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Would You Spend $300 for Wash-and-Wear Hair?

by 71 Comments

I often fantasize about Edward Norton about wash-and-wear hair. You know the kind; you step out of the shower, air dry and TADA! — great hair.

Stylists like Jehr Schiavo say they can deliver hair’s vaunted holy grail, but their services don’t come cheap.

Schiavo’s liberating wash-and-wear hairstyles, cut to air dry to perfection, cost a mere $300-1000 (!).

I’ve estimated how much time I’ve spent over the course of my 30-odd years blowdrying my hair (45 minutes times four times a week times a redonkulous number of years equals YIKES!), and it’s, like, enough time to have taught myself Farsi or flamenco dancing.

I wouldn’t normally consider dropping $300 or more on a haircut, but when I think of the price in terms of the time I could save, well, it almost sounds reasonable.

Would you spend $300 or more for a wash-and-go haircut?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. It’s not $300 for Wash-and-Wear hair, but I think about booking myself at one of Ouidad’s flagship stores for a cut and styling for my curly hair! I’ve finally found a routine for myself that has made me love and embrace my hair, but I’ve heard ~magical~ things about her stylist team.

    And GIRL I will teach you Farsi, word by word, via comments! Better yet, some Persian food. nom

    Reply

      • Hello: Salaam
        Goodbye: Khoda Fez (The “kh” sound comes from contact between your tongue and the back part of your mouth’s roof, but a “k” sound works, too!)
        How are You: This is tricky… Haal-et che-toreh.
        Thank You: Merci 🙂

        Reply

  2. nooo id never pay that much, but i won a haircut at a really expensive salon for free in a raffle 🙂 i chopped all of it off and got a bob, and its INCREDIBLE. i dont even need to wash it ve ry often now, and i just love it. i can, as you say, wash and wear it!!! 😀
    .-= ace’s last blog post… The Body Shop Eye Definer =-.

    Reply

  3. @Mina- i want to try Ouidad so badly, however 1/2 my hair is natural, and the other half is permed… I’m growing out the perm-age. So, I dunno. but I would love to hear ppl’s experiences about going.

    That being said, I can see myself paying $200, but not $300. I have done that when getting braids or weave. However, these types of styles last for 3 months or longer so I really get a bargain’s hair style.

    Reply

    • Having a head of different kind of curls – natural or not – is characteristic of curly hair! I have 3 different kind of curls on my head (1″ loose curls, tight and frizzy curls underneath, and relaxed curl/waves), so I don’t think you’re out of place.

      It took a lot of trying and testing to figure out what kinds of products worked for me, and what sort of texture I was comfortable with, including in how I’d style it. I found Pantene’s Curl Holding Mousse did the job (I would work it into damp hair, about 3″ from the root, all the way to the tips); it just didn’t have the staying power I was looking for humidity. Then came in Ouidad, thanks to a wonderful rec from a Sephora associate I’ve encountered over the years!

      I got a kit (http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P258617&categoryId=C21470), which was a steal of deal, compared to the prices of the individual products. I like all three of the hair products, but, for me, the gel is what makes it. It doesn’t leave a residue, it has great holding power, and it can be easily “refreshened” with some water spritzing in the mornings, or the infusing spray that’s included in the kit.

      When I said I’d like to go to the salon, it’s obviously more of an indulgent wish, but my $40 haircut with a stylist who has been trained to handle curly hair still makes me walk out of the salon, with my hair at its best. 🙂 Layers and an undercut are the keys!

      Reply

  4. hell yes!

    i pay about 160 for a cut and its as wash and wear as my curly hair can get !

    its sooo worth it to have someone understand how your hair falls in place and how to cut it with minimal effort – it also takes you trusting the stylist

    recently cut my hair much shorter than what i usually do as a result of the stylist asking me – ” so what are we doing today” and my responding ” whatever you want you know i am too lazy to style so i need something easy !”

    can i say best cut ever ! its a curly shag with some serious layering – its like a little punk meets artist in my opinion !

    hope you are well karen! i miss posting comments frequently 😀

    Reply

  5. 45 minutes?? You must have a ton of hair, you lucky duck!

