Call (613) 789-2179 for an appointment if you are in the Ottawa, Ontario area.

One of the questions we get asked regularly is why does dread maintenance cost so much.  It is not easy to outline all the things that go into an appointment over the phone especially if it is a new client .  The cost differs based on a few things.  Here is a list of some of the steps that happens on a typical appointment:

  • Shampoo and condition the hair or the client may have washed it before coming
  • I crochet the dreads
  • we dry the hair
  • client leaves

Sounds simple, yes?  This is what  some people think happens from some of the enquiries.  I have had words like “too expensive ” thrown out as I charge by the hour.  The step that said crochet the dreads is a bit more complicated than that.  Crocheting dreads is not the same as interlocking which is just pulling the hair through at the root.  I actually pull strands along the dread shaft so that it looks neat.  If you like the wild look, my method is not for you.

The cost is by the hour because it includes:
  1.   tightening the roots
  2.   repairing any thin dreads
  3.   joining thin dreads to make them more sturdy
  4.   adding lost or broken dreads
  5.   making dreads if necessary
  6.   repairing dreads that were joined but are splitting
  7.   advising clients on what to expect based on what the hair looks like
  8.   giving advice on how to stop breakage, based on clients everyday behaviour
  9.   advice on eating habits to promote better hair growth, etc

This is a summary of what I could do with one client.  The cost will vary based on how long the client waited between appointments; are they making dreads;  how long is the hair; do I have to change the way the hair was parted so the dreads will not thin out in the future; do I have to remove previous work to make my work prettier?  I tell my clients that when it comes to the final look, you might have to suffer a little.

Jokes aside, a stylist only has time to make the most of their workday.  It is a skill like any profession and compensation is a very important part of the process.

By Paula Barker, Silkielocks.com

Buy my e-book:  Dreadlocks: A Hairstylist’s Manifest (Silkielocks.com/Amazon.com)