What magic combination of words will convince stylists NOT in fact, to cut my hair so that my ears show? I don’t understand the problem. I am a naturally polite but honest person, and I show up with a picture in my hand, and point out that I really don’t like my ears, and would appreciate them being careful to keep them covered.
So why do I have to suffer three weeks of embarrassment after every freakin haircut? We’re talking 7-10 different stylists and salons here. Is there some “Babe” style chant I need to do first?
And how should I go about finding a stylist who does good short cuts for women? Ever since I cut it off I’ve been struggling, and correcting cuts at home as best I can. I am seriously considering a Flowbee. . .
I have long (heading for waist-length), thick hair. Curly on a good day, frizzy on a bad day. My last hairdresser visit was way overdue, and I had been colouring my hair at home between salon visits. I went along with my stylist’s suggestion of a mid-brown colour with a few highlights, but it turned out very dark with very blonde streaks, not my favourite look. But worse, the highlights have that horrible crispy burnt feel, and the ends are splitting badly despite the trim.
Apart from doing this :smack: and wishing I had just asked for a cut and NO BLEACH PLEASE, what should I do about the colour? Can I colour it again straight away, or should I avoid chemicals for a while? Posh shampoo and conditioning treatments are helping a little, but I guess I’ll have to sacrifice a bit of length to salvage it
Wow! We’re still going strong! Cool! I really didn’t think my job was that interesting to others. But it’s kinda nice to know it is!
The style in the pic you attached was done with what looks like a few different barrel sizes of curling irons and/or a few rollers. It’s not a permanent thing. I love, love, LOVE the retro pinup thing - I do it myself a lot. But if you are a relatively low-maintenance gal, all that fussing on the hair may get tiresome after a while. But give it a whirl! Bring the picture to a salon and have a go at it and see if it’s something you can live with. if not, no biggie, wash it out and it’s a distant memory. If you love it and want to duplicate it at home, ask your stylist what tools/products you need to maintain it and make sure he/she SHOWS YOU HOW TO DO IT. IN GREAT DETAIL. As stylists I think we forget that hair is second nature to us, but not everyone can whip up an up-do without thinking about it. I like to educated my clients - if you find a stylist that does as well, you’re in good hands!
lorene - if you are going to a salon, they should know all the tricks to beating down resistant greys. But 90% of it is the formulation of the color itself. Most professional color lines will have an advanced coverage line specifically formulated for grey coverage that is mixed into the color formula. They are usually not used alone, because they pull REALLY dark - and that may be where you are getting the very dark results from. But added into the formula in smaller increments can get you the desired effect. The pink/red roots or “hot roots” as they are known, are caused by the current formula having too much of a red or Red Violet base. Reds are not great for grey coverage, as a rule. Next time you go in, ask your stylist to “soften” your new growth greys where they are most resistant. That involves taking the developer (20 vol) straight, with no color, and applying it directly to the roots. The developer opens up the hair cuticle, thus “softening” the hair, making the actual formulated color grab evenly onto the greys with no effect on the end result.
AHunter3 - I am going to have to charge you for a three-part question.
(a) Hair is hair. If you cut hair off a man’s head and a woman’s head and put them side by side, there is no difference. It’s the person under the hair that affects what I am doing.
(b) I’m not sure I understand this one - but again, man or woman, my goal is to make sure the client gets out of my chair feeling and looking awesome. I have no preconceived notions or expectations of anyone when they walk the the door.
(c) It all depends on how fast your hair grows. For length like yours, I would say every 6 - 8 weeks on average to keep it looking nice as you grow it out.
Amber in Treasury - Eh. It’s your hair. But chances are, once you get in my chair, I will know you cut them yourself. No matter how straight they look to you, they will still be slightly off. Believe it or not, there is a little more technicality involved in cutting bangs/fringe than just grabbing the hair and cutting it straight across. Do I have particular disdain for someone that cuts their own hair? No. Because that person will eventually end up in my chair, in an attempt to make their lopsided haircut even. I have tons of those stories, but my favorite people are the ones who try to convince me that they have no idea what happened - all of a sudden, my bangs were crooked!
Sunspace - We literally suck it up and work. There is no exposure times requirements or any special training needed - you actually get used to it and don’t really smell anything anymore. There is an MSDS book in the salon, but that is a State requirement, and I’m pretty sure not a lot of us know where it even is.
dalej42 - If your appointments are back to back, I guess it’s OK - but if the 2nd person shows up late enough to put me behind on the rest of my day, it’s not OK. I suggest showing up together, checking in, and then see how it goes. but if you stylist is OK with this arrangement, then I see no reason why it should be adjusted at all.
Zebra - Lozenge? Water? You OK over there?
TruCelt - I’m so sorry you are having such a tough time. I am not really sure how much clearer you can be. I’m pretty OCD about listening to my clients and their likes and dislikes, and I try to keep the communication open as I go. It’s dummies like the ones you have been going to that give the rest of us a bad rap. The only thing I can say to you is that if you are ever in the Orlando, FL area, please come see me - I will take good care of you, I promise!
toodlepip - Again, it sounds like another case of a stylist not listening. I would lay off the color for a while. That fried-hair feeling is due to overprocessing when the foils (I am assuming they were done that way) were left on your hair. Get regular haircuts to prevent further damage. Get your hands on a good quality deep-conditioning hair mask, especially for damaged hair. I don’t know where you are located, but Redken’s Extreme line is great for overprocessed and damaged hair due to coloring or other chemical processes.
