My Experience at Aveda Institute: Haircut Price & What To Expect

One of the best beauty bargains out there is the Aveda Institute. Learn what to expect from a visit there, including the Aveda haircut price and the time involved. 

I can’t believe it has taken me this long to write about the Aveda Institute! It is seriously one of the best frugal beauty deals out there.

Aveda Institutes are schools where students train to become licensed cosmetologists with a focus on using naturally derived Aveda products.

If you aren’t familiar with Aveda products, they are made from pure flower and plant essences and are some of the best hair and skin products out there, in my opinion.

High-end Aveda products and salons would usually be financially out of reach for me as we currently live on one modest income. Enter the magic of the Aveda Institutes!

If you are lucky enough to live close to one of the 66 Aveda Institute locations in the U.S., you can get services at a huge discount because students will be performing the services. But don’t worry, experienced instructors are supervising and approve everything the students do! 

Though the price may vary by location, my Aveda haircut price was $18. That was for a shampoo, cut, and style. That’s unheard of at regular salons.

I have been getting my hair cut at the Aveda Institute in Chapel Hill, NC on and off for the past five years. I have never had a bad haircut or a negative experience there! There is one major downside to getting a service there, which I will get to a little later on.

So in this post I’ll share my recent experience getting a haircut at the Aveda Institute as well as some ways to get discounts.

First, here is the “before” picture of my unruly hair that was desperate for a haircut.

It had been at least 9 months since I last had it cut… Clearly haircuts aren’t a big priority in my life. 😉

After I checked in at the front desk for my 10:00 am appointment, I was offered some water or tea.

I LOVE this tea so I always accept the small cup of tea while I wait! I consider it the start of my mini spa day.

I also always sample some Aveda products while I wait. This stuff all smells amazing. I waited less than 5 minutes and the student who was cutting my hair, Katie, found me in the lobby.

When you call to make an appointment, you’ll be asked if you prefer a certain level of student. Students performing services at the Aveda Institutes are Sophomores, Juniors, or Seniors.

Services from students with more experience are slightly more expensive (a few dollars more for haircuts). I’ve always had Junior and Seniors and they have been very skilled.

Your student will take you to their station where you’ll discuss what you’d like done. I asked Katie to take about 6 inches off and put in some very long layers.

At this point, an instructor comes over with the student and they discuss a plan for your haircut and the Aveda products they’ll use. Students must get approval from instructors before they do anything to your hair!

Then my favorite part… getting to lie down in this relaxing space to get my hair washed.

Students give you a shampoo, scalp massage, and conditioner treatment with the incredible smelling Aveda products.

I was the only one in there at the time so I had the place to myself!

Now here is the one downside of getting a haircut at an Aveda Institute for me… it takes a LONGGGG time.

I expect to spend around 2 hours there in total, though this trip was an hour and a half. The students are very careful since they are still learning, and they have to get instructor approval at several points in the process.

If you don’t mind the investment of time, you can have an excellent haircut for super cheap.

On top of your shampoo, haircut, and style, you also get a “mini spa treatment” as part of your visit.

You get to choose from a mini-facial, hand and arm massage, or neck and shoulder massage from your student. I’ve tried all three in the past and today I opted for a neck and shoulder massage. I think they are all great options.

Click here for my honest review of Birchbox, another low-cost way to get beauty products. 

Katie offered to take a picture of my haircut before I left, so here is my mugshot in front of the fancy Aveda backdrop. 😉

And here’s the “after” selfie when I got back into the car. My hair felt so much better!

You can also get facials, manicures, pedicures, and pretty much anything else you’d expect from a large salon.

I was also SO proud of myself because I scheduled my next haircut before I left! It is about 3.5 months out, which is much better than 9-12 months.

I hope this post helped answer your questions about the price of an Aveda haircut and what to expect. 

Have you ever been to an Aveda Institute? Would you consider it, or is it too scary to leave your hair in the hands of a student? Please leave a comment below!

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