In recent years, salon menus have started to look outdated. A woman’s haircut could just as easily be a man’s haircut and vice versa. Pricing is frustrating to clients when they’re paying more just because of their gender, and some clients aren’t comfortable identifying as a specific gender for a haircut at all.

Progressive salon owners observing these trends have swiftly taken action. We talked to three owners/managers with three different approaches to “degendering” their menus to learn more about providing an updated, correctly priced menu all guests can enjoy.

Focus on Hair, Not Gender

When Shawn McGhee and Scot Robinson had to shut down their two Pavo Salon locations in Memphis, Tennessee, during the pandemic, they took the opportunity to make big changes in the business.

“We took a deep dive into things we felt were outdated,” McGhee says. “One of those was our menu. It had been bothering us for a while because we have clients who want cuts for different genders.”

And when a female client at Pavo requested a barber cut, having to choose from a men’s menu didn’t make any sense.

“Our menu had women’s, men’s, and children’s cuts, and online booking wasn’t working with this format,” McGhee says. “So when we changed it, the challenge was figuring out how to communicate to our customers so they understood how to book online without our help.”

McGhee and Robinson quickly realized they needed to take gender out of the equation completely and focus on the work itself.

Robinson adds, “Traditionally, men’s cuts were 30 minutes and women’s were 45. So if we had a woman getting a shortcut, we were wasting 15 minutes. Our new system has allowed stylists to book more efficiently.”

The Pavo menu for haircuts is now structured by length of hair and type of cut. Guests who visit the website will see the following choices:

• Short/Barber Cut
• Short/Advanced Cut
• Medium/Long Cut
• Advanced Cut
• Child Cut
• Bang Trim/Cleanup

Each cut features a short description to eliminate any confusion.

“This encourages stylists to look at each guest as an individual,” McGhee says. “Guests have different needs, and we were sometimes over or undercharging them.

“Guests are more than just their gender—we’re looking at hair density, length, texture, etc,” he says. “And now they are empowered on our website to make appointments based on what they want.”

Robinson says, “It has also given our call center the ability to ask more pertinent questions to book appropriately. The whole process has been simplified from the front desk to the stylists to the clients.”

Pricing the new menu worked out in stylists’ favor, and McGhee and Robinson continue to do price increases two times per year.

“Everyone feels they are getting what they are paying for,” McGhee says. “And our young team feels they are working in an inclusive environment, which aligns with their ideals. And if you’re going to attract talent—these things matter.”

A Passion for Equality

When Steffan Bentley opened Apotheca Salon & Barbershop in Austin, Texas six months ago, he had a vision for the culture of his business.

“My entire salon model was built around diversity, inclusion and freedom,” he says. “I wanted a salon and barbershop that was inclusive to all genders, which is why I’m a salon and barbershop.

“I also wanted my entire team to do textured hair to support racial inclusivity,” he adds. “Everyone should know how to work with texture, so it’s part of our onboarding and training.”

Before opening, Bentley held a three-week immersion for his staff that included breakout sessions, yoga, photography, a social media influencer, and a DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) coach.

The DEI coach taught the Apotheca team how to create a space of equity for themselves, coworkers and clients.

“We’re a safe-place business, and here to support our trans friends in any phase of their lives.”

Recently, a trans client wrote a review about feeling included at Apotheca, which came as no surprise to Bentley.

“We do everything we can to be inclusive, including asking our clients what their preferred pronouns are at the first appointment,” he says.

Part of the inclusive environment is the salon menu, broken down into salon and barbering services.

Salon services include Shape & Style: short or long haircuts, blow-dry style or up-style. Color and extensions are equally straightforward: all-over color; partial or full balayage; partial, full or accent highlights; and tape-in or hand-tied extensions.

On the barbering menu, clients can choose from a tailored fade, bald fade or scissor cut.

There are also short hair color services and beard services.

“Everything the client books is on top of a base service,” Bentley explains. “For example, a balayage with a foil highlight: The client pays for the highlight, then the root shadow, toner, etc.”

Structuring the menu this way has allowed Bentley to track behavior. “I’m starting with a $50 service and seeing what clients add on. Of our first $100k in revenue, $60k was booked services, $20k was upsells, and $20k was retail.”

Color enhancements are $40 (a little more for new growth with foils) and Botanical Repair treatments are $30.

Bentley also uses Salon Scale to create a customized product charge for the bowl of color.

“This allows me the sale of hair color just like products on the shelf,” he says. “It also allows me to pay my stylists more because they don’t pay product charge out of their per-hour price.”

Bentley says this has given him a competitive edge against other salons as well.

Apotheca stylists feel the system is fair because they see their ability to grow and make more money.

“They like how I’ve built upsells in for them and how I coach them,” Bentley says. “I teach them how to be a top performer from day one and how to self-guide.” 

Guest-Led Change

Right before the pandemic, the team at Paris Parker salons in the New Orleans area made a decision to “degender” their menu based on guest feedback.

“We had some guests who shared they were uncomfortable stating they wanted a men’s or women’s cut,” says Kevin Perryman, Paris Parker’s Director of Engagement. “We always want our guests to be comfortable, so this kicked us into high gear. Our stylists advocated for the change as well.”

Paris Parker took women’s cuts off the menu completely. Now guests can book a haircut, wash & go, blowout, silk press, twist out, updo, set, or specialty style. There’s a service for every texture and every client.

“We still have men’s cuts for the hairdressers who are charging a certain price for those cuts and the clients who expect that price,” Perryman says. “But anything that used to be under women’s cuts became a ‘haircut’ or a cut with extended time.”

Paris Parker stylists feel far more comfortable with the new menu and executing the stellar customer service they are known for.

“Before, issues would come up—like a client who identifies as a man but has long hair—that were unclear how to charge on our menu,” he says. “Now it’s less confusing online and in the salons.”

Paris Parker clients have shared they feel welcomed and are happy their visits are about the haircut—not their gender.

“We have a few staff members who go by they/them, and like our clients, this makes them comfortable.”

At Paris Parker, the guest comes first, and this was a logical choice to ensure guest satisfaction.

“What’s best for the staff and best for the guest doesn’t always align,” Perryman says. “But in this case, it’s best for all of us, and everyone feels validated.”