A full-arms wax at home should not cost what a facial does, and a bridal makeup should not be quoted as a single mysterious number. Here is what each common service actually involves, what it should cost in a typical Indian city, and the five things that separate a professional from someone with a bag of products.
The short answer
Most everyday services at home cost between ₹120 for eyebrows and upper lip and ₹1,500 for a premium facial. The visit charge is around ₹150 and is waived by almost everyone once a service is booked. Products are included. Bridal and occasion makeup is a different scale, from ₹2,500 for a party to ₹9,000 for the wedding itself.
| Service | Typical charge | Priced per |
|---|---|---|
| Eyebrows and upper lip threading | ₹120 | session |
| Face cleanup | ₹400 | session |
| Facial, fruit or basic | ₹700 | session |
| Premium facial, gold, diamond, O3+ | ₹1,500 | session |
| Full arms wax | ₹300 | session |
| Full legs wax | ₹500 | session |
| Full body wax | ₹1,500 | session |
| Rica or liposoluble upgrade | ₹400 | added to any wax |
| Manicure | ₹500 | session |
| Pedicure | ₹700 | session |
| Haircut, women | ₹400 | session |
| Hair spa | ₹900 | session |
| Root touch-up or colour | ₹1,200 | session |
| Full body massage, 60 minutes | ₹1,200 | session |
| Party makeup | ₹2,500 | session |
| Engagement or reception makeup | ₹5,000 | session |
| Bridal makeup, HD or airbrush | ₹9,000 | session |
| Mehndi, both hands | ₹1,500 | session |
| Haircut, men | ₹250 | session |
Metro cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru run about 30 percent higher. A same-day booking adds roughly 20 percent. Flexible timing takes a little off. These are the figures the TheHire cost estimator uses, so what you read here is what it will quote.
How beauticians actually charge
Four parts to the number, and most arguments happen because only one was discussed on the phone.
- The visit charge. Around ₹150. It covers the travel for a booking that is cancelled at the door. Nearly everyone waives it once a service is done; ask, "Is the visit free if I go ahead?"
- The service, priced per session. Threading, a facial, a wax, a manicure. Each is one line. A quote that is one lump sum for "facial, wax and threading" has not counted anything.
- Products. Included for the standard service. Upgrades cost more because the product does: Rica wax is ₹400 on top of any wax because the wax itself costs several times what hot wax does. A specific brand you ask for, you buy.
- Where you live and when. Tier 1 cities cost more. A Sunday morning before a function costs more than a Tuesday afternoon. Both should be said upfront.
Travel is the hidden fifth. Within a few kilometres it is built into the price. Across the city for a single threading, a beautician will ask for a minimum booking, and that is fair.
The eight services most homes book
1. Threading, ₹120
Eyebrows and upper lip, ten minutes, a fresh length of thread for every client. The thing to watch is the thread: it should come off a new reel in front of you, not out of a pocket.
2. Cleanup and facial, ₹400 to ₹1,500
A cleanup at ₹400 is cleansing, scrub, steam, blackhead removal and a pack: 30 to 40 minutes. A facial adds massage and a mask and is an hour: ₹700 for a fruit or basic facial, ₹1,500 for a premium one with a branded kit, gold, diamond or O3+. A de-tan for face and neck is ₹450. The premium is for the kit; ask to see it sealed before it is opened.
3. Waxing, ₹120 to ₹1,500
Underarms ₹120, full arms ₹300, full legs ₹500, full body ₹1,500. Rica or liposoluble wax, gentler and less painful, is ₹400 on top. The rule that matters: no double-dipping. The spatula goes into the wax once and is thrown away; a beautician who dips a used spatula back into the pot is carrying the last client's skin to yours.
4. Manicure and pedicure, ₹500 and ₹700
Manicure ₹500, pedicure ₹700, gel polish ₹600, a spa mani-pedi together ₹1,500. The tools, clippers, pushers and files, should be sterilised or disposable; a file should be new for you. A pedicure needs a tub, which the beautician brings or you provide.
5. Hair, ₹400 to ₹4,500
A women's haircut at home is ₹400, a blow-dry ₹400, a hair spa ₹900, a root touch-up or colour ₹1,200 with colour extra for long hair. Henna application is ₹500. Keratin or smoothening at ₹4,500 is a three-hour job that needs a steady power supply for the straightener and a strand test first.
6. Massage and body, ₹400 to ₹2,500
A head and shoulder massage is ₹400, a full-body 60-minute massage ₹1,200, a body polish ₹2,500, de-tan for arms and legs ₹900. A massage at home needs a firm surface and a clean sheet, which is yours to provide.
7. Party and occasion, ₹2,500 to ₹5,000
Party makeup is ₹2,500; engagement or reception makeup, with more time and more product, ₹5,000. Hairstyling for an occasion is ₹1,000 and saree draping ₹500, each a separate line. For a group, say the headcount; the beautician brings an assistant and the time per person comes down.
8. Bridal, ₹9,000 plus a trial
HD or airbrush bridal makeup is ₹9,000 for the wedding function, with hair and draping as separate lines. A trial, a fortnight before, is extra and is not optional: it is where the base is matched to your skin in daylight and the look is agreed in photographs. Mehndi for both hands is ₹1,500, bridal feet extra. A groom's makeup and styling is ₹3,500.
One rule that saves money: book the small services together. Threading, a cleanup and arms wax in one visit costs one visit charge, usually waived, and beauticians on TheHire discount from the fourth service onwards.
Five signs of a professional
- They ask about your skin before they open a product: allergies, acne, any treatment you are on, the last time you had a reaction.
- They do a patch test for colour, keratin and any product you have not used before, a day ahead, and will not skip it on request.
- Disposable where it can be: spatulas, thread, strips, sponges, files. Steel tools come out of a sterilising pouch.
- The kit is shown sealed before it is opened, for a premium facial or a colour.
- They have photographs of their own work, in daylight, and are happy for you to call a bride they did last season.
Every beautician on TheHire is ID and phone verified, and reviews after each booking are public, which takes care of the part you cannot check at the door.
What to keep ready before they arrive
- A room with a bed or a reclining chair, good light, and a power socket within reach.
- A clean towel and sheet of your own, which is nicer than anyone's bag.
- Hot water, and a tub for a pedicure.
- The reference photo for a party or bridal look, and the outfit, so the colours can be matched.
- Your skin history in one sentence if you have one: "I react to bleach" saves everyone a bad evening.
When the price is not the price
Very long or very thick hair. Colour, keratin and a hair spa use more product and more time, and a professional will say so when they see it, not after.
A group at home. Four people for party makeup on one evening is a day's work and an assistant. Expect the per-person rate and a small travel-and-time premium, and expect it to be worth it.
The morning of a function. The visit at 5 am for a 9 am muhurtham is a different booking from the same work at 3 pm. Agree the start time and the surcharge when you book, not on the day.