How to Tip for Beauty Services

Today is my sister Tina’s birthday, and as a busy mom of two, she doesn’t have much time to herself, so I’m going to treat her to a day of beauty, including hair, nail, and massage services. This got me thinking about the subject of tipping. For help on figuring out what’s customary and fair, I asked some salon and spa owners for their advice. Here’s the scoop:

How much? Of course, this depends on how happy you are with the service. Just remember that many stylists and beauty technicians depend on tips to make a decent wage. So if you are happy, a tip of 15 to 20 percent (before sales tax) is appropriate. You may add a little more if the stylist was especially attentive or if your service was really time-consuming (for example if your toenails hadn’t been clipped in weeks).

Who to tip? The gratuity goes to the person who provides the main service, whether it’s a haircut, color, mani/pedi, massage, or facial. If an assistant washes your hair, an additional tip of $2 (or even $5 in larger cities) is appreciated, although once I didn’t tip an assistant who splashed soapy water in my eyes and ears. If the owner of the salon performs your service, tipping is optional, although many customers do tip as a courtesy.

When to tip? It’s usually best to tip after the service is done. However, if you don’t want to smudge your manicure, you may want to pay and tip in advance — especially if you’re a regular and are familiar with the service. Otherwise, keep the tip money (or your credit card) in a spot that’s easy to get to with freshly painted nails. Some salons don’t allow you to add the tip to the credit card bill, so if this is the case be sure to take some cash.

All Natural Skin Care Tip

Great suggestion from Kristen for natural simple skin care. Read about her natural skin care tip.

What simple tips do you use? Please share in comments below.