Is anybody else intimidated by hair salons?

The BBQ Pit
1

My rage is burning with the heat of a thousand curling irons - no, wait, I’m not really that worked up about this. Just a little miffed, and a little humiliated.

Some back story - I went to a couple of fancier hair salons in my neighbourhood to talk to the hair-doin’ ladies about getting my hair done for my wedding next month, and to figure out timing for hair cuts, dying, etc.

First off, you walk in the door, and there is this whole “walking on a stage with everyone watching” atmosphere at these places; everyone looks up, all the beautiful people with their perfect hair and makeup give you the once over, and you have time to reflect on your hair, makeup, and clothing (needs washing, none, and office casual with Adidas runners) as you walk over to the receptionist. Then you get the big fake grin, and a “what can we possibly do for someone who needs our services as badly as you obviously do?” (paraphrasing, of course)

“Well,” I stammer, “I’m looking to talk to someone about getting weddding hair stuff done next month.”
“Oh - well, Latrina here could talk to you - Latrina dear - are you busy?”
“I was wondering about prices for services here, too”
{temperature in room drops noticeably}
“Oh. You see, the kind of people we tolerate here don’t have to ask about prices.” (paraphrasing again)“Here is our price list.” (conveniently displayed on a tiny little card hidden behind a beautiful floral arrangement)
“$50 for a hair cut?!? $60 and up for an up-do?” (paraphrasing again - it may have come out sounding more like “Oh, thank you.”)
“So, should we book you in for your consultation ($35), your hair cut ($50), your makeup ($45), your manicure ($26), and your up-do ($60 plus)?”
“Umm, I’m just looking for some information right now. I’ll let you know about making the bookings.”

Followed by me running out the door with visions of the lovely ladies having a good laugh as the door closes behind me.
“Peasant.”
“Bougeois scum.”
“Off-the-rack clothes wearer.”

I’m doomed to a lifetime of cheap haircuts at First Choice Haircutters because these tony salons just intimidate me, and then I get mad cause I feel intimidated, then I feel indignant at their prices, then I just go home and have some chocolate and a nap.

(Please, don’t waste a response on telling me how lucky I am that these prices are so low. It’s the principle of the thing, you know?)

2

Well, I’ll be the last to tell you that you are lucky that the prices are so low. I get my hair cut at the local Haircuts by Surly Women for ten bucks. ‘Course my hair looks kinda like I chopped it off with a weed wacker right now ("I’m giving you a ‘choppy’ look. It’s in now. [Insert surly scoul here]).
So to answer your question - yes, Chez Slick and Self-Important always intimidates me. Mostly because I think they know I won’t be able to afford much. I did splurge for one once and even though I went in with the attitude that “I belonged there” I still felt like a monkey in roller skates the whole time. A smaller, non-chain but not-so-expensive place may be your best bet. For my wedding I used a girl that I knew growing up - she charged me $20 for the whole deal, including placing my veil and working around it. She even came to the church before the wedding to touch me up and do my make-up. I gave her a nice gift in return for the extras. Still didn’t cost as much as it would have to have been humiliated on my wedding day - and I ain’t just talkin’ bout the dollars.

3

I can’t stand salons like that. But when encountered with with snooty receptionist and hairstylist types, I bolster myself with the thought “Hey, why are you looking down on me? I’m the one paying a metric shload of money here, and you’re the one working in the service industry! Oh yeah, it may be ritzy schnitzy service, but it’s still service! You still answer phones for a living, receptionist. And you, stylist, you still expect tips! Kiss my patron butt!” Yes, it’s elitist, but why should they get to be icy with a customer?

4

Excellent point, Rez. I’m going to be a big enough nervous mess on my wedding day; I don’t need an appointment with Snooty Haircuts R Us to make me feel even more anxious. And I agree, tlw; I should look at it from the point of view that they are there to serve me, but somehow I just can’t come around to that.

