Yes, That Would Be Very Unreasonable, Thanks for Asking
The individual in this story is a hair stylist whose cousin’s new partner asked them to do their hair. Though there’s nothing wrong with asking someone who does hair for an appointment, trying to make this happen was another story.
Obviously, working for free is not ideal. Get paid in exposure? No thanks, food is more important. If you’re asking a professional to trade services instead of receiving payment, it isn’t fair because they would get no benefit from it. Just be honest and say that their prices don’t fit into your budget–there’s no shame in that!