STYLED: Darrelea Curran explains women clients like Helen Mason have to pay more for their haircuts than men because time is money.
WHAT better place than the centre of the known hairdressing universe (Griffith) to ask the perennial question why do women have to pay so much more for their haircuts than men?
The debate has sprung up again after Denmark's board of equality fined a hairdresser $422 for charging a woman $11 more for her haircut than a man.
The board ruled any price difference based purely on gender was discrimination.
Historically, the difference was clear women spent more time on their hair.
These days however, men are investing in stylers, getting regular cut and colour jobs according to Darrelea salon owner Darrelea Curran.
Time is money, Mrs Curran explained, and because men's haircuts took less time and effort, they paid less.
The average price for a man's haircut in Griffith is between $20 and $30 dollars, whereas women pay anywhere between $40 and $60.
"The reason why there's a difference is because it goes on time most guys have a shampoo and cut and that takes about half an hour, most women have a shampoo, cut and blow-dry and that takes at least 45 minutes," Mrs Curran said.
However, Mrs Curran admitted she did charge based on the gender of the client.
"But if a man comes in with long hair and he wants a style cut, that's different I'll charge him more than an average men's cut," she said.
The head of Riverina Institute of Tafe's hair and beauty department in Griffith, Tania Cavanagh, said while it might look like discrimination, it all came down to time and hairdressers generally charged by the hour.
"Men usually come in every four weeks, so it's just a quick tidy-up, they use a small amount of product and the styling takes five minutes," Mrs Cavanagh said.
"But if they have shoulder-length hair and they want a complete transformation, they should pay more."
Mrs Cavanagh said historically, men went to the barber and paid $10, but these days, some men spent just as much time on their hair as women.
"They want their hair looking immaculate," she said.
"I can't defend all salons - there would be some women out there who are getting ripped off but generally, there are different techniques for men's and women's haircuts and women's cuts do take more time."