    Mine is thin, fine, and curly, so not only do I only spend about five minutes to dry it most of the way (I stop at about 85%), but it really *needs* blow-drying to look the way I like it — defined curls with a little volume. Wash & wear for me would probably mean chopping it all off!
    .-= Amber’s last blog post… Herman =-.

    Reply

  6. That is a really good question. I have a really annoying cowlick at the front of my hair and most of the times some strands just do whatever they want, taming be damned, so it would have to be a pretty amazing cut to have it wash and wear in my case…
    .-= Karen B’s last blog post… Simply Cynthia Rowley =-.

    Reply

  8. I was born lucky with hair that actually looks better after I’ve slept on it, tossing and turning a few times, overnight. On the days when I do wash my hair, I just comb it into place, and that’s the style; sometimes I clasp it up to give a bouffant-y look.

    Don’t hate me. My dear daughter says it is not fair. And I guess it’s not, but you could buy a good wig for that amount ($300!) and make do for the day.

    Reply

  9. No, because I get that now for $50 and only pay that 4-5 times per year. I have curly hair – the Ouidad cut didn’t grow out well on me. My current stylist has been trained in the Devacurl method and she uses a modified version on me. My hair is the best it’s ever looked, i.e., to avoid comparisons to Roseanne Roseannadanna.

    Unfortunately, my stylist was in a serious car accident a while back and may not be in the business much longer. If/when that happens, I’ll look around for other Devacurl stylists in my area.

    Reply

  10. Crikey, that’s a lot of money – but maybe okay for an awesome haircut that lasted at least 6 months?

    I dunno; I do my hair as wash-and-wear (I don’t own a blow dryer, drip dry for me), but I’m fairly fashion-bizarre. The last time I got my hair cut in a salon was…. oy… 1988. I have long straight nerd-girl hair, and I just trim the ends myself when they look too raggedy.

    Reply

  11. Ever since two years ago when I stopped blow-drying my curly hair straight and embraced the curls I have so much more time in the mornings! I smooth on some serum after the shower and I’m good to go, which gives me time to focus on my make-up instead. I still love how I look with a good blow-out but I’m too lazy now to ever go back.

    Reply

  12. 45 minutes to blowdry your hair? holy mother!

    i’m a bit torn with this. on the one hand, an HG hair cut? sign me up! on the other, i’ve always been a “get-more-for-your-money” kind of girl. and i would always reason in my head with “yeah, but how many things can you get for $300?”

    maybe i’ll try it at least ONCE to see if it’s worth it. then again, for $300, i don’t think you’re paying for just the cut. they’ve probably got a whole spa-like service set up to pamper their customers. at least that’s what i tell myself to justify a $300 hair cut.
    .-= dani@callitbeauty’s last blog post… Boots Original Beauty Formula Cleansing Milk – Review =-.

    Reply

  13. I dont know about that … my hair is straight-ish with a wave. Its best when its in a one length all over chin or shoulder length bob. Any other cut than that and it starts acting all neurotic and goes flipping around like crazy.

    I might not spend 300 bucks on a cut but im pretty sure ive spent around that money on product and tools for my hair. Only to realize in the end that all I need is a straightening balm, air drying and a blast of hot air towards the end.

    LOL I guess that makes me 100% girl – crazy about hair!

    Reply

  15. My hairdresser asked me if I let my hair air dry or do I blow dry it more often? I said air dry, in the summer, so he said he’d cut it in a way that would suit that better. He did that for ~59 dollars, including the hair dyeing and tip. So hell no. 🙂
    Though if someone does constantly straighten-blowdry and whatsoever hair, and use tons of products (to avoid the heat as well), it may be worth it… depends on how often you go to the salon. 🙂 But I personally would never pay that money for a haircut.

    Btw, Karen, You almost lost me with Edward Norton… Had to gather myself before I could keep reading the post. 🙂 Talk about sexy… and what an actor! No one ever mentions him, thank You for that! 🙂

    Reply

  16. Holy cripes — I can’t imagine paying that much for a cut! I have it easy, though — the five to ten minutes it takes to dry my hair is nothing in comparison to how much time you must put into your gorgeous locks, Karen!

