News

    “Wait… how much is a haircut now?”   If you’ve said those words recently, you’re definitely not alone.   For generations, the barbershop has been more than a place to get a haircut. It’s where conversations happen, friendships are built, advice is exchanged, kids grow into young men, and customers develop relationships with barbers who sometimes know them for decades.   But something has changed.   The price of a haircut.   What once felt like a routine expense can now feel like an investment. Add a beard trim, enhancements, a shampoo, a facial service, or a tip, and some customers are walking out of the barbershop wondering:   Are barbers charging too much—or are we finally seeing what professional barbering is actually worth?   The answer isn’t as simple as you might think.   Haircuts Have Definitely Become More Expensive   There’s no denying it: barber prices have increased.   But so has almost everything else.   Rent.   Utilities.   Insurance.   Barber supplies.   Clippers and trimmers.   Disinfectants and sanitation products.   Booking software.   Marketing.   Continuing education.   And, of course, the everyday cost of living.   The barber charging today’s prices isn’t operating in yesterday’s economy.   That’s important to remember.   But customers have a valid perspective, too.   When you’re paying considerably more for a haircut than you did several years ago, it’s natural to expect considerably more from the experience.   And that’s where the real conversation begins.   When Does a Haircut Become “Too Expensive”?   Maybe we’re asking the wrong question.   Instead of asking:   “How much is too much for a haircut?”   Perhaps we should ask:   “What am I receiving for the price I’m paying?”   Because price and value aren’t necessarily the same thing.   Imagine walking into a clean, professional barbershop.   Your barber welcomes you.   Your appointment begins on time.   The tools and station are properly maintained.   Your barber asks exactly what you want.   The haircut isn’t rushed.   The fade is smooth.   The lineup is precise.   Your beard is detailed.   Your hair is finished with quality grooming products.   And when that cape comes off?   You feel different.   You look in the mirror one more time before leaving because you know you look good.   That feeling has value.   A Great Barber Isn’t Just Cutting Hair   People sometimes look at a 30- or 45-minute haircut and think:   “I’m paying that much for less than an hour?”   But you’re not necessarily paying for those 45 minutes.   You’re paying for the years that came before them.   The barber had to learn how to fade.   How to blend.   How to work with different hair textures.   How to use shears.   How to shape a beard.   How to create a clean hairline without pushing it back.   How to understand different head shapes and growth patterns.   How to work efficiently while maintaining quality.   And perhaps most importantly, how to make the person sitting in the chair feel comfortable enough to trust them with their appearance.   Skill has value.   A talented barber can make something extremely difficult look effortless.   But Higher Prices Should Come With Higher Standards   This is the part of the conversation that shouldn’t be ignored.   Customers shouldn’t automatically be expected to accept higher prices simply because haircut prices are increasing everywhere.   If you’re charging premium prices, customers are naturally going to expect a premium barber experience.   That means professionalism matters.   Cleanliness matters.   Customer service matters.   Being on time matters.   Consistency matters.   Quality products matter.   And the finished haircut definitely matters.   Customers notice when they’re paying more but receiving less.   A rushed haircut.   Constant appointment delays.   Dirty stations.   Distracted service.   Inconsistent cuts.   Or feeling like they’re just the next person in the chair.   Premium pricing creates premium expectations.   That’s true in barbering just as it is in nearly every other industry.   The Barbershop Experience Is Emotional   There’s something people outside the industry may not completely understand.   A haircut isn’t always “just a haircut.”   Think about the moments people visit their barber before.   A first date.   A job interview.   A wedding.   Graduation.   Family pictures.   A vacation.   A birthday.   A major meeting.   Sometimes someone walks into the barbershop after one of the hardest weeks of their life.   They sit down looking tired.   The cape goes around them.   The clippers turn on.   The conversation starts.   Thirty or forty-five minutes later, they look into the mirror and see themselves differently.   Shoulders back.   Fresh fade.   Clean beard.   Sharp lineup.   Confidence restored.   You can’t always put a price tag on that.   Customers Are Changing Too   There’s another side to rising barber prices that isn’t discussed enough:   Customers are becoming more educated.   People watch barber transformations online.   They follow celebrity barbers.   They see precision fades on Instagram and TikTok.   They research products.   They know the difference between an average haircut and exceptional work.   So when customers are asked to pay premium prices, they’re comparing the experience to a much higher standard.   And that can actually be good for the barbering industry.   It pushes talented professionals to keep improving.   