Your Guide To Tipping For All Your Favorite Beauty Services

Tipping your hairstylist, nail artist, esthetician, or reiki healer is not only proper etiquette, it's a way to thank an expert for a job well done. "The individuals that we typically tip are folks who make our lives easier, and they often really go the extra mile to help us," etiquette expert Elaine Swan tells Country Living. And while you obviously know to tip your beauty service providers, knowing how much to give and who to give it to can be a bit less straightforward. With prices and the cost of living rising steadily, as well as the rise of cashless spending causing changes to tipping culture, it might be time to refresh your knowledge and etiquette around how much you're expected to tip for different beauty services.

We've put together the definitive list of how much to tip for every beauty service imaginable (plus a few you might not have heard of before). Now, you can leave the guesswork behind and enjoy the pampering you deserve.

Let's start with the basics. You'll always be tipping your hairdresser at least 20% for a routine trim and styling. However, you'll need to increase your tip to around 25% if you add additional services like foils, color, or any other cosmetic hair treatments during your visit (via Hair.com). And, of course, if you're booking your stylist during a busy time of year like the holidays, it doesn't hurt to show them your appreciation with a little extra spending cash.

For a service like hair extensions, a decent tip ranges anywhere from 15% to 20% depending on the style and time commitment (via Accents Salon Spa). You can expect to spend a varying amount on both service and your tip depending on the type of hair extensions you get. Naturally, some cost more than others.

And if you were ever curious about the etiquette of tipping the person who shampoos your hair and gets you ready, experts agree it's always nice to show them a little love as well by tipping 10% to 15% percent for their services, if you can. "When it comes to the [salon] assistants, know that these people are training to become better and more knowledgeable hairdressers. They're living on the tips that they're making," stylist Matthew Monson tells Byrdie.

When getting a manicure or pedicure, you can expect to spend anywhere from 15% to 20% percent of the service cost on a tip. These more basic services are cheaper compared to more complex nail services, so many prefer to tip on the higher end of the scale. If you're looking to add some extra dazzle to your manicure with extras like gel polish, charms, or hand-painted nail art, you'll want to increase your tip to cover the additional work. "I like to think of it as compensating the artist for their time," nail technician Julie Kandalec tells Real Simple, "Give more for a more specialized or detailed service: A 17% to 18% tip for a manicure, and 20% to 25% percent tip for a new set with nail art."

As for whether nail salon technicians prefer cash or card tips, it's always best to tip in cash if you can. Many technicians don't receive tips placed on their card until payday, which can be a long wait for many folks, so cash tips are preferred because they have access to the money immediately. Of course, tipping on a card is better than nothing at all, though.

There are a variety of services you can get for your lashes and brows, from brow lamination and tinting to lash extensions and lifts. These beauty services have exploded in popularity recently; however, most people aren't up to date on the tipping etiquette. Here's what you need to know: on average, most lash and brow services fall within the 15% to 20% tip range.

Regular lash clients tip 20% for their extensions services, with the majority of clients tipping between 15% and 25% during each visit (via Divine Lashes). This includes services like lash lifts and tinting as well.

And if you're looking to get your eyebrows cleaned up to complete the look, you'll want to take some extra cash out. The tipping expectation for a service like brow–threading or waxing tends to skew on the higher end. Most brow waxing salons expect a minimum tip of 15% to 20% for their services, with additional add-ons if your brows require extra care and attention (via Bare Necessities).

Curious about a more permanent brow solution like microblading? You can expect to spend a minimum of 10% during your first visit and 15% for each subsequent touch-up (via Bellatory). In total, you can expect to spend a decent amount of money on tips the next time you go for a full brow and lash makeover. Nobody said beauty was cheap!

Across the board, this is the most confusing category of beauty services when it comes to tipping. Experts in this field agree that tipping is optional due to the fact that many of these professionals see themselves as medical professionals rather than beauty experts (via Real Self). For example, you wouldn't tip your doctor for a routine check-up. And, in fact, for many med spa procedures like microblading, chemical peels, and injectables, staff might not be allowed to accept tips for legal reasons. So, before you grab any cash from the ATM, check the regulations in your area. 

One of the gray areas in all of this comes from the less invasive services a medspa may offer onsite, such as waxing or facials. Again, this one depends on the spa in question and the laws in the area you're getting your services. In general, tipping for these services is more common and generally accepted. If you plan on tipping your esthetician, 10% of the service cost is a typical gratuity, though you shouldn't feel obligated — and this number can rise depending on the service you received (via Fairy Glow Mother).

The wellness and spirituality movement have opened up a new world of spa services for the spiritually inclined including reiki healing, crystal therapy, and sound bath massages. And as popular as these new-age spa services are with clients, many people are confused about the tipping culture. "It gets blurry when you're getting a luxury service at an affordable price point," wellness expert Gara Post tells Well + Good. "We suggest above 30% for tipping because even though we're passing on savings to our guests, we want to ensure the therapists are tipped according to the level of service they provide." 

In a world where stress and tension are at an all-time high, these wellness providers are offering a way to do some beautification and de-stressing of your energetic field and aura. "So many people are living in a state of fight-or-flight. They're living in a reactive state where the body's stressed. There's a constant low-grade stress going on," energy worker John Amaral tells Goop. "Most people don't even know it because they've lost a reference point to what a natural state of ease and flow would be." All that said, the most important tipping rule is to understand that the amount you are tipping is at your discretion; however, these suggestions will help take the guesswork out of your next salon appointment.