    Then again, I’m lazy enough that I treat my “free” cut (trust someone else to cut my hair? I think not!) like it was made for wash n wear 😛 Which, I suppose, it *was* intended to be…
    .-= Rae’s last blog post… Love- faces at the Chanel Fall 2010 show =-.

    Reply

  18. I agree with the other Shannon up there – if I could get ONE $300 cut per year, I would probably go for it, but if I had to do it every 6 weeks or something, no way.

    Reply

  19. You could probably get a brazilian hair treatment for that amount of money, which is supposed to give you wash and wear hair since it gives you perfect waves. Sames goes for those straightening treatments. I don’t think I would spend that much just for a haircut though.

    I feel you on the blow-dry time.. I have long hair that is wavy in some areas and straight in others, so it always takes a lot of time to get it looking the way I want it to!

    Reply

  20. First of all, I know what it feels like to blow dry for 45 minutes. You arm feels like it’s gonna fall off! I have thick, wavy hair – even after having a relaxer on it – and lots of it. It took me years and years to come to terms with the amount of time I spend on my hair, but I’ve learned to just accept it.
    Thankfully, I’ve come up with a solution that allows me to not blow dry my hair at all anymore, and instead spend that 45 minutes flatironing instead (I wash it before bed and let it dry overnight). My hair loves me for putting half the heat in it that I used to, but it can still be a chore.
    Would I spend $300 for wash and go hair – HELL YEAH!! My time is worth it. My husband would love it (he hates that I “waste” all those hours doing hair…but I don’t see him complaining about the results!). I could finally be one of “those” girls! $300 is a small price to pay for great looking hair day in and day out. Think about what you spend on other items that aren’t necessary but make your life easier or make you feel good…isn’t it worth it?

    Reply

  21. Karen, have you heard of Brazilian Keratin? It’s that straightening treatment that leaves your hair frizz-free and smooth and you don’t have to blow dry or flat iron after washing. Now THAT’S wash & wear! My hairdresser (who happens to be Brazilian) is always asking me to try it. I have medium-thick hair that’s wavy and slightly frizzy and I’ve been considering having that treatment done. It’s around $300 and lasts several months.

    Reply

  22. You know, I might. If the hair lasted for years and would still look good after a few days of not washing it, that would save me SO much frustration. Then again, I would need the money in the first place. I’m a writer (as in a struggling artist) and don’t have that kind of dough.
    .-= Trisha’s last blog post… Urban Decay Makeup for 5 Yes- Please! =-.

    Reply

  23. For $300 it would have to last a year! That said, I’ve finally reached a point where paying around $100 for good-to-go hair is acceptable (I get a cut once every 6-9 months)… it feels like a lot to lay down, but the alternative (constant bad hair days) is worse!

    Reply

  24. this is one of those “sounds too good to be true” claims…but, if it were true, i would consider trying it once. how nice would it be, truly, to have that kind of style? 🙂

    Reply

  25. I’d pay it in a heartbeat if, like everyone else, it wasn’t every 4 – 6 weeks… and it actually worked on my funky bang cowlicks.

    Now, Karen, here’s a question… how much would you pay for one of those Judy Jetson face masks that does perfect make-up in like 1 second (assuming, of course that you were a fictional classic cartoon character)? 🙂

    Reply

  26. I don’t believe there’s EVER such a thing. Or if there is, it’s for the few very lucky people out there. I mean, I have curly frizzy hair but honestly, whatever. I can do stuff with it, eventually it looks good. Plus, like Kim said, how long does the wash and wear last before heading back in for another cut? 4 – 6 weeks is at its cheapest $2400 a year! You could get awesome flamenco dancing lessons for that price!

    Reply

  27. $300 for a haircut? Owch…

    Although I paid that amount to get my hair digitally permed so everytime I step out of the shower my hair dries naturally into the perfect loose-curl look and I never have to do anything about it. Does that count?
    .-= Jian’s last blog post… Ive stolen your family jewels =-.

    Reply

    • Ooh, I’d be interested in that. Could you tell me a bit more? How long is your hair? How long does it last? Would you do it again? Thanks!