The Real Value May Be the Barber You Can Trust   Finding a great barber is almost like finding a great mechanic.   Once you find one you trust, you don’t want to lose them.   You don’t have to explain your haircut every visit.   They already know.   They know where your hair grows differently.   They know how you like your beard.   They know how much you want taken off the top.   They know whether you like a natural or sharper hairline.   You sit in the chair and relax.   That relationship can take years to build.   And when customers find that barber, many aren’t simply paying for the haircut anymore.   They’re paying for consistency and trust.   But Your Barber Can’t Do Everything   Here’s something every customer should understand:   Your haircut may start in the barber chair, but maintaining it happens at home.   Your barber can give you an incredible haircut, beard trim, and finish.   But what happens between appointments matters.   Your hair still needs moisture.   Your beard still needs softness.   Your scalp still needs attention.   And your style still needs maintenance.   That’s why a good grooming routine shouldn’t begin and end at the barbershop.   Using quality men’s hair and beard products between appointments can help you maintain the look and feel your barber created.   At Salon Candies, we believe professional grooming and at-home maintenance should work together.   Your barber creates the foundation.   You maintain the investment.   So… Are Barbers Charging Too Much?   Some might be.   Some absolutely aren’t.   The number on the price board doesn’t tell the entire story.   The better question is:   Does the experience match the price?   If your barber consistently delivers excellent work, respects your appointment, maintains professional standards, understands your hair, uses quality products, and makes you leave the chair feeling more confident than when you walked in…   You may not simply be paying for a haircut.   You’re paying for expertise.   You’re paying for consistency.   You’re paying for convenience.   You’re paying for confidence.   And you’re paying someone you trust with one of the first things people notice about you:   Your appearance.   To the Barbers: Never Forget What the Chair Represents   Someone chose your chair.   Out of every barber they could have booked, they chose you.   They trusted your hands.   They trusted your experience.   They trusted you before their date, wedding, interview, birthday, graduation, vacation, or big moment.   If your prices increase, let your standards rise with them.   Make the experience better.   Keep learning.   Keep your environment professional.   Use products you’re proud to put on your clients.   Respect their time.   And make every person who leaves your chair understand exactly why they came to you.   And to the Customers…   Don’t judge every barber by price alone.   Judge the value.   Find someone who respects your time, understands your hair, protects your hairline, delivers consistently, and takes pride in their craft.   And once you leave the chair?   Take care of that haircut.   Moisturize your hair.   Condition your beard.   Care for your scalp.   Use quality grooming products.   Because if you’re investing good money into looking your best at the barbershop, your grooming routine at home should protect that investment.   At Salon Candies, we believe looking good shouldn’t end when you leave the barber chair.   The barber creates the cut. The right grooming routine keeps the confidence going. he Value of a Great Haircut Changed?

How Often Should You Allow Your Scalp to Breathe From Wigs?   Your wig may protect your style—but your scalp still needs care underneath it.   Wigs can be beautiful, convenient, confidence-boosting, and incredibly versatile. They allow you to change your look, protect your natural hair, and give yourself a break from daily styling.   But while you’re protecting the hair you can see, there’s something underneath your wig that deserves just as much attention:   Your scalp.   A healthy hair routine doesn’t stop when the wig goes on.   If you wear wigs regularly, giving your scalp time without the wig—and keeping your scalp and natural hair clean, moisturized, and comfortable—can make a big difference in how your hair feels underneath your protective style.   So, How Often Should You Take Your Wig Off?   There isn’t one perfect schedule for everyone. It depends on the type of wig you wear, how it’s installed, your activity level, how much you sweat, and how your scalp responds.   For removable wigs, taking your wig off daily when practical—especially when you’re home or sleeping—can give you an opportunity to check your scalp, let trapped heat and moisture dissipate, and care for the hair underneath.   For longer-wear or professionally installed wigs, you may not be able to remove your wig every night. In that case, following an appropriate maintenance schedule and paying close attention to itching, odor, excessive buildup, tenderness, or irritation becomes especially important.   The goal isn’t simply to make your scalp “breathe.”   The real goal is to keep your scalp clean, comfortable, dry when needed, and properly cared for.   Your Scalp Is Skin—Treat It Like Skin   Think about wearing a hat for an extended period on a hot day.   Your scalp can become warm. You may sweat. Oil, dead skin, styling products, and environmental debris can accumulate.   