Hairdressers. Why do you do it? Anyone else?

I have different problems- my hair is very fine flyaway and thin. even when younger it was the same. My mother was always nagging for me to have it cut , coloured, permed. In my life I think I have been to the hairdresses 3 times (except for having a trim which I do twice a year) The three times once I had it cut, once I had it cut and once I had it permed. I was disappointed all three times the highlights were ok but nothing special both the cut and the perm were awful , so no I don't go to the hairdressers.

Im a hairdresser,

My tip is to tell them what you definitely DONT want, take pics, tell them what you hate, deffo no layering ect.

We aren't mind readers,

Long hair should never have thinning scissors anywhere near it, if she has layered the front then it does need slicing into, to soften the ends, however, she shouldn't have been doing that if you didn't want it…

Im fully booked 4 months ahead, as i listen to what clients say.

There are some of us out there !
Sorry you had a bad experience

Oh I just found this thread and it's so relatable. In my mid 40's I thought I would have had hair ticked off the "figured it out" list by now, but no. The latest in my series of disastrous cuts

• Woman in Rainbow rooms cutting in a blunt bob at just the wrong length for my very square jaw and a blunt fringe for my thick, frizzy hair with a cowlick = Lord Farquad
• I just want something to cover the grey in my naturally very dark brunette hair = "caramel" streaks that turned to ginger within a week

Thought I'll really put some effort in and try a top stylist at Tony and Guy - she "circle cut" it, which has basically left me with the shetland pony layers that others on here have described - like my fringe goes the whole way around my head, but she's also managed to take out all the volume underneath that. And colour it in such a way that it hasn't even covered my grey. So that's £160 down the drain

The only really good cut I had was at a Vidal Sassoon salon years ago - that woman could really cut hair, and it was totally tailored to flatter my face shape. She left the salon and I've never been able to find anyone as good.

And they also seem to be obsessed with putting in those straightening iron waves, which I'm convinced is just to cover up the terrible haircut underneath it all!

I did all that. Took a picture and everything. Also, she could see my hair type. Even if I hadn't told her I didn't want shorter layers and explained the effect on my hair, isn't it something she ought to know about?

I do understand the modern fashion has been poker-straight hair, and perhaps stylists aren't taught what to do with thick, coarse, 2B curl pattern hair, but I did tell her.

Anyway, it's a year and a half since that terrible cut I had, and I have found one who gets it more. I don't want to pretend my hair is straight. It isn't. I'm still disappointed that it's taken the internet to teach me how to care for my hair type, because not a single stylist has pointed me in the direction of the products I should be using beyond telling me it's thirsty/dry. Not one, not even the lovely lady I have now has pointed me in the direction of a wavy routine.

When I next go, I will ask her to use a diffuser, etc, but honestly, when I am paying for expertise, should I really have to show her how to style hair like mine?

The truth is, they don't know what to do with thick, frizzy hair. I've got a wavy routine going now after internet research. Turns out straightening/blow drying the heck out of it isn't the only way to defeat frizz.

Caucasian women don't all have hair like Jennifer Aniston, but it's what we've been told we should have, and if we haven't, our only option is to work against it, try to force it into being something it isn't. Basically, make it something the stylist knows what to do with. To get my hair to look smooth, poker-straight, etc, it has to be bullied into it.

Textured, coarse hair like mine isn't that rare. Why don't stylists know what to do with it?

I know this is an old thread but it made me laugh. Years ago, in a place I no longer live, I had a hairdresser in an old-school backstreet salon with a pun in the name. There were always a row of old ladies in, having a comfy smoke. My hairdresser was variable, my straight hair was cut on the bias differently each time, depending on whether she had a cigarette on the go.

One day, I asked her to cut my shoulder-length hair shorter. She went at it enthusiastically and at the end I had this amazing cut, a long-ish bob with shaggy layers, with a retro '60s vibe which totally suited me. All my friends and colleagues complimented me on it. At my next cut, I came out with a straight, dull, straggly bob. We'd sometimes mention the Fabulous Cut in later years, she'd say, " 'Member that great cut ah did ye eh? Brilliant that was", and I'd go, "Yeah, it was great."

Finally at the age of 59 I’ve found a stylist that understands me and my hair. I’ve been seeing her for two years now, she cuts it her daughter does the colouring. It’s a village salon and the reason I didn’t go sooner was because it didn’t look trendy and a lot of O.A.Ps frequent it. She’s the first to actually understand my hair. I’ve wanted it similar to Anthea Turners, smooth on top with it flicking out at the back, finally I’ve got as near as you can, considering her hair is naturally curly and mine isn’t, it has bend and there’s lots of it. She tells me she may be retiring in a year, I’ve told her she can’t, what am I going to do, 😢

Imbeciles! I love it!