How Much to Tip a Hairdresser in the UK

How much should you tip a hairdresser?

10% is the most widely accepted tip for a hairdresser or barber in the UK. On a £50 cut and colour, that's £5. On a £20 dry cut, £2 is perfectly appropriate. For shorter appointments — a quick trim or blowdry — a flat £2–3 is common regardless of the percentage.

If your stylist has gone above and beyond — squeezed you in at short notice, spent extra time on a complex colour, or rescued a DIY disaster — tipping 15–20% is a meaningful way to show it.

Is tipping a hairdresser obligatory?

No. Unlike the United States where service workers depend on tips to make up their wages, UK hairdressers are paid at least the national minimum wage. A tip is always a voluntary gesture of appreciation — you will not cause offence by not leaving one.

That said, most people in the UK do tip their regular hairdresser, particularly at Christmas. It's a way of acknowledging a relationship built up over multiple visits, not just a transaction.

Cash or card?

Cash is always preferable when tipping a hairdresser. It goes directly to the person who served you with no question about whether it will be shared or kept by the salon. Since October 2024, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act legally requires employers to pass all tips to workers — but cash handed directly to your stylist removes any ambiguity entirely.

If you're paying by card and the terminal offers a tip prompt, adding it there is fine — the new law protects it. But if you have a couple of pounds in your wallet, handing it directly is the cleaner option.

Should you tip junior stylists and assistants?

If a junior stylist washed your hair or a salon assistant made you a coffee and brought you magazines, a small extra tip — £1–2 — is a thoughtful gesture. In many salons, tips left at the desk are pooled and shared across the team. If you want your tip to reach a specific person, hand it to them directly.

Christmas tipping for your hairdresser

Christmas is the most common time to give your hairdresser a larger tip or a small gift. The equivalent of one appointment's cost is a generous benchmark — so if you pay £45 each visit, a £40–50 Christmas tip would be very well received. Even a card with £10–20 is a warm gesture for someone you see regularly throughout the year.