      Reply

      • I got mine done in my local salon in Shanghai, but any good Asian (Japanese, Korean or Chinese) hair salon ought to offer it! I’m the typical kind of Asian with naturally poker-straight hair.

        You can get different sized curls depending on what you want, but keep in mind that after 2 weeks or so the curls soften up and loosen! So something big natural curls will end up like soft waves. After that it’ll stay just the way it is until you get it chopped off pretty much!

        Good salons tend to offer different types of chemical solution for perming too. The cheap solutions require more maintenance – you have to blowdry your hair to achieve the curls. The more expensive ones are the least drying and need the least maintenance. This is common place in Asia, but I have yet to see a salon here in the UK that offers you different solutions. They just bang a price of £120 or something depending on your length of hair (more hair = more expensive, less hair = less expensive).

        I actually wrote a little bit about digital perming on my blog (under the label Digital perm), but I’m not sure how much karen would appreciate it if I linked it in!
        .-= Jian’s last blog post… Ive stolen your family jewels =-.

        Reply

  29. I don’t have that kind of money but if I did, then I would. For the same reason, if I was rich, I’d get extensions. But I’m not. Sigh….

    Reply

  31. I think I’d try it once just to see the difference and maybe learn a trick or two. Can’t really see doing that for my regular cut. Like you, I have a lot of hair. I hate going to work with a wet head and getting a water ring on the back of my blouse or suit so wash and wear won’t work for me most days. But I’d love it for the days I could do it.

    Reply

  32. Get ready to hate, but I was given naturally straight, medium thickness, shiny hair. I always hated it when I was younger, because I wanted it curly, but I have wash and go hair. Everyone always asks, “Have you done that Brazilian Straightening?” Now, I LOVE my hair!

    Reply

  33. $300 is a lot of money. I envision wealthy people as the types who would regularly spend that much on a cut. With the way my hair grows (fast!) I’d rather spend money on other things… like food, rent, etc.

    Reply

  34. i don’t think i would spend $300 on a haircut just because i dont think my hair’s problem would be solves by a cut (as my only problem is extreme frizz and hair that used to be curly but is now something in between) but, i did recently spend $250 on a brazilian blowout, it has given me wash n go hair and it was 100% worth it, i could not possibly be more happy with the results i would recommend it to anyone, it’s definitely something i will continue to do to my hair for as long as i can

    Reply

  35. thats a lot of money!
    i guess im one of the lucky ones, ive got thick straight hair with a slight wave and i just wash it and let it air dry, with a bit of agan oil at the ends and its perfect. i only straighten my bangs

    Reply

  37. absolutely! i’m a little bit strange with my hair & cannot stand blow-drying my hair nor can I stand the feel of hair products. hence, i’m a ‘wash & go’ type of gal! i would pay $300 for this amount. in fact, i just paid $200 yesterday for a digital perm which is quite an awesome ‘wash & go’ type of look if i must say so myself!

    Reply

  38. LOL! I, too, often fantasize about Edward Norton. I thought I was the only one!

    I would pay a ridiculous amount for wash and go hair. I have a TON of fine, wavy hair, and it takes forever to dry. I don’t have to do much to style my hair (I just apply a few products and scrunch), but it takes several hours to air dry. It’s infuriating! I have some super absorbent towels (and I sometimes blow dry a bit at the roots to speed up the process), but I still have to wake up at least an hour and a half before I want to go anywhere so my hair can be dry enough to not turn into a frizzy mess in the humidity (I use the extra time to read the news, lol). It’s been really bad for the past week because it’s been super hot and humid! 🙁

    Reply

  39. I spend about $350 to straighten my hair once a year, and I’ve been doing it for six years now. My natural hair is a bunch of different curls – some big pretty ones and some that are just a mass of frizz. I get the Japanese thermal reconditioning done, which is pretty much permanent. It’s completely worth it to me for nice, straight hair that I can style however I want with much more ease. The regrowth is an annoyance, but still not enough to deter me. lol

    Reply

  40. Oh man, I wouldn’t. But I’m lucky, I found my dream stylist who knows how my hair works; I go and see him once every 2 – 3 months, and it’s about as close to wash and wear as I can imagine. I rub in some argan oil or some conditioning mousse once in a while, mostly to keep the ends happy and seal in some moisture, but for the most part, I just walk around and let it dry off on its own.

