Compiled by BeautyTherapistForms from the sources listed below, checked on 5 November 2026. We sell the templates linked on this page.
How much to charge for beauty treatments in the UK: typical prices and how to set yours (2026)
Published UK price guides put a 60-minute facial at about £50 to £90, a lash lift and tint at £50 to £120 and a gel manicure at £20 to £40, with London and the South East dearer than the Midlands, the North or Scotland and Wales. Those are market ranges, not your price. Set your own by adding product cost, your time, overheads and tax, then comparing with local salons.
Typical UK prices by treatment
No official body publishes beauty prices, so these are ranges from two UK price guides, checked on 5 November 2026. The Salon Searcher index (updated 15 September 2026) says its figures are typical ranges researched against UK salon and clinic pricing, not quotes from individual venues. Beauty Studio Box does not state a data source for its figures, so treat them as indicative.
| Treatment | Typical UK price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Facial, 30 minutes | £35 to £65 | Beauty Studio Box |
| Facial, 60 minutes | £50 to £90 | Beauty Studio Box |
| Gel manicure | £20 to £40 | Beauty Studio Box |
| Gel nail extensions | £45 to £90 | Salon Searcher |
| BIAB nails, full set | £35 to £75, infills £30 to £45 | Salon Searcher |
| Lash lift and tint | £50 to £120 (lift only £40 to £75, tint only £10 to £25) | Salon Searcher |
| Lash extensions | £80 to £150 | Beauty Studio Box |
| Eyebrow threading or wax | £10 to £18 | Beauty Studio Box |
| Full leg wax | £20 to £40 | Beauty Studio Box |
| Massage, 60 minutes | £50 to £90 | Beauty Studio Box |
| Lymphatic drainage, per session | £50 to £120 | Salon Searcher |
| Microblading | £250 to £450 | Salon Searcher |
Does where you live change the price?
Yes. Salon Searcher says London pricing typically runs 20 to 50 percent above its national ranges, depending on the treatment. Beauty Studio Box splits the UK into regions and, again without naming its data source, reports these ranges:
| Region | Facial | Gel manicure or gel nails | Waxing or threading |
|---|---|---|---|
| London and South East | £55 to £120 | £25 to £50 | From £20 |
| Midlands and North West | £40 to £70 | £18 to £35 | £12 to £20 |
| Scotland, Wales and rural areas | £30 to £55 | Manicures £12 to £25 | £8 to £15 |
Salon, mobile or home: how setting affects your price
Beauty Studio Box says home-visit services are around 15 to 20 percent cheaper than salon equivalents, though travel fees can narrow the gap. It does not give a source for that figure, so use it as a starting point only and check your own area.
The setting changes your costs more than your market price. A therapist renting a chair or room pays rent, a mobile therapist pays for travel time and fuel, and a therapist working from home may need a licence depending on the treatments and the council. Our home and mobile paperwork checklist and licence guide cover those points, and our insurance guide shows how the setting affects cover.
Working out your own rate from your costs
Professional Beauty's method has three parts. Total the cost of everything a treatment uses, including disposables. Work out the time cost of each treatment, including set-up and changeover between clients, and if you are self-employed include your own hourly rate. Then divide rent, utilities and other business costs across your working hours to get a cost per treatment slot. Adding the three gives an approximate break-even cost, and you then add your profit margin and VAT if applicable.
For your own time, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour from 1 April 2026 (GOV.UK). That is a floor for what an hour of your time should earn, before you add costs and profit. Count unbooked hours too, because you will not fill every slot.
Professional Beauty also warns against using competitors' prices as your benchmark, underpricing for fear of losing clients, delaying increases and leaving out full treatment costs. It suggests raising prices on a fixed date each year so clients can expect it. Use local prices as a sense-check, not as the starting point.
Tax and VAT: what comes out of what you charge
Prices are not profit. If you are self-employed, GOV.UK says Class 4 National Insurance for 2026 to 2027 is 6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above that, paid through Self Assessment. You must tell HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year if you need to file a return and have not before, and online returns and payment are due by 31 January after the tax year ends.
You must register for VAT if your VAT taxable turnover is more than £90,000, per GOV.UK. Below that you do not have to register, but plan ahead, because once you register your prices rise by VAT unless you absorb it.
Keep clear records of what you charge and what you are paid. Our paperwork guide for starting a salon covers registering and record-keeping, and a clear cancellation and deposit policy protects the income you have priced in.
Get the free Treatment Price and Cost Worksheet: 17 questions and a signed declaration, emailed to you as a print-ready form.
Free template
Get the print-ready Treatment Price and Cost Worksheet
A print-ready worksheet to work out the cost of each treatment on your menu: products, your time, overheads, margin and tax set-aside. Free, and yours to keep.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a beginner charge for beauty treatments?
Work from your costs first, not from competitors. Add product cost, your time at no less than the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour, a share of overheads and a margin. Then compare with local salons and decide whether a lower introductory price is worth it.
Should mobile beauty therapists charge less than salons?
Not automatically. One UK guide reports home visits around 15 to 20 percent cheaper than salon prices, but travel time and fuel are real costs, so many mobile therapists add a call-out or travel fee. Cost your own journeys before copying that discount.
Do I have to charge VAT?
Only if your VAT taxable turnover is more than £90,000, according to GOV.UK. Below that you do not have to register, but you may want to plan for the day you do.
How often should I raise my prices?
Professional Beauty suggests a fixed date once a year, such as 1 April, so clients can expect it. Raise earlier if your costs, such as product prices or rent, rise sharply.
Why are London beauty prices higher?
Salon Searcher says London pricing typically runs 20 to 50 percent above national ranges, depending on the treatment. Check what salons near you actually charge rather than relying on a national figure.
Sources
- UK Beauty Price Index 2026: what 98 treatments really cost, Salon Searcher
- How much does beauty treatments cost in 2026? UK price guide, Beauty Studio Box
- How to calculate beauty treatment prices and when to raise them, Professional Beauty
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, GOV.UK
- National Insurance rates for the self-employed, GOV.UK
- Self Assessment tax returns deadlines, GOV.UK
- VAT registration thresholds, GOV.UK
Every treatment starts with a signature
Consultation, consent and patch-test records ready before the client sits down, so you are covered whatever happens.
The therapist who is covered, whatever happens.
These articles are general guidance for UK beauty therapists, not legal or medical advice. Our forms are editable templates: adapt them to your specific treatments, your product manufacturer's protocol and your insurer's terms.