5

I’m definitely not getting married in the near future, but count me in as one of those who will definitely get a “beauty-professional” friend to take care of her hair and makeup.

The way I think about upscale salons is this- all the glitz is just there to sell the product. It is, surprisingly, supposed to make you feel better about your hair (b/c their hair is just so damn good!). Do you want a girl in clown makeup doing yours? I think not. If they want to get uppity about it, then fine. It’s your dollar that’s making up their paychecks, however, and don’t you forget it!

6

Nice. :rolleyes: Don’t come to my deli.

7

I used to go to these salons in a real snobby part of town back when I was real picky about my hair. And they treated me like shit and the other stylists looked down their noses and I sucked it up to get a good do. These days, I’ll be damned if I drop my money any place that makes me feel bad.

Besides these salon people have nothing on the makeup counter people. “Oh dear, your skin…” That’s where I’d go if I want to feel really bad.

I know Mary Kay reps will do entire wedding parties for makeup and I’m sure they would give you better service. Maybe you can find a rep that can also refer a stylist. I’d keep on looking either way. I don’t think you should take that crap on your wedding day. Or any day.

8

I love the new barber shop I found. Once you sit in the chair, everybody starts yabbering in italian to each other. Staff and customers alike, I have no idea what anybody is saying. It’s kinda soothing, in its own way.

Where do you normally get your hair done, can that place help you at all? I would imagine that stylists even at cheap places can manage an up-do. They all need training and licencing to be in the industry to begin with, right?

9

What the fuck is a “hair consultation”?

10

Slight hijack] Rez, I must go to a slightly different “Haircuts for 10 Bucks” chain because they aren’t at all surly. I went a coupla days ago and was talking about “Shallow Hal” with the stylist (she’d just seen it). Which I thought was quite appropriate to the locale… I do seem to get a completely different stylist everytime they go there. Course I tip really well too. I can afford to, the cuts are only 10$ :smiley: [/hijack]

Yep Featherlou, I avoid those “spa” places like the plague. It’s like people you see shopping in the mall who look like they just stepped out of a Gap add. I’m at the mall because I have to buy a gift, or some underwear, or spend 6 hours looking for a white blouse that doesn’t show my underwear. If I was wearing a t-shirt that morning, that’s what I’m still wearing.

Then you get people in all such places that worship at the altar of Moolah, the goddess of Insecurity, who have bought into that crap, and go into the stylist without a hair out of place, because Moolah forbid they should not look perfect for more than five minutes…

I’d ask around and see if any of your friends/acquaintance/relatives can recommend someone local.

11

$50 is a lot for a haircut???

That sounds pretty average to me.

12

For my wedding (no veil) I got a very pretty handmade barrette and just pulled my hair back. I don’t wear makeup, and even though all the books say, “even if you don’t wear it, you should on your wedding day,” I didn’t. I figured, why be uncomfortable on my day. Didn’t bother my husband any.

I hate tony salons like that. I usually get my hair cut at Supercuts. I may try my local old-women-get-their-hair-shellacked salon soon though. I doubt any of the helmet hair crowd is going to laugh at me.

13

Ooh ooh, I went to one of those before! Normally, I go to the cheap haircut places, but once I went to a place downtown. When they quotes $50, I almost choked, but I decided to splurge anyway (I was about to start a vacation). They offered me a soft drink, were extremely nice, and I had one man who washed my hair and one man who did the actual cut. It was a bit intimidating, but oh, it was so lovely. I wish I could afford to get my hair cut there all the time. It was, incidentally, the best haircut and style I have ever had.

14

What’s an up-do?

15

Up-do is the fancy hairdo where all the long hair is piled on top of the head, stylishly, of course. Normally held in with about 100 bobbie pins that the glowing bride has to spend a half hour removing at the end of the night.

16

Why, are you a snarky, condescending, elitist idiot who treats your customers badly as if to question how they could have possible dared to bring their low-market selves into your beautiful, high class delicatessen which should be the sole provence of the posh and well-heeled?