    Reply

  41. I used to get more moderately priced $40-50 haircuts (which I thought were pricy!) and my hair was ok, I was happy with it….

    Until the day I splurged and spent $200 for a haircut at the suggestion of a friend who has serious hair issues before she went to the expensive salon. It actually is worth the money. Firstly, the stylist takes twice as long to cut the hair because he’s giving my hair so much attention and he only cuts a little bit at a time for the layers. (I kinda got impatient because I can’t sit that long without doing something useful, I even asked him if its gonna take much longer lol) So using per hour cost, its about the same amount as the cheaper haircut. And the cut looks good every single day. Most mornings, I don’t even need to brush my hair. Even better than that, because the cut is so well done, I only cut my hair every 6-8 months rather than every 3-4. I figure in the long run, I am breaking even in terms of time at the salon and cost. And I am ahead in terms of extra few minutes of sleep in the mornings.

    However, if you are lucky enough to find someone who works well with your hair and doesn’t cost several hundred dollars, I envy you.

    Reply

  42. My “hair & makeup time” is the only me-time I have in the day. I cherish it and although sometimes it’s a chore, i’d never want to give it up. 😛

    Reply

  43. Nah, I wouldn’t spend 3 hundo, but that’s because I have short faux-hawk hair that I get for 16 bones at the Aveda Institute 🙂 I’m very low maintenance when it comes to hair. And btw, Edward Norton is looking dayum foooine in that pic. I’m gonna send it to my sister. One day out of the blue she asked me “Do you find Edward Norton sexually attractive?” And I asked her why, and she said “No reason…” Then I realized — she had just seen Fight Club for the first time 😉

    Reply

  44. I voted no. I have naturally spiraled hair, and I like it to be straightened about once a month. If my hair is perfect while curly, then I’m sure it would be atrocious while straight. However, what is good straight works just as well curly.

    Plus, it sounds rather gimmicky.
    .-= Mika chan’s last blog post… Circle lenses FTW! =-.

    Reply

  45. honestly i feel that hair stylists should know how you normally style your hair and adjust accordingly. i shouldn’t have to pay MORE for a cut especially if how i normally style my hair is airdrying. sounds like a ridiculous tactic to charge more for something that should be a given. salons nowadays will do anything to come out with a shiny new product name and charge more because it’s “new, trending or fancy” when it should cost a reasonable amount. Recent unreasonable discovery? Brazillian blowouts. these cost twice/thrice as much as the already expensive straightening. except, it’s not permanent. hmm interesting.

    Reply

  46. I would for sure. I have curly hair, and I like it straight. So I need a hiarcut which looks good both ways and that it is easy to strighten! Not the easiest feat. Plus, I have bangs, and if they’re not perfect, they last a second before going back to curlsland :/

    I already “invest” a ludicrous amount of money in my haircut, but I would invest even more! And yes, it is truly an investment to me!

    Reply

  47. the question of course is how long does that air dries to perfection style last. i remember the first time a stylist layered my hair with a razor (do they even really do that much anymore? I feel like it was a late 90s thing) the nightmare of it growing out was unebelivable.
    .-= knownever’s last blog post… Street Style for Idiots =-.

    Reply

  48. It really depends! How long does this style last? Weeks? Months? Years?! I actually work at a salon that recently started doing Brazilian Silk Treatment which is a form of this wash and wear. The first time you do it, it lasts 3 months. Then you do it again and it lasts 6 months. Then do the treatment again and it will last 9 months and so on and so forth. Seems worth it to me because I get a heavy discount (yay!) but customers have to pay about $250 every treatment. And if you have really really coarse hair, it won’t last more than a month :/…If I was a regular paying customer, I just couldn’t afford to drop about 1000 a year on my hair on just a treatment…I would still need color & cuts!
    .-= Christy’s last blog post… A Review of the New Items to My Night Skincare Routine- NARS Balancing Foam Cleanser- Aveda Green Science Replenishing Toner- &amp Origins A Perfect World Moisturizer =-.

