Anybody else dislike the hairdressers?

[UpUpUpU]

I only go for a haircut every year or so. I usually trim it myself but its is too long now and needs a good cut. I have been googling hairdressers and hovering over the 'book now' buttons for hours!

I just don't enjoy the experience, mostly come out unhappy with the cut and cant really justify the cost to myself for something I dont enjoy or really appreciated.

I am graduating on Wednesday and needs to wear my hair down really and it needs to be cut.

Please tell me I am not alone in this?

I love beauty treatments and could have them all day, its just haircuts 😑

I hate it too so learnt to cut it myself using the double ponytail method and have never looked back!

Totally hate the hairdresser too. Don't like strangers touching me, don't understand the hairdresser language, never like the style when she's finished, rubbish at making small talk etc etc! Takes me back to secondary school and being outside the cool girls chat!!

Then it dawned on me that as I always hated it anyway I had nothing to lose. I'm an adult - I don't have to do things I don't like. So now dh cuts it following a YouTube tutorial. He started with the ponytail method - long with layers but recently graduated to a shoulder length bob. It's not perfect but it's no worse than the hairdressers results and I've saved £60 (so we celebrate our hairdressing exploits with wine and curry - win-win!)

It's got worse in the last few years with hairdressers with acrylic nails - i just hate the feeling of them on my scalp when my hair is being washed, so now I go for a dry cut, but only a couple of local places do them.

The initial chat is awful, takes a few exchanges usually for them to get that i don't want to chat - the grim 'What are you doing later' when it's usually something exciting like going to Tescos. For me it's basic grooming like teeth brushing, I have to go on Saturday as i'm working during the week, do they really think that with my 'dry cut, just an inch off' is prep for some fabulous night out?

I used to cut it myself when it was long, but shorter now so i need someone to do the back, so i look reasonably respectable for work. I'm so envious of men, being able to get a quick trim that's actually quick.

Just ignore her. You've done nothing wrong. You owe her nothing. She owed you a decent hair cut.

Me too !
It's expensive
I'm no good at the chit chat
They offer you a drink - how do you drink it while keeping in place to cut hair ?!

It's not an experience I enjoy at all

I have short wavy hair. It looks awful if it is longer. it is now very thin and I think long straggly grey hair is not a good look.

I'm too short sighted and lack the skills to cut and colour it myself.

Some aspects of getting a haircut I adore (getting my hair washed and I love a good scalp massage) but some I absolutely hate. The main one is having to sit there and stare at myself in the mirror for an hour. I don’t like mirrors these days and avoid them as much as possible because I really don’t want to see how old and fat I really look. In my head I am a perpetually skinny 29-year-old.

Every time I go and I'm being washed I just want to cry.. the scrubbing ( in the exact same spot for what feels like an hour and it hurts) the other parts of your head that you can sense has hardly got wet. The utter horror of being bent back over a digging in sink edge - the shoulder and neck pain.

The thought of long claw nails and jangling wrist jewellery that can get caught ... the vicious rub dry and the pulling the knots out of wet hair.

Horrid - then the poky spiky brush with the 'rim' that catches and pulls a few hairs and hurts !

The burning scalp as they dry and dwell for too long on one section whilst they chat to a friend at the next chair.

The the paying for it and the making of a next appointment... always a trial.

So yes, hate it but a necessary evil.

( and repeatedly asking nicely to not be too rough washing it - ignored )

God yes… I didn’t have it professionally cut for twenty five years after a bad experience - I had a panic attack in the chair, hairdresser kept scolding me/laughing at me then refused to finish cutting it, one of the worst experiences of my life. Last year I managed to get it cut twice but I found the experience pretty painful, she was very nosy and the cut wasn’t that good. During the consultation she said, “Well I won’t give you layers because you’d have to wash and style it every single day then as it would have a lot of flicky bits,” which I don’t get at all, who washes and styles every bloody day!

Hairdressers do a good job of washing my hair though ! I can never achieve the same effect myself.

Hate it, it's the ridiculous small talk for me that puts me off. I don't want small talk just cut my hair please. Puts me off going.

