Parent, Issuers, Guarantor and Non Guarantor Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet
Percentage of guarantor subsidiaries owned by parent	100.00%
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 86,622	$ 140,038	$ 106,575	$ 47,115
Trade and other accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	83,983	91,092
Inventory	907,337	885,214
Other current assets	54,861	37,049
Deferred income tax assets	40,024	33,709
Property and equipment, net	319,558	270,847
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	625,677	623,217
Other assets	14,001	13,185
Total assets	2,132,063	2,094,351	2,004,319
Liabilities and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity
Accounts payable	271,376	275,917
Accrued liabilities	214,584	208,717
Income taxes payable	1,989	6,310
Long-term debt	1,784,010	1,787,594
Other liabilities	21,614	27,734
Deferred income tax liabilities	114,656	85,900
Total liabilities	2,408,229	2,392,172
Total stockholders' (deficit) equity	(276,166)	(297,821)	(347,053)	(303,479)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit	2,132,063	2,094,351
Reportable Legal Entities | Parent
Assets
Trade and other accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	16
Other current assets	14,816	2,308
Deferred income tax assets	50
Property and equipment, net	15	2
Investment in subsidiaries	870,907	663,045
Other assets	1,515	1,384
Total assets	887,319	666,739
Liabilities and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity
Accounts payable	116
Due to affiliates	1,162,045	962,264
Accrued liabilities	1,324	771
Income taxes payable		1,525
Total liabilities	1,163,485	964,560
Total stockholders' (deficit) equity	(276,166)	(297,821)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit	887,319	666,739
Reportable Legal Entities | Sally Holdings LLC and Sally Capital Inc.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	28,372	46,003	27,000
Other current assets	30	27
Deferred income tax assets		11
Investment in subsidiaries	3,395,436	3,099,141
Other assets	2,158	2,894
Total assets	3,425,996	3,148,076
Liabilities and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity
Accounts payable	1
Due to affiliates	736,373	658,106
Accrued liabilities	35,320	40,768
Income taxes payable	1,508	1,337
Long-term debt	1,781,887	1,784,724
Deferred income tax liabilities		96
Total liabilities	2,555,089	2,485,031
Total stockholders' (deficit) equity	870,907	663,045
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit	3,425,996	3,148,076
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	22,368	58,851	40,042	16,337
Trade and other accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	55,989	60,744
Due from affiliates	1,966,505	1,687,325
Inventory	709,523	687,884
Other current assets	23,864	17,803
Deferred income tax assets	35,740	30,565
Property and equipment, net	239,791	195,271
Investment in subsidiaries	359,193	360,416
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	479,682	468,342
Other assets	(8,090)	(6,949)
Total assets	3,884,565	3,560,252
Liabilities and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity
Accounts payable	215,552	217,964
Due to affiliates		35
Accrued liabilities	145,661	136,688
Long-term debt	17	109
Other liabilities	17,852	24,686
Deferred income tax liabilities	110,047	81,629
Total liabilities	489,129	461,111
Total stockholders' (deficit) equity	3,395,436	3,099,141
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit	3,884,565	3,560,252
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	35,882	35,184	$ 39,533	$ 30,778
Trade and other accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	27,978	30,348
Due from affiliates		35
Inventory	197,814	197,330
Other current assets	16,151	16,911
Deferred income tax assets	4,234	3,133
Property and equipment, net	79,752	75,574
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	145,995	154,875
Other assets	18,418	15,856
Total assets	526,224	529,246
Liabilities and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity
Accounts payable	55,707	57,953
Due to affiliates	68,087	66,955
Accrued liabilities	32,279	30,490
Income taxes payable	481	3,448
Long-term debt	2,106	2,761
Other liabilities	3,762	3,048
Deferred income tax liabilities	4,609	4,175
Total liabilities	167,031	168,830
Total stockholders' (deficit) equity	359,193	360,416
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit	526,224	529,246
Consolidating Eliminations
Assets
Due from affiliates	(1,966,505)	(1,687,360)
Investment in subsidiaries	(4,625,536)	(4,122,602)
Total assets	(6,592,041)	(5,809,962)
Liabilities and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity
Due to affiliates	(1,966,505)	(1,687,360)
Total liabilities	(1,966,505)	(1,687,360)
Total stockholders' (deficit) equity	(4,625,536)	(4,122,602)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit	$ (6,592,041)	$ (5,809,962)