You leave the salon with a nice haircut, but also with $50 less in your account, again. For many French people, a visit to the hairdresser has become a luxury that we put off, even if it means feeling less good in the mirror. And yet, some have found a discreet way to keep their hairstyle neat without taking out their bank card.
According to the Fiducial Observatory of hairdressing and beauty salons, in 2017 the French went to the hairdresser on average 7 times a year, for an annual budget of around $255. The National Union of Hairdressing Companies cites an average price of $45.60 for a woman and $21.60 for a man. With inflation, this expense weighs even more, which explains why the search for ways to get your hair done for free is exploding.
Why are more and more French people aiming for $0 hairstyles?
Faced with rising prices, many refuse to sacrifice their haircut, but are looking for smarter solutions. Between collaborative economy and professional training, two avenues stand out: application salons linked to hairdressing schools, and the barter of skills. The idea is no longer just to pay less, but sometimes to bring the bill down to zero.
The application fairs function like real fairs, except that the service is carried out by students in training. These apprentices already have a Hairdressing CAP and are constantly supervised by trainers. The gesture is therefore worked, but the setting remains educational, which requires a little more time and patience than in a traditional salon.
Application salons: the almost free haircut supervised by professionals
You have to accept longer appointments: around two hours for a simple cut, up to three hours for color on long hair. In exchange, the price drops. At the Jean-Louis David Training Center in Paris, a cut costs $7 and a color $8. Over six visits per year, the saving can reach $183.60 compared to a traditional salon, while benefiting from professional products and techniques.
Structures like the ISEC Hairdressing School, the Camille Albane Académie or the International Hairdressing School are looking for models all year round. Some services are free or almost free, especially during exams. To find these addresses, it is often enough to search for “hairdressing model” associated with your city, to contact the hairdressing CFAs in your department or to locate schools which announce their needs for models on their sites and social networks.
Exchange of services: when your talents pay for your haircut
Another way to get your hair done for free: turn your time into currency. English lessons, babysitting, gardening, help with moving, retouching a website, managing social networks… anything you know how to do can be worth a cut, a color or a blow-dry. On platforms like Yakasaider, Sharinplace, MyTroc.fr or via local Facebook groups, some offer an exchange of services with very experienced amateur hairdressers or professionals in retraining.
These sites allow you to consult profiles, opinions and discuss before getting started, which is reassuring. It is simply necessary that these exchanges remain punctual and do not resemble disguised salaried work. By combining several appointments at hairdressing schools at low prices and a few well-chosen swaps, many French people manage to divide their hair budget by several, or even never pay their $50 per cut again.
How to get your hair done for free in France?
Two solutions come up most often: becoming a model in a hairdressing school which offers free or almost free services, and exchanging a useful service for a haircut via barter platforms or local groups.
Are application salons reliable for a haircut?
The services are carried out by students who already hold a CAP Hairdressing degree, under the supervision of trainers. The cut takes more time than in a classic salon, but the technical level and the products used remain professional.
How to find a hairdressing school that is looking for models?
You can search online for “hairdressing school” or “CFA hairstyle” with the name of your city, consult their sites, their social networks or specialized directories which list application salons by department.
Is trading services for a cut legal?
Yes, as long as the exchange remains occasional between individuals and does not take the place of regular employment. It must be mutual aid or one-off barter, without disguised remuneration or a volume of activity close to real work.