You can’t automatically expect a good cut the first time you go to a hairdresser - they have to get to know your hair. You need to book a stylist who is good with your style of hair eg curly or straight. Personally Iast time I went to my regular hairdresser I suddenly realised I could no longer listen to his drivel (he cost a fortune) and now have a very sexy haridresser who comes to the house and costs about a third of what I used to pay.

Do you sit there seething in silence or do you ask them to be more gentle?

They won't know they are hurting you unless you tell them.

the main one is having to sit there and stare at myself in the mirror for an hour.

I'm so short sighted I can only see myself in soft focus

So tell them you want to read/catch up with your emails/don't feel like chatting.

Honestly, most of the issues that posters have on this thread could be resolved if they only could use their voice instead of seething in silence.

I've been going to my lovely hairdresser for years so I trust her to stand behind me with a pair of scissors. I only have my hair cut trimmed once a year though. I don't snip it myself, much, as she can always tell.

When she was on maternity leave years ago I went elsewhere which was disaster. I don't do small talk with strangers and it wasn't a nice experience anyway. When she was on maternity leave with her second child I didn't have a haircut for nearly 2 years.

I don't like it either.
With my great knobbly head they can never seem to get the fringe straight.

I can’t stand the constant up-sell and the wanky pseudo science. Everything has to look like a bloody cosmetic surgeon’s office with scientific words, equipment and random molecule prints, syringe-shaped vials, etc…. Do I neeeeed any of it? Nope… Since I’ve started doing less my hair has never looked better.

Me too!

I cut and colour my own. Recently a lady approached me saying she likes my haircut, where do I have it done 🤣 I blushed and said all diy, cut and colour 🤣
It's a bob with shorter back.

I can’t stand the constant up-sell and the wanky pseudo science

So, chance hairdresser then. I never get this, and never have done.

The only reason I've grown my hair long is so I don't have to visit the hairdressers so often like I did when it was long pixie bob length. My hair is fine and doesn't need much taming so it didn't feel value for money when all they did was about 6 snips of the scissors and then covering it with sticky product and frying the ends with super hot blow dry. Its easier to trim the ends myself when its longer.

I loathe it. The awful small talk, the sinks which feel like they'll break your neck, the exorbitant price... The list goes on. Overall, it's just an awful, but necessary, way to spend an hour. I only go once a year because of this.

Don't mind the haurcut itself especially as I've found someone who does it just how I like..
But I bloody hate having a blowdry. I get hot and cross and my hair never looks good after a blow dry it doesn't matter who does it.

Also I don't like the hairdressers shampoo so I go home and wash it again and blow dry it myself.

My advice... avoid the big name expensive city centre salons.

Find a small local salon where people have been loyal for years with old ladies and hood dryers.

Worked for me.

Doesn't avoid the inane chatter though I'm afraid.

I think it depends on the hairdresser! I've had some who make me feel uncomfortable. One who used to stare deeply into my eyes like she was searching for my soul, speaking to me like I was about 12, all the while upselling products. She was annoying and weird.

But the others haven't been awkward, really. Maybe not listened to exactly what I wanted, so...I corrected them nicely, and then didn't go back!

Mostly I've had good experiences. I don't think small-talk is life-ending, so I just chatter about the kids/holiday plans. If they try and talk about telly, I just laugh and tell them I don't really watch it then meanuever the subject away - usually to books, which lots are more than happy to discuss.

I go every 5 weeks; I have a very short bob, no dye/foils/etc. Takes about 45 minutes. I ask them to pad the back of my neck so it doesn't hurt when at the sinks, and I love having my hair washed. My current lady makes me herbal tea and we've got kids the same age and similar interests, so I don't mind it at all. She trims my fringe for free every few weeks and tidies up the back of my neck, too, then curls it for me. All for free! Love her. I get my nails done in the same salon for half price as I'm a long term customer.

I always tip my hairdresser around £5 or £10, then £20 at Christmas when she takes even more time to make it fancy for a party.

I'm not a fan in general

My hairdresser is quick, cheap and does as she's told

She doesn't try and persuade me to get layers for example

So I'm a loyal customer, and tip 50%