    Reply

  49. Ha, no. If it came with more like a hair cut maybe and some products. I been looking for a salon that can cut curly natural hair. I can only think of spending that much only if it’s good hair extensions/weave or a treatment.

    Reply

  53. Karen,
    thanks for picking up this article and sharing it with your readers!! I happen to be Jehr’s wife, COO and largest advocate, I can tell from personal experience being a client first, a jehrcut not just any $300 haircut is definitely work every penny and more. Its an unfortunate misunderstanding that so many of your readers have….keratin treatments, brazilian blowouts, chemicals, products, heat from dryers….ALL these tools damage and ruin your hair, leaving its natural healthy texture in the gutter…..the jehrcut often offered at a 30% discount for new clients, is more about your natural beauty within, accepting what you came to earth with, and giving you a Chic, healthy, absolutely effortless custom couture cut! Worth more than $300, jehr is often referred to as a hairapist, issues with our hair typically lies deeper than the surface…..We offer a very unconventional “nonsalon” atelier workshop….if any of your readers are truly interested or yourself, we travel to our clientele, NYC, LA and San Francisco. Love to have you in.
    http://www.jehrschiavo.com 877 SCHIAVO
    all best Jeanette

    Reply

  54. Karen, I spent $230 (including tip) to get a jehrcut yesterday. Worst cut ever. Seriously.
    I’m going to make a post on my blog about it tonight, complete with pics that I took right before I went up to his hotel room and right after I got back down the elevator.
    Comments from friends last night on FB included:
    Bellatrix? Is that you?!?!
    um wtf did they do to you?
    I don’t want to say it’s bad, because you’re still gorgeous. What were you planning on?
    Wha’ happened girl?
    WTF? It might look better after it’s straightened. (which defeats the purpose of wash and go hair, no?)
    Uh. That was not a cheap haircut.
    a stylist worth his salt would not have let you leave like that!
    Um…..love you hard girl but your hair neds some tlc right now!!!’
    I’d be going back tomorrow for a free fix
    Well, he obviously has no idea what he is doing! Please try to style it yourself though, with your usual techniques. You may love it.
    I’m so confused that he let you leave like that. That’s the best cut for you hair as is? What? Go style and report back.
    Was this a bigger salon? I really think you should consider calling them if you’re still unhappy and asking that they fix it.
    Girl, get it fixed.

    So yeah. Never again.

    Reply

    • Wow, so disappointed to read these comments and learn a client would rather write a post than come to us directly. Razzle you have amazing curls that are in a state of repair, hair extremely processed with color and dehydrated, lack of conditioning and proper care. This cut is just the beginning, your homecare is essential! When a new client leaves with extremely curly hair it is explained the hair needs to be completely saturated and conditioned to resurrect the curl. A spray bottle doesnt do the job, however working in 11 cities for 30 years giving chic and sexy jehrcuts a shampoo bowl isnt always available. The worst to find out through this Blog, honesty always best, not attack from behind.

      Reply

  55. Wonderful way to passive aggressively insult clients Jeanette. I’ll post pics of my hair before I walked into your hotel room last night and it’s very obvious my hair was not extremely processed (but whatever, I get your reasoning behind rationalizing it that way). You aren’t the first stylist I’ve been to in my lifetime and certainly will not be the last. But you are the first to get so defensive that you would take to the same blog and defend yourself by saying my hair is “extremely processed with color and dehydrated, lack of conditioning and proper care”. Every stylist has their own philosophy. I’ve had stylists that have criticized the shampoo once a week condition every day model, as well as ones (like Jehr) that think it works. I have done the curlygirl methods. I’ve never done the shampoo every day thing, because I know that doesn’t work with my hair type. Point being, I was unhappy with the cut. That it may grow out in 6 months and be what Jehr envisioned is irrelevant. The cut should work with the current state of my hair, and this cut didn’t. You have my email address, and I’ve responded to your rather harsh toned voicemail, I’m sure Karen would appreciate not having to moderate each post on her blog.

    Reply

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