Now imagine repeatedly covering that area without giving it the attention it needs.   That’s why scalp care while wearing wigs is so important.   A wig can be part of a wonderful protective-hair routine, but protective styling should never mean neglecting the hair and scalp underneath.   Your natural hair is still there.   Your scalp is still there.   And both deserve love.   What Happens When You Wear Wigs for Long Periods?   Regular wig wear can create an environment where sweat, oil, and product buildup become easier to overlook.   You may begin noticing:   Itching or discomfort Excessive scalp buildup Unwanted odor Dry-feeling hair or scalp Tangling or matting underneath the wig Irritation around the hairline Increased tension around sensitive areas   These signs shouldn’t simply be covered with another wig cap and ignored.   Sometimes your scalp is telling you:   “It’s time to take care of me, too.”   Don’t Forget About Your Hairline   Your edges are especially important when wearing wigs frequently.   Repeated tension, tight wig caps, adhesives, clips, combs, and friction around the same areas can be hard on delicate hairlines.   Make sure your wig fits properly and isn’t unnecessarily tight. When possible, vary where clips or combs make contact, follow adhesive-removal directions carefully, and avoid pulling or tugging when removing your wig.   A beautiful protective style shouldn’t require sacrificing the health of your natural hair.   Your Wig Comes Off—Now What?   This is where your healthy scalp and hair routine begins.   When you remove your wig, don’t think of it as simply taking off your hairstyle.   Think of it as maintenance time for the hair underneath.   Gently inspect your scalp and hairline. Look for excessive buildup, redness, tenderness, or areas experiencing unusual tension.   When cleansing is needed, thoroughly cleanse your scalp and natural hair with products appropriate for your hair and scalp needs. Follow with conditioning and moisture to help keep your hair soft and manageable.   And don’t forget your leave-in conditioner.   A quality leave-in conditioner can be especially valuable after cleansing because the natural hair underneath your wig still needs moisture, softness, detangling support, and protection from dryness and breakage caused by manipulation.   Moisture Matters Underneath Your Wig   One of the biggest mistakes in wig care is spending more time maintaining the wig than maintaining the natural hair underneath it.   Your wig may look flawless while your natural hair is thirsty for attention.   That’s not the goal.   At Salon Candies, we believe beautiful hair begins with caring for what’s underneath the style.   Whether you’re wearing wigs, braids, twists, sew-ins, or your natural hair, your routine should make room for cleansing, conditioning, moisture, scalp care, and gentle maintenance.   Protective styles should complement healthy hair habits—not replace them.   Create a Healthy Wig-Wearing Routine   If wigs are part of your lifestyle, create a routine that works for both your wig and your natural hair.   For removable wigs, consider removing them when you’re home and especially before sleeping when practical. Keep your wig caps clean and rotate them rather than continuously wearing the same one.   Pay attention to sweat and product buildup. If you exercise frequently or live in a warm climate, your scalp may need attention more often.   Keep the hair underneath moisturized without oversaturating it, and make sure your natural hair is adequately dry before covering it for extended periods.   Most importantly, listen to your scalp.   Persistent itching, pain, sores, significant flaking, unusual hair loss, or irritation deserves attention and may warrant advice from a dermatologist or qualified healthcare professional.   Wearing a Wig Doesn’t Mean Forgetting Your Natural Hair   Sometimes the easiest hair to forget is the hair nobody sees.   You put on your favorite wig.   You look beautiful.   You feel confident.   You walk out the door ready for your day.   But underneath that beautiful style is your hair—and it deserves to be beautiful and cared for, too.   So when the day is over and that wig comes off, give your scalp a little attention.   Cleanse when needed.   Condition.   Moisturize.   Detangle gently.   Protect your edges.   And give your natural hair the same love you give the style everyone else gets to see.   Because at Salon Candies, we believe healthy-looking hair begins long before the final style.   It begins with the way you care for it when no one is watching.   Love What’s Underneath the Wig   Your wig can change your style.   Your routine helps care for the hair underneath it.   Make scalp care, moisture, conditioning, and leave-in care part of your wig-wearing routine with Salon Candies Hair Products—because every beautiful style deserves a healthy foundation.   Healthy scalp. Happy hair. Beautiful you.

  Think about everything your hair goes through in a single week—washing, detangling, brushing, blow-drying, styling, heat, weather, friction, dryness and everyday manipulation. Even after using a great shampoo and conditioner, your hair can still need extra moisture, softness and protection once you step out of the shower.   That’s where a leave-in conditioner becomes an essential part of a healthy hair care routine.

