Choosing Daiso Over Salons: "20,000 Won for a Haircut" Drives Self-Beauty Trend [Pocket Talk]

Average Women's Haircut Price Last Month: 19,558 Won
Prices Vary Widely by Stylist Rank and Hair Length
8,229 Salons Closed as Economic Downturn Deepens

Editor's NoteWe are living in a time when a single serving of pork belly costs 20,000 won and a bowl of jajangmyeon is 7,500 won. The 2024 Consumer Price Index reached 114.18 (2020=100), and in 2025, the ongoing high inflation continues to increase the burden on consumers’ wallets. Through the "Pocket Talk" (Week+Money+Talk) series, we aim to share stories about consumption closely connected to our own finances, as prices fluctuate in real time.

The average haircut fee at salons nationwide is nearing 20,000 won, and as beauty treatment fees steadily rise, the "self-beauty" trend is spreading. The burden on consumers has grown due to additional charges based on hair length or the degree of hair damage, and this has been compounded by the economic downturn. As a result, more people are choosing to cut their own bangs or dye their hair at home, taking care of their hair themselves.

Average Salon Haircut Fee Nears 20,000 Won... Up 24% in Five Years

As beauty treatment fees increase, the burden on consumers is growing. Pixabay

According to Statistics Korea on September 14, last month’s consumer price index for beauty treatment fees was 118.73 (2020=100), up 3.5% from the same month last year. This is more than double the overall consumer price inflation rate (1.7%) during the same period.

As the trend of rising beauty treatment fees continues, the average haircut fee for women is approaching 20,000 won. According to the Korea Consumer Agency’s price information portal "ChamkaGyeok," the average haircut fee for adult women last month was 19,558 won. Compared to August 2020 (15,789 won), this represents a 23.9% increase over five years. By region, Incheon was the most expensive at 25,000 won, while Jeonbuk was the cheapest at 15,200 won, resulting in a price gap of 9,800 won between the two regions.

As beauty treatment fees continue to rise, consumer dissatisfaction is also growing. Office worker Lee Sunkyung (30) said, "When I go for a volume magic perm, my hair gets damaged, and because my hair is long, I have to pay extra, so I usually end up paying more than 200,000 won," adding, "Salon prices are whatever they decide to charge." She continued, "Since service prices vary so much from salon to salon, I often pay much more than I expected."

The government has implemented the "Outdoor Price Display System" since 2013 to ensure consumers’ right to know. This system requires salons to display prices outside the shop, and violators can be fined up to 1.5 million won. However, even after more than ten years, many point out that its effectiveness remains low. This is because additional fees for treatments like nutritional supplements or hair length often result in a final payment that is much higher than initially expected.

The pricing structure, which varies according to the designer’s rank, is also seen as a problem. The higher the rank, the more you have to pay, but much of the perm or dye process is handled by lower-ranked staff, leading to greater consumer dissatisfaction.

Rising Salon Prices Fuel the Spread of the 'Self-Beauty' Trend

Given these circumstances, the self-beauty trend is spreading. For simple procedures like cutting bangs or covering gray hair, many find it cheaper to do it themselves at home rather than visit a salon. Office worker Heo (30) said, "Even just cutting my bangs costs about 5,000 won, but bangs grow quickly and need to be trimmed often," adding, "It’s much more economical to buy hairdressing scissors at Daiso and cut them myself."

Self-beauty videos are also easy to find on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. These videos mainly highlight step-by-step instructions and emphasize that even beginners can easily try it themselves. Recently, not only beauty creators but also ordinary people have been sharing their self-beauty experiences, making the content even more diverse. There are quite a few videos with millions of views.

Following this trend, retailers such as Olive Young and Daiso are expanding their selection of self-beauty products. Currently, Olive Young offers 159 items in the hair dye and perm category, while Daiso sells 34 related products. In particular, self-dyeing products now offer a wider range of color options and are easier to use than before, making them more accessible to consumers.

Meanwhile, as the economic downturn and the self-beauty trend overlap, more salons are choosing to close down. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s local administration licensing data, 8,229 beauty businesses closed from the beginning of this year through last month. The number of salon closures has been increasing every year: 11,503 in 2022, 12,646 in 2023, and 13,292 in 2024. If this pace continues, the number is expected to reach around 13,000 this year as well.