Hair salon offers "silent haircut" for $5 up-charge: 'What is the reason for charging more for this?'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 8, 2026 5:00 PM EST

Today's topic of the day is: how much of your haircut time do you spend chatting away with your hairdresser? 

To be totally honest, I don't think you really get to choose whether or not you want to talk to your hair stylist — they kind of choose for you. If they want to talk, they're going to! After all, your hair is in their hands, so it's not like you can just walk away mid-conversation. 

I never mind talking with my hairdressers, though it does make me a little nervous beforehand knowing I'll have to do so. I also have to tell them how to cut my hair, which I never know how to describe properly. Anyway, I'm often just worried that I'll be asking them the same questions they hear 15 times a day. "What did you do for the holiday?" "Do you have any weekend plans?" You know, general questions like that. If you're able to get to know your hair stylist, though, the conversations become exponentially more rewarding. You get updates about their lives, and sometimes they spill interesting tea about their family or friends. For the duration of your haircut, you're the one who gets to hear their stories (whether you want to or not!). 

This hair salon raised some eyebrows with their interesting pricing options for their services. I want to believe it was a simple mistake – maybe they were trying to figure out the price of the cuts and made a simple pricing mistake on their site. Surely they wouldn't really up-charge for silence, right? I can't imagine that kind of pricing model is conducive to good tips. 

Although this person was nervous about their haircut, I think the best thing they can do is just politely ask about it. It very well may just be a simple oversight. And if not, they certainly don't have to give their money to a salon whose pricing they disagree with. There are plenty of salons in the world, and yes, the stylist might talk your ear off at many of them. But it's also not a bad thing to just listen while the barber yaps. That can be a low-pressure activity that indicates to the stylist that you're not in a chatty mood, while also allowing them to fill up that empty air with personal anecdotes if they so choose. 

And as one final suggestion, many booking apps for salons offer a section to tell the stylist what you want. I think you could easily describe your haircut and add something like, "I'd love a relaxing and silent haircut if possible!" Keep it cute and polite, and while results may vary, at least you'll know you've tried to solve this interesting dilemma without paying $5 for nothing. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10594873344
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    TLDR: hair salon offers a "silent haircut" option for people who prefer to not chit chat (ex: i'm autistic) but it's a $5 up charge from the regular haircut. the description of the service is literally the same it just says that the stylist won't engage in small talk. what is the
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 03
    reason for charging more for this??? sorry if this is long... but i genuinely need someone to give me an explanation for this that maybe i'm just not considering... i thought i had found a new stylist i'd like to go to as i felt drawn to the
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 04
    haircuts they posted and the stylists seemed super cool and inclusive. i browsed their booking/pricing options. and at first was so excited and amazed to see that they offer a "silent" haircut option for those that don't want to engage
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 05
    in the usual small talk. i am autistic and i get very drained and uncomfortable with feeling like i have to "perform" with small talk just to come across as not rude or avoid creating an "awkward silence". and my social anxiety has always made it difficult
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 06
    for me to feel comfortable unmasking in public and to say something like "hey if it's okay i'd like to not talk too much during our appointment" because i don't want to come across as r or entitled.
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 07
    so when i saw this silent haircut option i was super stoked because it's a welcoming way to say you prefer not to talk, without having to worry about awkwardly addressing that in person and basically telling someone to please stop talking to their face. but then i was
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 08
    really thrown off and confused when i noticed that they charge $5 more to select this service.... why? first let me be clear that this is not about the price itself or making a big deal over an extra $5. it is simply the principle that i
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 09
    have a concern with. like what am i paying extra for exactly? i'm genuinely not trying to project or be an asshole about businesses being able to set their own prices. but seeing this literally made me feel like:
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 10
    "we know that you're too uncomfortable to tell us in the moment that you don't want to chit chat so we KNOW that you'll us pay more in order to avoid having to be in that position in the first place (: "
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 11
    like what if i booked the normal cut and style and then upon arrival i DID say something in person: "so i wasn't going to pay more to book the silent haircut bc that seems crazy so i booked the regular and am just telling you to please avoid the
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 12
    chit chat with me because i prefer being quiet thank you! (: " would they say "oh no sorry we charge extra for that so you HAVE to answer my questions about what you do for a living, where you grew up,
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 13
    and how many pets you have. answer me or else like huh?? are you going to force me to talk about the weather or something if i don't book the silent haircut and tell you that i don't want to talk???
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 14
    i'm sorry for getting a little heated there but can someone either tell me i'm not crazy for feeling this way or give an explanation for charging more for that??
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 15
    i think the thing that gets me the most is the fact that they advertise themselves as all inclusive and are very vocal on their socials about being lgbtq+ friendly. but idk, something about this rubbed me the wrong way
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 16
    and as someone who is neurodivergent and part of the queer community, paying a fee JUST to feel more comfortable during my haircut doesn't feel very inclusive to me
    via u/st*pidbrain13
  • 17
    WhitestTr... I do hair and offer a variety of appts like silent appts, appts where you won't face the mirror because some people don't like staring at themselves etc but I
    via u/WhitestTrash1
  • 18
    don't make people pay more to do it. I'm actually stoked sometimes when people don't want to talk because though I love talking to people I also need a recharge sometimes.
    via u/WhitestTrash1
  • 19
    I'd just go in and pretend I'm mute lol what are they gonna do answer for you? Move your mouth like a ventriloquist.
    via u/WhitestTrash1
  • 20
    But honestly just don't engage alot they should get the hint. I have a client who hates small talk, he comes in sits in the chair I do his 3 buzz cut and it takes 10 minutes and then he leaves and tips
    via u/WhitestTrash1
  • 21
    well because I don't force him into convo. Once I watched him literally pull the cape off himself and leave because he told the stylist he didn't want to talk 3x and she kept going.
    via u/WhitestTrash1
  • 22
    Cheezburger Image 10594868992
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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