Part one in essential oil series Essential oils elevate wellness products with their various unique health benefits while also having the added perk of being plant based and completely natural. There are a plethora of essential oils out there, but few are as versatile as peppermint oil. While this oil is known mainly for its stomach calming, soothing, and flavoring properties when ingested, peppermint oil is also amazing for your hair and scalp. Below, we’ll explore a few key reasons why you should be incorporating peppermint oil into your hair routine, who it’s for, and how to use it. 1: Stimulating When applied topically to the scalp, peppermint oil stimulates the hair follicle through the vasodilation, or widening, of blood vessels. This widening leads to increased blood flow, which can in turn help with thickening your hair, slowing hair loss, and even aiding in hair growth. The reason behind these benefits has everything to do with vasodilation. Improved blood circulation can increase hair follicle count, as well as depth, which results in thicker and healthier hair. 2: A Powerful Anti-Inflammatory As mentioned before, peppermint oil is a known stomach soother when ingested. Many a time, I myself have had peppermint candy after a meal or while traveling to help with nausea, indigestion, and even motion sickness and stomachaches. Fortunately, the soothing benefits of peppermint oil aren’t limited to taking it in some form by mouth. Peppermint menthol has a tingling cooling sensation that can help reduce inflammation when applied topically. For this reason, peppermint oil is used in many scalp soothing products, such as our own Happy Scalp Therapeutic Braid & Scalp Oil. Peppermint oil helps to calm red and irritated scalp that may happen as a result of tight braids, chemical burn, and even conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis. 3: Balancing the Hair and Scalp Peppermint oil is especially beneficial to those who have scalp issues such as imbalanced pH, oily scalp, or scalp psoriasis. Peppermint oil is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal that can help with maintaining the scalp’s natural biome and reducing symptoms associated with the aforementioned conditions. Keeping a healthy scalp is the firs step to relieving dandruff, itchiness, irritation, and issues related to stunted hair growth or hair loss. In addition, peppermint oil is an excellent oil regulator, and can help keep people with overly oily scalps like mine from producing excess sebum, which helps with reducing greasy hair and build up. Using Peppermint Oil Properly Peppermint oil is suitable for use on all hair types and hair porosities when applied the right way. Peppermint oil should never ever be applied directly onto your scalp or any other skin! It is very concentrated and quite powerful and can easily irritate your skin even if it isn’t particularly sensitive. Peppermint oil should always be diluted before use with a carrier oil such as almond or jojoba oil. Another tip is to utilize other ingredients alongside your peppermint oil. There is a plethora of other essential oils that work well with peppermint oil and can enhance certain properties based on what your needs are. Adding eucalyptus or lavender to your peppermint is the perfect therapeutic calming cocktail, while adding rosemary and citrus oils such as lemon or grapefruit are powerful scalp-detoxing concoctions. Parting Words It may be intimidating to enter the world of essential oils, but there is something for every need here, and peppermint oil is a perfect way to start. As with any product, do your research, identify your needs, and find what works for you through trial and error. Happy experimenting, and good luck on your hair health journey!

Facial hair has a special meaning to many men. For some, it is evokes a similar sense of pride to have a full and healthy beard as it does to a naturalista when she reaches her dream length or achieves the perfect twist out. For many, it’s a symbol of manhood. Young boys become men when they start to see the beginnings of a beard and mustache and start sprouting facial hair. However, it’s not enough to just have facial hair. Your facial must look good. A beard that connects, a soft and shiny mustache, and having full and luscious facial hair is a goal for many men, and one that often seems unattainable. However, getting the ‘stache of your dreams isn’t as hard as you might think! Here are a few ways you can jump start your journey to getting a better beard. Take care of yourself. It might be a surprise to some but having an unhealthy lifestyle can be a contributing factor to a beard that won’t grow or a mustache that is dull and brittle. Just as stress and not getting enough sleep can lead to losing hair on your head, it can also result in your thinning beard or even stagnant growth. Getting good sleep, eating right, and taking care of your skin are building blocks of the road to flourishing facial hair. Providing your body with the strength, nutrients, and TLC it needs is essential for growing anything, be it hair or muscles. Also take special care to stay away from harmful substances. Smoking, for example, according to a 2003 study published in a Karger journal, has been linked to premature hair loss. Try beard-boosting supplements and vitamins. There is a growing market for supplements that, when taken regularly by mouth, promise to help you grow thicker and fuller facial hair. However, many of these supplements do not have any sort of scientific backing. If you do plant to try beard supplements and multi-vitamins, there are some ingredients that have been shown to help with growing longer hair. Vitamin D can activate dormant hair follicles.  