Tipping beauty professionals is generally recommended at 15%-25% of their service cost; this is particularly important if the salon or spa does not include gratuity as part of its price for treatment.
With treatments ranging in price from $25 for manicures to thousands of dollars for laser hair removal, knowing the appropriate price point can be challenging. So we enlisted help from industry experts to answer all our beauty-tipping inquiries.
1. Tip for the Service
Tipping 15 to 20% for beauty professionals is usually sufficient, yet can sometimes be confusing when applied to different situations. Our experts are here to help! They conducted extensive interviews with some of the leading aestheticians and we have gathered their advice as to how much is appropriate to tip for haircuts, facials, nail treatments, laser hair removal sessions and other beauty services.
When receiving a haircut, tipping is typically 15% of the total service cost; if your esthetician provided outstanding service they should receive even higher percentage as payment for their work.
Consider leaving a tip for the person who washes and blow-dries your hair; typically this should range between $5-10.
If you are getting waxing treatments, tipping will depend on both the type of wax and length of time of your appointment. A bikini wax typically calls for $20 while full body waxes should typically include $45-60 as tips to your esthetician.
Estheticians who specialize in lash extensions provide more than the typical manicure or pedicure, so their services deserve a higher tip than just that of manicure and pedicure services alone. When tipping an esthetician who provides extensions or lifts and tints, typically 20% should suffice while for lifts and tints you should tip 25% of their service cost.
Christian Karavolas of Romeo & Juliette Laser Salon in New York suggests that medical spa treatments like injectables, lasers and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy don’t require tips; though these services are always appreciated “tips aren’t required by law”.
2. Tip for the Results
Tipping 15-20 percent when getting beauty services such as hair cuts or nail enhancements from your stylist or getting acrylic nails from the nail salon. However, when it comes to more specialized treatments such as laser hair removal or eyelash extensions it can be confusing as to whether and how much should be given as tips to the estheticians involved.
Although there isn’t one definitive answer to this question, most experts agree it is still appropriate to offer a small gratuity for aesthetician services. According to cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Cybele Fishman, considering tipping an aesthetician if their services were outstanding and you were pleased with the results may be worthwhile.
Fishman advises remembering that medical spas are different than regular salons or spas and the services provided don’t involve massage therapists but rather medical professionals; accordingly, tipping is best approached like you would treat a dermatologist office and not like any regular salon.
As such, cash tips are usually best left with your esthetician; this way they won’t have to share them among staff members and is more likely to reach her/him directly. Many don’t realize that service industry employees don’t receive high wages so this gratuity provides much-needed help with covering daily costs.
Regarding how much to tip, experts we consulted recommend starting out by tipping 20-25%; depending on how satisfied you are with your results, increasing or decreasing it accordingly. If your eyelash results were particularly impressive, you might consider increasing it up to 25-27%.
Other than these suggestions, there are other ways you can show your gratitude for the work your esthetician has done without handing over cash. For example, if you were extremely pleased with their service and would like to convey this sentiment through writing a thank-you note or posting something heartfelt online (e.g. on social media), such as an endearing comment.
3. Tip for the Environment
Finding out whether and how much to tip beauty professionals can be daunting. Services range in cost from as little as $25 for pedicures up to thousands for laser hair removal; so your gratuity should reflect what services are being rendered to ensure it fits in line with each service you’re receiving. Luckily, here are some helpful suggestions from us that might make this task simpler.
Before discussing esthetician salaries in salons or spas, it’s essential to understand that most estheticians get paid hourly, typically just above minimum wage, which leaves them dependent on tips to make ends meet. Depending on location and state laws, some estheticians also receive commission for the services they perform – though the amount can differ wildly.
Therefore, cash tips are highly encouraged as this helps the service provider keep their finances in the black between pay periods and alleviates some of the stress of working in service industries.
Other than tipping, other ways of showing your appreciation for an esthetician include asking them to use organic or vegan products, taking sustainable transportation methods (i.e. biking or public transport) and reducing their environmental footprint. According to PETA, each year over 100 million animals die due to biology lessons and cosmetic tests; supporting beauty professionals that do not test on animals is an ideal way of showing love of the earth!
If your medspa charges a sustainability fee that’s added onto the total bill, consider including an extra 10% of service cost as a thank-you gesture for their efforts. Sustainability fees cover additional costs such as safe, eco-friendly waste disposal kits for plastic used during treatments; education on offsetting financial costs associated with PPE recovery; marketing support to communicate their leadership of environmental sustainability.
Most estheticians will gladly accept tips, but it’s important to keep in mind that tips aren’t required or expected when visiting a medspa for more invasive procedures. Since medspa etiquette may differ from regular salons and spas, be sure to inquire beforehand regarding their policies prior to making an appointment.
4. Tip for the Experience
Subtituting Your Esthetician As A Donation Now
With services ranging in price from $25 for manicures to thousands of dollars for laser hair removal, it can be difficult to know how much of a tip to give for different services and treatments. We consulted eight beauty experts on this complex subject in order to gain their insight on this matter and learn about appropriate amounts to pay in various circumstances.
Most of the experts we consulted agreed that tipping 15 to 20% for nail salon services such as manicures and pedicures is a good starting point, while they all recommended increasing it if your experience exceeded expectations.
While most aestheticians welcome tips from clients, some professionals may prefer not to accept them. Instead, building relationships and maintaining clients should be the priority – such as accepting year-end or holiday gifts instead of cash tips (via Real Self).
Microblading, chemical peels and injectables are among the many less invasive services provided at med spas. Though technically considered medical procedures by law, tipping these specialists isn’t always customary – though many would appreciate being thanked if you’ve worked with them over time.
As it’s essential that estheticians receive their tips in cash, it’s best to provide yours as such. Doing so helps them budget during periods of no income and relieves some of the strain associated with working in an industry where customers’ satisfaction cannot always be guaranteed. Therefore, we suggest either bringing cash to appointments or asking your aesthetician to add you on Venmo/Square Cash so you can send one easily when required.
