Last year I hit a new phase of life. Two promotions came in quick succession, and with them came heavier responsibilities and longer hours. I kept circling the same question: how was I supposed to have time for everything — being a good employee, a good fiancée, a good friend and family member, while also staying fit, keeping my house in order, and carving out even a sliver of time for things I actually enjoy?
Then last August, I went to Drybar for a birthday blowout. While I was there, I learned about their membership plans and had a thought: what if I came back every Sunday?
I haven't washed my own hair since. It's changed my life more than I expected.
Every five days, for over $300 a month
What started as a weekly appointment eventually became something more frequent — I'm at the salon roughly every five days now, and my workouts get scheduled around it, not the other way around. I'm getting married next year and training seriously, so if I've got an intense cardio session, hot yoga, or a heavy leg day on the calendar, I make sure it lands the day before or the morning of a blowout.
Each appointment runs 45 minutes to an hour. Washing, drying, and styling my hair myself would eat up closer to two hours.
It's not really about the hair
I do more when I look and feel put together — my hair isn't just hair, it's part of how I present myself. And presentation matters constantly in a corporate setting. Looking polished reads as "executive presence," which counts for a lot when you're still early in your career.
The bigger shift is psychological. I no longer spend Sunday nights spiraling about how I'll possibly fit everything in that week. My blowout is a fixed point — I know it's happening, and that certainty gives me room to breathe.
I've also learned to treat that hour in the chair as work time. I answer emails, edit videos, book my next appointment before I even leave — things I can't do while I'm the one holding the blow-dryer. When I buy a package of blowouts, what I'm really buying is time.
Doing the math
I started on a $99-a-month membership that included two blowouts and let me add extras at a discounted $54 each. At roughly six blowouts a month, that put me at about $315 before tax and a 20% tip.
This summer, my local Drybar rolled out a better package — 12 blowouts for $565 — which brought my monthly total down to around $282 before tax and tip.
It's a splurge, no question. But I'd rather spend on things that buy me time than things that don't, and this is one I'll always find room for in the budget.
Making it last
My hair obviously doesn't look as fresh on day five as it does on day one, but the touch-ups are fast. I never let it get wet and wear a shower cap in the shower. The morning after each blowout, I run a bit of dry shampoo through it as insurance. If it needs more help, a little hair oil on the ends and under five minutes with a curling iron brings it right back.
I think of the blowout as an accessory that finishes the outfit — it gives me a quick hit of confidence with almost no daily effort, which matters when I don't have time to start from scratch every morning.
Plenty of people get manicures they could technically do themselves. This isn't so different. Going to the salon every week used to be completely ordinary for women — I'm just bringing that back. Grandma and I will see you there.