If not, then you’re already aware that you’re in the service industry, and you serve your customers well, and when they treat you with dignity and respect you treat them likewise. You don’t need a reminder of the position in which you have chosen to work.

Really, until you’ve had to deal with one of these snooty bitches head on, you have no idea how mild my statement was.

I am recalling an episode of the show “Taxi” in which Elaine visits one of those poshy salons and is mangled by this foo foo stylist (played wonderfully by Ted Danson) who thinks it’s funny that she’s upset after he’s made her look completely ridiculous. He treats her awfully, makes her feel badly for getting upset, and in the end, she only got respect from him because she took Alex with her, and he told the self-righteous stylist where to get off. Anyone else remember that one?

17

I have to admit I used to be intimidated by those salons too. The first time I went, I went with a friend so we could be brave together. I paid $50 for my haircut…and it was the best haircut experience I’d EVER had. After they looked snootily at us out front, we were led to the back and given soft drinks and magazines and then we chatted with our stylists for a few minutes to get an idea of what we wanted from the hair cut. Then the shampooer washed our hair, complete with scalp massage (oh, it’s heavenly!). Then back to the stylists, who chatted with us both while cutting. Ended up with a great hairstyle that day and a great cut. Walked out feeling like a million bucks and it was worth every penny. I am a regular now and even though they recommend a cut every 6-8 weeks, I go more like 10-12 so I can afford it.

Yes, it was intimidating at first but once I got in there, they were great and I have to say the difference between the 10 and 50 dollar haircuts is huge. I think you really DO get what you pay for. At the $10 place they don’t even dry your hair!
Anyway, YMMV but I loved the salon experience.

18

Well, I certainly share the terror of hairdressers, and I think a LOT of people must do, as I used to go to one in Talybont in Wales who advertised as “Hairdressing without intimidation”!

So we are not alone!

:slight_smile:

19

My God feather I was just thinking about this the other day. Are you in my head or are those just psychotic voices?

Any beauty salon/spa that charges a lot * specializes * in making you feel bad. For instance, I went to go get my brows waxed at a local place (not my hair place) and I purchased some Aveda products while I was there. The stylist who rang me up asked me “Do you wash your hair at night?”

“Nope, in the mornings, Why?”

“Well your hair is so flat, you should lather it twice in the morninigs then.”

Excuse me?! I’m here to get my brows waxed–it’s 5:00, I’ve been working all day since 7:30 and it’s 90% humidity and 96 degrees outside and you are shocked that my long fine hair is FLAT. FUCK YOU!

What’s worse is I go to Jose Eber (the long haired stylist to the stars) in Dallas for my cuts and color. To have my hair shampooed, cut, colored and blown dry (this requires 4 different people and 4 different tips) it runs $275 a hit. And they make me feel like shit every time I go there and I PAY for it.

Yet, my hair is nicer than it’s ever been…

But for a wedding, I can see dealing with a salon like you mentioned…they can make you feel like a princess when you are finished…really. It can be worth it–it’s special. and the consultation is to make sure that they don’t try something new and different that you hate the day of the wedding. You go in and talk to the stylist about what you want done and they often do a trial run.

Feather why don’t you be the first brave female to tell the salon that they are making you feel bad…tell them off for their attitudes. Please, cause it can’t be me…I’m too chicken :wink:

WOMEN WHO GO TO OVERPRICED SPAS AND SALONS UNITE.

20

:eek: $275? Wow, BottledBlondJeanie, that sounds like one good haircut. Most salons don’t scare me, but chatting with the stylists sometimes does. It was so nice when I had a regular stylist a few years ago, and could update her on my life, family, whatever. Last time, I had a really scary, sophisticated gay man who I couldn’t think of anything to say to. It was awkward–I like being able to just chatter away, even if I look like Cousin Itt (when they comb the hair over your face to get it all even.)