Tipping Etiquette 101: How Much You Should Tip Your Beauty Practitioner?

Photographed by Theo Wenner, Vogue, 2016

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“To tip or not to tip?” seems to be the existential question on everyone’s mind lately, with many heated debates on whether the service industry’s expectations for gratuity have gotten out of hand. This is especially true when it comes to how much one should be tipping their beauty practitioners.

HAIR: Times are tough. The beauty industry and its workers in particular are taking some of the hardest economic hits these past few years. According to a news brief done by the U.S. Labor Center, 45 percent of nail salons in New York reopened their doors with just five employees or less and 80 percent of New York nail artists are working reduced hours. States such as California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have reported less work in all nail salons that are still open as well. Hair salon revenue, according to a report done by IBIS World, has been declining since 2020. Fewer people are simply inclined to book salon services now, making tips essential for the livelihood of many.

“The economy is a mess right now,” celebrity makeup artist and hairstylist T.Cooper tells Vogue. “Inflation has caused many salons to raise their prices. Most people are struggling just to get by in this economy, so the tips may not be as generous as they once were. Many people can’t afford to tip as much, when they can barely afford the service.”

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