My two interests in starting this thread are learning about 1) the price range for men’s haircuts in Taiwan and 2) attitudes that people have encountered getting their hair cut.
My hair is pretty boring, unchallenging, and short already. I just get a simple cut or trim each time. No gels, mooses, or other large animals involved.
When I first arrived in Taiwan, with language help, I decided to drop by a barber in my neighborhood. My idea was that it was convenient for me and nice to support the businesspeople where I live. The barber in that shop flatly refused to cut my hair. When questioned about his reasons, he offered up something about waiguoren hair being different, etc. While hair differences exist, that barber seemed to clearly harbor some racist attitudes. And that was not my impression only.
After that I found a barber who has treated me well. Without notice, after almost a year, she raised my price by $100 NT. When questioned, she said that the earlier price has been a “promotion”. For a year?
My SO located a shop (normal salon) and asked about the price for a simple men’s haircut. She was told $180. When later she showed up with me in tow, the price was $260, and the staff flatly refused that any other price had been given or existed.
I went in search of another barber. Found one again in my neighborhood. When I showed up to get my haircut the first time, the barber treated me rudely, but cut my hair.
So, what I’m wondering is this:
What do you pay for your haircut and what is typically included?
Roughly where is your barber located?
What have your experiences been in Taiwan with barbers?
I’ve had fine experiences using some teeny tiny local joints in Sanchong, paying around 100-300 per do (that’s without an initial hair washing, and including the complimentary, throat-searing cigarette). Once I hit up Mentor, a chain all over the Taipei area, and paid more than twice the amount, but greatly enjoyed the pampered experience. Mine is also a simple trim and fade kinda 'do, and I’ve always managed to get around the language barrier by finding a picture book of various styles (which is also a good laugh to peruse while you await your turn).
My barber lady lives on the same lane as I do, across the lane 3 houses up. I see her everyday. She cuts my hair - a very quick job, the young coyboys fuzz mop and on occasion will even trim my wifes long hair.
Always been a sweetheart and the price is NT$150 - same discount price she charges to the local college students who keep her very busy.
Her “normal” price is, I think, NT$200 or so I think.
Its a 1 chair place, TV or radio on, and about as close to a small town America old fashioned ‘barber shop’ as I expect to find in Taiwan.
Now if I could get her to subscribe to OutDoor Life, Guns & Ammo, Sports Afield…
I’ve told you this in person, but our hair cutter is a woman who works out of her first-floor living room in a back alley in Neihu and my wife and I have always been pleased with her work. You have to make an appointment. Her price is NT$150 (without hairwash - I always wash my own hair anyway before getting a haircut - yes, I’m cheap), and she’s very skilled.
Wow! I get treated like a KING by my hairdresser. Costs about 300NT, give or take 50NT (Can’t really remember). The haircuts are good, and she takes her time (in a good way).
Before I came here I got a haircut back home the way I liked it, and took some pictures of it from all sides. I loaded the pictures onto my Palm and showed it to the lady at the barber shop in our hospital. She did this cut really quickly, and it looked okay. She charged me 50 or 60 NT. I was amazed by the price, but somehow not being able to talk to them took the fun out of it and the fact that it still did not look as good as it used to, I decided to get a hair cutting device and do this on my own. After a couple of tries, my SO does not need to do as much fine tuning anymore, and I can cut my hair whenever I feel like it.
I dont know… I never cut my hair, but I am a bit afraid when it comes time for a trim because some people think all guys HAVE to have short hair… and they will mis understand a trim as a shave…
Since I am lazy I always go to one of the Yellow Ted chain stores, mostly one of the shops near Zhongshan MRT (there are actually 3 in the vicinity). Went to the one near Taipower MRT for a while but it’s usually more crowded and waiting time is hence too long.
NTD499 including washing (with short head massage), cut and drying, some gel or mouse. And a tea or coffee.
All across town.
I am not too impressed with them and they are inconsistent, even it’s usually the same stylist (that’s how they call themselves) that cuts my hair. What would take 15 minutes with the machine takes at least 30 here, mostly using scissors and several corrections, yet it still doesn’t seem to be right in the end. Must have to do with Western hair afterall. And I just can’t be bothered to try somewhere else …
A Salon, another chain. Loyalty card gets you a 10% discount on all services. $299 for wash, cut and dry. Nice cheerful service and will probably stick with them now.
Best haircut was in one of the back alleys around the No.4 Park but didn’t include a wash/dry. Family home converted into a barber shop heh. Had kids running around it and doing homework and English lessons .
My hirdresser charges me about 700NT, but it is the only company that has managed to give me a decent cut.
I loath having my hair cut and I will let it grow until I really have to do something about it.
The company consists of two or three young men who actually do the cutting and their attitude is very professional.
Then there are countless girls who wash hair, massage, bring you tea and coffee and who are good to look at, including one who wears a cowboy hat.
The whole process takes about an hour and I know everything has been done properly. The price is consistant and the same for everyone regardless of foreignerness.
I’d rather pay over the odds and have a pleasant experince than pay a couple of hundred and have to get someone to trim stray hairs and tidy things up.
The salon is located in Yong He and is called “Arthurs.”
Actually the most interesting cut I had was during my last holiday in Malaysia a few months back that was said to be fast and cheap. It wasn’t a shop as such but rather an “aquarium” (glass / partitions in the middle of a shopping center) with few seats only . You purchase a ticket from the machine at a cost of MYR12 = NTD105 (or was that MYR8 only? - can’t remember) and off you go. Cutting was mostly done with the machine, a bit of trimming here and there, then the girl pulled out the hose from the closet to literally vacuum my head. All done in less than 15 minutes or so; the cut was ok. And you get to keep the plastic comb.
I think it’s a Japanese thing and I am surprised that this isn’t popular here since it’s so quick and cheap.
I spend around 500NT and have been using the same shop for well over 10 years.
For that I get a 40 minute hairwash, a nice cup of coffee, a fantastic facial thing where they run warm water over your face while massaging it, eye massage, a woman who knows my hair well, and after that, they do the whole thing again.
[quote=“MJB”]I spend around 500NT and have been using the same shop for well over 10 years.
For that I get a 40 minute hairwash, a nice cup of coffee, a fantastic facial thing where they run warm water over your face while massaging it, eye massage, a woman who knows my hair well, and after that, they do the whole thing again.[/quote]
So where do you go get your haircut then?
.
