The Cost of Ms. Treatment

Yesterday, I got my hair cut at the local barber on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, adjacent to the 4 Train. While waiting, I was thinking that women have it much easier as they don't have to get their hair cut as often.  The cut cost me 10 bucks and I tipped the barber with an extra $2.

As I left the barber shop, I wondered if a typical haircut for women cost about the same. After a quick internet search, I learned from Cosmo that prices range from $21 to $400! Yikes! Add to that, the various products that are required to keep up that do, I am glad that I am man as I don't think I could afford to be a woman!

I can remember when I was a kid that my mom used to make me go with her to the beauty shop where she would get a perm. For her, this was part of her beauty routine. For me, this was a torture to my sense of smell. The odors from perms made me nauseous and gag.

Being Chinese, I often wondered why my mom would want to curl her beautifully straight hair. And I was more confused when I learned that some women who had loose or really tight curls permed their hair to make it straight like my mother's natural hair, although there is a trend to transition to more natural styles. (Watch the video or read more about that in the NY Times.)

I then remember my mom paying lots of money for her perm. On average a perm job could cost from $25 to $250. In addition to financial costs, a perm can rack up costs in other ways. It can also be harsh on the hair as it could cause hair to become brittle or break. A perm can also be painful as it can burn the scalp. And as a little boy, who was dragged to the beauty salon, it cost me valuable play time and it made me literally sick.

So all these costs just to style the follicles on top of one’s head makes me confused. If the average woman makes .77 to theaverage man's dollar, how is it that she is also required to pay much more for something as simple as a haircut?

And it doesn't just stop there. What about the cost of make-up and other "beauty" supplies? What about her wardrobe and matching shoes? And don't forget the purse!

Have you ever wondered why most clothes made for women are bereft of pockets. This anti-pocket over slim and tight fashion requires her to carry her valuables (keys, wallet, money, phone, etc.) in a pocketbook, thus leaving her more vulnerable to thievery. If someone wanted to steal my wallet, he or she would have to wrestle me to get into my pants pockets (Creepy!). However, for the typical women, the thief could just grab her pocketbook where all her valuables are contained and run for the proverbial hills!

And pocketbooks cost a pretty penny as well! They can cost 20 bucks a pop for an inexpensive bag, and according to Forbes, they can run up to $37,000 for something a little more upscale. Whew! Again, I am very much glad to be a man, as I don’t think I can afford to pay for all of these things let alone have to stress whether or not my bag matched my outfit or have to remember where I last left it!

So, from expensive haircuts to perms and purses, why would someone pay for that (Ms.) treatment?

This makes me wonder about the beauty and ad industry. How does a person learn to not only take this kind of treatment, but pay for it?

Jean Kilbourne has some ideas about that and has been talking about this for 40 years. Check out the 5 minute video below.
 

So the next time I complain about women having it easier, please remind me that that is only an illusion. And if you think they have it easier, perhaps I can remind you, that illusion, comes at a cost!

As always, feedback in comments or questions are always welcome.  Please post below or email me.