new trend - blowout "bars"

[mulletesque]

Interesting article about wash-and-style-only salons. I've never seen such a place before (or if I did, I didn't realize that it wasn't a full-service salon).

I'm not doing much blow drying these days (never did, really) and I don't expect many here are either! But it was still an interesting article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204831304576595322366093848.html

[Blackfire]

Sounds like an awesome experience... but they keep mentioning people going a few times a week... which sounds like a frying experience! I guess if you get regular trims and the money it would be worth it. I would go before a wedding or prom or major event if I had the money. or Id just do my hair at home like I do everything else :D I do acrylics better then the people at the nail salon, and I trim my hair the way I like it. Im sure I could blowout my hair just fine also. Maybe id go just once for the fun experience of letting someone else get my hair perfect while I drink a glass of whine and read a romance novel, lol

[kwaniesiam]

Interesting but would be so boring to work there! I enjoy doing blowouts but an entire day of nothing but that? My arms would be too sore to handle it.

I see it like any other luxury. Some people choose to indulge in certain things, if it makes them feel good and isn't hurting anyone else then go for it. Wash and style services are particularly popular among people who don't wash their hair very often or have a difficult time styling on their own.

[Ishje]

35 dollars to blowdry your hair and straighten it...
that seems like a lot of money...or is that just me?

[MrsGuther]

That's an interesting business idea. I've never heard of a salon that does strictly blowouts near where I live though.

[WinterButterfly]

Hair long and flowing to the shoulders..? Um.. I always thought of that as a medium or short length. 45 min and having to blow dry all day at constant go go go speeds? This doesn't sound like a fun job. I would rather cut hair than blow dry it all day. That way you can actually converse with the costumer. And if they thing shoulder length hair is long then they would probably charge someone with my hair length at least $60. It is an interesting idea. But definatly not the place for me, as I avoid heat styling and blow frying. I suppose it wouldn't be that bad for someone not growing their hair out. For them it might be kind of fun. Now if the included interesting braids and other updos that I have trouble doing on me, then it might be a winner. I might pay someone to give me french braids. (Though I might still be too shy to let someone I don't know touch my hair).

[katienoonan]

I like the idea... If it was more popular it would become less expensive... I think a lot of women feel better about themselves after something like this, and most of the women in my life don't treat themselves!

I've only been to a salon once though... maybe I'm not the best judge of the idea! ;)

[bratz81]

there's a hairdresser just beside where I work that has started opening earlier and offering blowdry's (and presumably wash) before work. I don't think it's that expensive compared to some other places or services, but it's not something I've paid much attention to.

Considering I can blowdry my hair at home for free why pay someone? Not that I blowdry my hair anyway! I suppose for a special event it could be a good idea but I can't imagine people spending the money on it regularly?

[Alaia]

I bet most of us here with longer-than-APL length hair would be charged the extra $20 for extra long hair :p

If they had them in the UK I'd probably go, just once, to see what I'd look like with some curls ;)

[melmmo]

Most of the salons around here offer blowouts or wash and style as one of their services anyway, so I'm not sure this type of place would take off here. It's also a little pricey for me - the most I've paid for a haircut is $45, so $35 just for a blowdry? I haven't blowdried my own hair in months anyway. They should take the "bar" concept to the next level though and serve fun fruity cocktails. Oh, how about a pedi-bar? Now that I would go for! ;)

[bratz81]

I bet most of us here with longer-than-APL length hair would be charged the extra $20 for extra long hair :p

If they had them in the UK I'd probably go, just once, to see what I'd look like with some curls ;)

Alaia, I live in the UK (Northern Ireland) and a few hairdressers offer it - so I'm sure they do in England too!
Not a separate 'bar' mind you but a service in the hairdresser place. Loads in Belfast open early specifically for before work appointments and so on.

[Tabitha]

I've walked past the one in Fenwicks, Bond Street - calls itself Headmasters Blo Out Bar. I think there's one in the big Oxford Circus Top Shop too, but I never go in there as it terrifies me.

[HairFaerie]

I misread the title of the thread as:
new trend - blowout "bras"

Sorry for the interruption, carry on...

[pepperminttea]

I like the idea, but it's not something I'd ever use. :shrug:

[Jinglelocks]

Looks fun for a treat. A bit expensive to do several times a month, though!

[Vanilla]

I could have defintely used this when I was growing out a spiral perm a few years ago. My ends were super curly and my roots were straight and a totally different texture. I could never get enough tension on the brush to make my hair look all uniform.

I haven't blow dryed my hair in almost 2 years.

[Panth]

Sorry, it's an "affordable luxury" to spend $35 between two and twelve times a month simply on your appearance!? What?

One salon charges $55 to dry and style shoulder length hair!?

People's ideas of 'affordable' are seriously warped...

(Oh, and Alaia, you're right: "A standard service at Blowout, which opened in December, is $32, but Ms. De La Rosa charges $20 more for extra thick, long or coarse hair.")

[invisiblebabe]

Sounds expensive to me, but I bet some of you will like this quote from the article:


Rosemary Camposano was interested in starting a Blo franchise in the San Francisco suburbs, but was turned off by its sexually suggestive marketing. Instead, she started her own chain, called Halo Blow Dry Bars Inc., a year ago, with a family-friendly approach. Her goal is to attract women of all ages—including her own. "We're wearing our hair long and flowing to our shoulders well into our 60s now," the 49-year-old says.

[lw8666]

Sounds like it would be nice to try once... a fun experience. More than that Id be worried about damaging my hair.

[squiggyflop]

35 dollars for someone to damage my hair? i never even paid someone that much to wash, cut and style my hair all in one visit.. i cant even stand to pay more than 10$ a year on cutting my hair..

lets see, people say they go a few times a week..

3x35(plus tip, thats about 41$)= 123$ per week= $6396 A YEAR!

[jaine]

Sorry, it's an "affordable luxury" to spend $35 between two and twelve times a month simply on your appearance!? What?

One salon charges $55 to dry and style shoulder length hair!?

People's ideas of 'affordable' are seriously warped...

(Oh, and Alaia, you're right: "A standard service at Blowout, which opened in December, is $32, but Ms. De La Rosa charges $20 more for extra thick, long or coarse hair.")

I know what you mean... I once read an article that referred to Banana Republic as "affordable fashion" ... and I was thinking to myself, what?!?!?! Since when are $70 shirts and $100 pants "affordable"? More like the extreme upper end of what I'm willing to pay... and that's only if I need something very specific on short notice and I can't find it at my weekly visits to the consignment shop. I did buy a $90 Brooks Brothers shirt once but that's only because I needed something extremely specific on short notice.

Back to hair, though....yeah I wouldn't pay $35 for a blowout ... pay someone to damage my hair on a regular basis? No thanks...

[Yozhik]

Thanks for sharing this article!

It's definitely an interesting idea, and I like it that it's marketing itself as a throwback to the time of going to the salon for weekly appointments -- maybe it's a nostalgia thing, but I hear those places were a really great way for women to socialize.

Personally, I've only blowdried my hair a handful of times because it absolutely ruins it and turns it into a puffy mess, so this isn't something I'd do, but it does sound comparable to manicure/pedicure/massage places in luxury offering services.