey** · 10-17-2008, 09:49 AM

My hair is one of the few areas where I do spend some $$$ - I tried going to the less expensive no-appointment-needed places (DH and DS still do), but my hair just never looked right and required much more handling (and thus, more product use!). I wear my hear short, but it is very thick and fine. It needs to be layered by someone who knows how to do it -and that is definitely not me!

I try to wait at least 8 weeks between cuts and get it highlighted only twice a year. A cut is $40 and the whole shebang is $120. I am thinking of doing the highlighting myself - I used to do it in my teen years when I was relatively fearless!

I know it is not that complicated. I do my own nails when virtually everyone I work with has a weekly manicure/pedicure appointment....doing my own highlighting would not be much of a stretch either.

I do not spend a lot on styling products. Suave is fine and there are lots of different flavors/scents to choose from. I will buy a bottle of Aveda once in a great while and it could easily last months. I wash my hair every night, but only once with no repeating. I am a big fan of the 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioners. I actually received one of the tourmaline dryers as a birthday gift a few years back....I never would have spent that kind of money on a hair dryer,

but it does dry my hair pretty quick.