There is also evidence that B vitamins such as niacin, b-12, and most popularly, biotin, can help for conditioning and strengthening existing hair while also promoting healthy new growth. Vitamins E and A are antioxidant rich and can help with speeding cell turnover which results in thicker facial hair. Take care of your beard. Like you wash, detangle, moisturize, oil, and protect the hair on your head, the same must be done for facial hair. In many cases, your beard may be growing but due to neglect it looks dulls, is brittle, and is not retaining length due to breakage. Invest in products and tools to build yourself a solid facial hair care regimen. Wash your beard and mustache with a gentle shampoo or wash designed specifically for facial hair, use a beard balm or butter to introduce moisture to your beard and ‘stache, and apply a non-comedogenic oil to seal in that moisture. Comb your facial hair to keep it tangle free and do your part to protect in from breakage. Some men go the extra mile and invest in a beard bonnet or silk pillowcase to reduce friction on the beard when sleeping. And the most important thing is to leave it alone! Like with the hair on your head, your beard can thin due to overmanipulating it, playing in it, and pulling it. Looking for products with nourishing ingredients can also seem like an unsurmountable challenge,  but Salon Candies has you covered. Our soy and peppermint infused Hair & Beard Wash gives you a deep clean and strengthens every hair follicle, while our Beard Oil is full of ingredients like argan and avocado oils to help keep you beard full, soft, and shiny. Parting words. At the end of the day, how fast your facial hair grows, and whether you are able to grow thick facial hair at all is heavily dependent on your genetic disposition. DHT and testosterone are also factors that play a role in how easy it will be to achieve the beard of your dreams. Regardless, providing your beard with the healthiest and most ideal environment for it to grow will help with thickening your beard and making it fuller and healthier. Hopefully these tips will help you on your journey to a better beard.

You can lay them, shape them, swoop them, and style them, or wear them au naturale. Edges aren’t just the baby hairs that make up our hairlines, they are also something that kinkies, curlies, and coilies take very seriously. Taking care of our edges is a huge responsibility that should also be taken equally seriously, but it is one that many naturals tend to overlook until the damage is extensive enough to be visible. Broken, sparse, heat damaged, and growth-stunted edges can arise as a result of neglect and overmanipulating, but edges can fortunately bounce back! Just give them time, TLC, and try some of the tips and tricks below. Treat your edges with care! The hair around our hairlines is the finest and most fragile. Incidentally, it is also the hair that we tend to manipulate and pick at the most, so it’s no wonder that most people tend to see evidence of hair loss and thinning around their hairlines before anywhere else. Put down the edge control and brush every once in a while, and when you do style, make sure to handle your edges gently and use products that don’t flake and are less likely to cause harmful product buildup when you style. Try our Happy Edges ‘line, which has a firm flake free hold, rinses out of hair easily, and has ingredients that protect your hairline and can even make your hairline appear fuller. Switch up your styles. A leading cause of damaged edges is traction alopecia, which is hair loss that is a result of excessive tension on the scalp from hairstyles such as tight braids, cornrows, and ponytails. A rule of thumb is that if your face is stiff, your scalp is raised and red, and your scalp and hairline are pulsing, throbbing, or hurt to the touch, your style is entirely too tight. And while fresh protective style can be a little stiff when they’re fresh, there is a stark difference between a little bit of tenderness and hair that Is pulled so tight it is irritating and painful. Consider wearing low-tension styles in between your protective styles and high puffs. Trying a wash n go, rod set, and even knotless styles occasionally is a great way to let your scalp and edges breathe. Edges need product too! You wouldn’t go through wash day without adding leave in to your hair, oiling your scalp, or deep conditioning, nor would you let product build up on your hair for days and weeks at a time, would you? For many naturals, this is the type of neglect that their edges are regularly subjected to. It is easy to overlook those little hairs or constantly coat them with edge control, neglect to keep them moisturize, or heat style them regularly to get them to lay down. Edges, like the rest of the hair on our heads, need to be taken care of with quality products. Make sure to add any products you’re using on your shaft to your hairline, and to protect them as you do the rest of your hair. In fact, there are specialized products out there that are meant specifically for protecting your edges and scalp such as our Healing Drops, which help with thickening sparse edges and repairing damage along the hairline as well. Parting Words Your edges are important and need to be properly taken care of to thrive. Wear low tension styles, take good care of your edges, and show them love! With time and patience your hairline will be full healthy, and beautiful, and your edges will look and feel amazing, any way you wear them.