India, Aug. 18 -- What if paying someone to do your hair could give you back hours every week? For Maddie Johnson, a 30-year-old attorney and business affairs executive in Los Angeles, that calculation became worthwhile after two quick promotions left her struggling to keep up with work and life. She now spends more than $300 a month on salon blowouts, treating the expense as a way to buy back her free time.

According to Business Insider, Johnson began getting regular blowouts after visiting Drybar for her birthday last August. At the time, she was trying to balance longer working hours with fitness, wedding preparations, household chores, family and friendships. What started as a weekly appointment gradually became part of her regular r...