Hairdressers defend extra charges to fix home dye-jobs
A body representing the hair and beauty industry has defended salons like Peter Mark, which has come under fire for plans to charge hefty fees as add-on costs for hair treatments.
Peter Mark has earned the ire of angry would-be customers on social media over
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Despite a strong backlash, a spokesperson for Peter Mark confirmed to the Irish Examiner that the costs of the potential treatments would remain in place.
However, the chain was at pains to emphasise the treatments were optional, and that the labour needed to fix underlying hair issues justified the cost if a customer decided to avail of it.
Peter Mark is not the only salon charging for such treatments, according to customers, but the potential cost is what has irked them.
The chief of the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation defended Peter Mark’s stance, telling Newstalk Breakfast that the additional time spent on such treatments inevitably meant additional costs.
Margaret O’Rourke Doherty said: “You’re not talking about normal regrowth ... [it’s] three to four times what it would normally be. That’s an additional cost. You’ve an additional colour cost, you’ve an additional time cost.
“What you’ve really seen over the last few months is a real appreciation for our industry and skill sets. It’s not as simple as it looks.”
Ms O’Rourke Doherty said many salons will have to charge more than usual in order to remain operational as a viable business, including for personal protective equipment.
“What we’re seeing is significant costs for many salons in terms of modification of salons, the additional cost of sanitisation, the additional time period that’s between and after clients; also the additional costs of masks. The massive inflation that’s happened with PPE has really risen the cost far beyond what is the norm.”
Peter Mark said as salons have been closed since mid-March, a number of clients may have extended root regrowth which is defined as more than 2cm, significant colour fade, and home colour in their hair which is not the same colour as their professional colour.
It said such services have always existed but that they are normally not needed. This is due to customers getting their colour done more frequently, so they would not have as much regrowth. To restore hair to its former colour will take extra time and extra product, the firm said.
“These services start from €45 and only apply if hair needs additional colour product and technical services to return hair to its usual salon colour result.
“Whether one of the additional services... is required, will be based on a consultation on the day with a stylist. This is a one-off service for their first appointment back and clients may not need this service depending on their hair,” the spokesperson said.
A so-called ‘colour detox’ for customers who applied colour themselves at home would cost €60. “This service will eliminate patchy uneven results and any unwanted dark tones.
“A colour detox service will ensure a consistent result and add shine and vitality,” the firm said.
