AIBU- bad highlights?

[Sadhairdaytoday]

I am completely happy to be told I am being unreasonable and unrealistic. So please be honest.

I had highlights done last week (£75 half head) and I am not totally happy with them. I feel you can still see the root line from before (it's like 2 inches from my scalp).

It's not that the hairdresser hasn't got close enough to the root on some parts, but it looks like she hasn't put enough in? She in fact did put a lot of foils in- so maybe they have been done too thinly?

I have fine hair but it's very thick/lots of it.

In these photos it is freshly washed and dried hair- it just looks A bit cheap and greasy looking (it's not greasy in the slightest and doesn't usually when my usual hairdresser does it. But I think the way she has spaced out the highlights makes it look bad.)

It actually looked ok in the salon lights, it's just in darker lighting at home it looks..... Naff...

If you are a hairdresser, would it offend you if I emailed the salon to show/explain my issue? I worry that if I just walk into salon they will as it doesn't look bad in their bright lights.


What do you think? WIBU to email them and politely complain? Or am I being unrealistic?

[KinkyAfro]

I had a similar issue, went back the next day and had more put in. Wasn't perfect but it was better. I colour at home now

[dementedpixie]

If you're not happy go back. I had to do that with bad highlights too and they redid them for free

[LolitaLempicka]

I think there is too much root and they look uneven too. Mine looks similar and I haven’t been since beginning of December.

[turophile]

You can definitely still see the root line from before. Plus £75 for a half head?! I pay less than that for a full head.

[dementedpixie]

I'm getting a full head of highlights tomorrow and it will cost £60. Different salon so hope it goes ok

[Sadhairdaytoday]

Owwwwww ok well I am glad you all agree with me. I was worried the hairdresser will think I'm being too picky and unrealistic in my expectations.

Trulphile I am in the SE. I wanted to go to a good hairdresser so I paid a little more than some salons. But around here £65-£75 is quite Standard for half head.

[Atalune]

I think they have not done the best job at matching up your old to new.

I’d go back.

[HairBlues]

To me, it looks like she might have used a less strong (bleach/lift wise) or a darker blonde colour for the highlights. Your previous highlights were brighter/stronger so the new highlights haven't blended in well.

I would go in, nicely explain your issue, show her the pic you posted here (particularly the second one) and ask what she recommends. Don't tell her what you think, wait and see if a) she recognises the problem b) she knows what caused the problem c) what she can do to make it better.

Go in looking like you assume she's going to be all helpful and sort it out (or another hairdresser there will). If you get her on your side she's more likely to want to do a good second job on it.

Meanwhile, it doesn't look bad, at the very least so that's something.

[bettydraper31]

It doesn’t look like there’s enough foils/colour in your hair to match... I would definitely go back! It’s a lovely colour just not much there. You could also try a toning shampoo as well, that always helps mine blend more and take the brightness away (not that yours is bright but it just helps blend it all together).

[whattheactualbleep]

Hairdresser of 22 years here
Go back.
They are uneven and not enough to break up your roots properly.

[Sadhairdaytoday]

Thank you so much for your feedback.
I'm so glad I can count on mumsnet for some honest advice.

I will contact them tomorrow :-)

[MagggieMay]

If you pay for a half head you usually have some dark hair left because it's not enough foils to fully cover the roots. Full head is more foils so more coverage.

[dementedpixie]

Half head leaves the bottom section without foils so the top and down to ear level should have full foils. Op should not be left with that amount of roots

[SouthWestmom]

Pixie what? Surely half a head isn't top to ear highlighted?

[Passmethecakeplease]

If you pay for a half head you usually have some dark hair left because it's not enough foils to fully cover the roots. Full head is more foils so more coverage

That's not strictly true. Half head means exactly that, half your head will have fouks in and the other half won't. It doesn't mean they cover your entire head with foils but half the amount.

(I'm a trained hairdresser).

OP, they should have either done a more dense number of foils on your roots or they should have pulled some darker low lights through to the ends to even it up.

[Sadhairdaytoday]

dementedpixie that's what I have always thought! Maggiemay surely dementedpixie is right? I don't have any highlights below my ears anyway.

[dementedpixie]

That's how mine were done

[SouthWestmom]

I'm so confused.

[Passmethecakeplease]

Sometimes people alternate between half head and full head to make maintenance less expensive or you can even throw in there just getting a t-section done to really spread your money. If I were to do a half head and the client were to wear their hair up id still put a couple of foils right at the bottom to give a bit more of an illusion the client had a full head though.

[petbear]

They are not great. Looks like a college student (who has been learning for a few weeks) did them. They are not AWFUL, and your hair looks OK, but if I had paid £75 for this result, I would be pissed off tbh.

[dementedpixie]

T- bar - along parting and front in t shape
Half head - top and sides down to ear level with bottom section left alone
Full head - full head foils done

I have had all of them at different times

[Mylady]

Not left to lift long enough - not enough packed in and too thick - should have been lots of very fine baby lights - especially with your hair consistancey - plus i eould have suggested possibly a bit of s base break on your roots to soften as you are leaving it a bit too long between services (that means just lifing your root colour by one tone)

[Lilonetwo]

I went back to the salon today..... I see a very very slight improvement. But it just looks even blonder now. And you can still see my old roots

Would a toner fix it to blend it all in? I'm so confused why it has this dark line

[LemonShark]

Still looks shit!

Sorry but I'd email them the first and second photo and ask now for a refund so you can get it done elsewhere. You gave them chance to fix it and they're clearly incompetent, that wouldn't be okay at any price point but I'm sure you'd chalk it up to bad luck if you'd only paid £30 whereas for the price you paid you expect it to look half decent!

Be very polite and 'as I'm sure you can tell, redoing the colour hasn't brought it up to an appropriate standard as as I will need to have it redone elsewhere i would like a refund so I'm not out of pocket. I'm sure you understand, having seen both photos!' And see what they say. If they get shitty or refuse to refund you can tell them you'll be posting reviews online with photos attached and I guarantee that'll get your money back.

Was good of you to trust them a second time to be honest, you've done your bit to resolve it and they haven't so definitely get your refund!

[bettydraper31]

I agree with Lemon- what are they thinking?? Have you been there before OP? I would try and ask for your money back as that’s definitely not acceptable. It doesn’t look bad but it’s just not done correctly!