Sorry for the delay in responses, everyone! But I have been working like crazy the last few days and it doesnt seem to be slowing down any time soon! And again, thanks for your interest!
Thank you, ** LilGypsyGirl**! This is an area in which a lot of guys don’t get much information, so it’s good to hear a few answers. I’m sure I’ll have another question soon. If/when I go to that barbershop, I’ll let the thread know. I’ve already printed out a couple of pics.
Ooh! I’ve got one! It’s a mystery my friends and I have been wondering about for a while. I almost always let my hair air-dry since it seems to get damaged easily, and I want to minimize the hurt I cause. When I wash my hair after getting really sweaty from a workout, I put on a little product, let it air-dry and it looks FABULOUS. Huge body and my natural curls are very springy.
When I wash my hair any other time, I do the same steps, and it just looks kinda blah. Not awful, but nothing like after exercise. Is is the salt in my sweat? I have a super high-powered shower head, and shampoo well, so I imagine it gets washed out, but I can’t figure what else it would be. How can I replicate that look on command?
“Dirty” hair always holds a style better. That’s why when we have a wedding up-do or some kind of formal styling scheduled we ask that the client not wash their hair for at LEAST 24 hours prior, unless they absolutely cannot go that long without washing - then that’s a pretty good indicator we need to stock up on sprays and waxes.
It’s the same concept when you go to the beach and let your hair air dry. The salt water, salt air and everything else usually make for AWESOME hair.
A lot of companies are coming out with “beach hair” products. They are usually pastes or clays with a little bit of superfine grit in them to act as the salt in the air and water would. The one that comes to mind first is Frederic Fekkai. If you want to stay in a less pricey area, I think Garnier makes one as well.
Is it bad form to ask your stylist to show you how to blow dry your hair?
Basically, this is a skill I have never mastered-.I either went for “pull it into a pony-tail” or “let it dry in the car on the way to work”. As an almost 30-ish professional neither of these approaches is going to work for much longer, and my current style is slightly longer than shoulder length, centre parting, lots of layers that looks a million times better if it is blow-dried…but it takes me forever and I’m very bad at it.
I have recently moved to a new city and it’s been pure hell trying to get a decent haircut. First of all, I keep my hair very short (I’m a guy, if that matters) and go to a national chain type place. I KNOW I can spend twice the amount and get a better haircut, but that would add up since I get a cut every two weeks.
The last place I went to, I got (what I thought) was a decent haircut, but after a few days, I noticed that it was uneven and there were many hairs that didn’t happen to make the cut when the shears came around. It was one of those things that a normal person wouldn’t notice when they give you the mirror to inspect their work.
I went back to this place, hoping to get another stylist in this busy salon. But, just my luck, the same girl cut my hair. I was a bit “harder” on her this time. I asked her to go ove the sides with the shears to get all the stray hairs, etc. It was an okay haircut, but I felt like I had to guide her thru it, which I feel I shouldn’t have to do.
Basically, is there a poilite way to say (for the next time I come in) “I’d like a haircut, but I don’t want you to do it?”
Not at all, irishgirl! In fact, as a stylist, I would be flattered to be asked to give a lesson in blow drying! It shows that they trust me enough to follow my instruction. Go for it…if the stylist balks, ask another stylist to show you. Someone will be willing to do so, I am sure.
rostfrei - All you have to do is make your wishes known. Most of the chain places have a sign in sheet, and you are taken in the order as per the sheet. If the stylist you don’t like happens to get around to your name on the sheet, take a pass and let the person behind you go ahead of you. Then you would get the next available stylist that ISN’T the one you didn’t want in the first place. If she asks why, be polite, yet to the point, “I wasn’t too crazy about the last two cuts you gave me, so I think I am going to try going with someone else.” Or something to that effect.
Bearflag70 & MC$E - I don’t rub my pants on my clients, but there may be an accidental boob brush now and again - just an occupational hazard of having a job in which you work in such close contact with other people. But most stylists try to keep the “rubbing” to a minimum - unless, of course, the guy is hot, then all bets are off! :D;)
It’s not a matter of the sweat - I am willing to bet the water is different at the gym than it is at your house. It’s a hard water vs. soft water thing, I’m sure.
Never mind. I just saw how much you charge. I have one of those Ivy League deals you mentioned above, so my haircuts take all of ten minutes, even if the person wielding scissors and razor has no thumbs.
I’m late to the party. Argh that what I get for putting things off.
The hair my side of my head, near the ear, tends to go puff like a sea urchin. However, my hair otherwise from the central part of the scalp flow straight down. Should I let my hair grow a little longer before visiting a stylist to shake off my ‘puff-ball’ hair?
I have a follow-up to Pullet’s question. You said to only wash curly hair a couple times a week, but I work out regularly and my hair gets sweaty (and yes, I do have curly hair). Does this change your advice at all?
