In Recession, Homes Become Hair Salons

Hair cutting is quickly becoming a “do-it-yourself” endeavor for the cash-conscious—and the results aren’t so pretty, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hairdressing “may look easy, but it's not,” said the head of a cosmetology group, who notes that mid-range and high-priced salons have taken a hit. Some 72% of 600 polled salons had seen customer spending fall as of January, a survey said.

There’s good news for the hair-cutting industry, though: Sales of high-tech barbering devices are up. And as people cut their own tresses, they make plenty of mistakes, requiring professional fix-up jobs. “I've seen women come in, crying hysterically” after hair-cutting fumbles, says a hairdresser. "It's a big deal,” and it can reap big bucks: One salon charges some 50% more for corrective hair coloring.
(More recession stories.)