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Should I apologise to my previous hairdresser and ask to return?

122 replies

PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 00:53

I fell out with my hairdrer because I thought I had reacted to her hair dye. It wasn't the hair dye, it was shingles. The hairdresser was upset and got rid of me. I went somewhere else and the new hairdresser coloured it too dark and I dont like it. I showed her a photo of what it looked like from the previous salon and she said she couldn't tell the colour as it was a photo. She kept insisting my hair was dark brown so I need dark brown dye. When I went to my previous salon I had had it coloured elsewhere and I was told it was too dark so she lightened it slightly and I was pleased with it. Now I've gone back to the too dark shade at the new salon.

I want to return to my previous salon to show them how dark it is and get their opinion and im sure they will agree that it's too dark.

All I can do is call and apologise and hope the hairdresser will take me back. The new salon is more expensive and £30 more for a colour and blow dry. The only good thing is the new salon is 15 minutes walk from home whereas the pre house salon is a 15 minute journey by public transport and then a 10 minute ute walk to the salon

OP posts:
7238SM · 25/04/2026 01:01

Find a 3rd salon and start again with them. You burnt your bridges with salon 1 and clearly had no intensions of apologising till salon 2 made it too dark! You didn't apologise when diagnosed with shingles and now want salon 1 to correct your hair. If I was salon 1, I wouldn't have you back. I'd be worried that next time, you'd blame me for something else and the stress of being accused of something I didn't even do wouldn't be worth my time.

PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 01:12

Just looked online and it said, if you think your hair is too dark, go back to the salon to get them to correct it but they wont because they insisted that it was correct. I want my old lighter colour and if my old salon wont take me back ill find somewhere that can lighten my hair

OP posts:
SixSeven · 25/04/2026 01:16

Is there anyone you haven’t fallen out with?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Alwaysthesameoldstory · 25/04/2026 01:21

PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 01:12

Just looked online and it said, if you think your hair is too dark, go back to the salon to get them to correct it but they wont because they insisted that it was correct. I want my old lighter colour and if my old salon wont take me back ill find somewhere that can lighten my hair

I don't really understand how they can " insist " on dying your hair a colour you don't want. Surely it's up to you the customer if you want your hair a lighter shade?

PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 01:42

Alwaysthesameoldstory · 25/04/2026 01:21

I don't really understand how they can " insist " on dying your hair a colour you don't want. Surely it's up to you the customer if you want your hair a lighter shade?

Well they did abd hair does lighten after a few washes

OP posts:
PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 01:45

SixSeven · 25/04/2026 01:16

Is there anyone you haven’t fallen out with?

Yes my good friend of 20 years. We get on very well and have never argued

OP posts:
CharlieEffie · 25/04/2026 01:58

PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 01:12

Just looked online and it said, if you think your hair is too dark, go back to the salon to get them to correct it but they wont because they insisted that it was correct. I want my old lighter colour and if my old salon wont take me back ill find somewhere that can lighten my hair

They cant insist its correct if your telling them you dont like it and it's not what you wanted. Push back on this

PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 02:07

CharlieEffie · 25/04/2026 01:58

They cant insist its correct if your telling them you dont like it and it's not what you wanted. Push back on this

I had this same problem with another salon a few years ago, and I wanted them to make it lighter, and they said they couldn't do it.So I left

OP posts:
PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 02:10

Then I went to my previous salon and she saw how dark it was, and she said it was too dark and I said I did tell them to lighten it and they said they couldn't do it. And then she said to ne of course, they could lighten it, but they just can't be bothered. I will do it for you, and she did

OP posts:
PinkPeppermint · 25/04/2026 07:24

Nightmare customer!

Smartiepants79 · 25/04/2026 07:30

So you’ve already been back to the original salon and they have accepted you back as a client and fixed the problem once? I don’t understand what the issue is.

ThejoyofNC · 25/04/2026 07:33

I pity wherever you go next. You are a nightmare and you can't be pleased. Colour your own hair.

bumptybum · 25/04/2026 07:37

I’m confused. How many salons are in this story? Good one. Bad one. Another one who lightened it when it was too dark?

SoScarletItWas · 25/04/2026 07:39

bumptybum · 25/04/2026 07:37

I’m confused. How many salons are in this story? Good one. Bad one. Another one who lightened it when it was too dark?

I think 3.
Good One. Bad One #1. Returned to Good One. Fell out due to shingles/not dye reaction. Bad One #2. OP wants to return (again) to Good One.

PersephoneParlormaid · 25/04/2026 07:39

I’m confused, have you gone back to the salon you liked?

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 25/04/2026 07:40

There’s a difference between ‘darker than looks good on you’ and ‘darker than was agreed’.

You get to decide how dark you want it.
They get to decide if they used the colour that was agreed, and know how hard it would be to change it.

Decacaffeinatednow · 25/04/2026 07:40

Mad stuff!

Lovelanza · 25/04/2026 07:41

This is too much for this time of day !

LetMeGoogleThat · 25/04/2026 07:47

This is all sounding familiar, were you not on here at the time and absolutely vile about the salon? They are probably very glad to be rid, and won't take you back.

Dodorogers · 25/04/2026 07:48

PerkyOchrePeer · 25/04/2026 02:07

I had this same problem with another salon a few years ago, and I wanted them to make it lighter, and they said they couldn't do it.So I left

Goodness you sound like a hairdressers nightmare.

gamerchick · 25/04/2026 07:49

The old salon won't have you back. There are usually layers in cutting people, especially paying customers off. It sounds like maybe you're hard work.

Find another salon. Sometimes we have to go through it.

Growingasaperson · 25/04/2026 07:50

You have two options:

  1. go back in to your first hairdresser and have a huge bunch of flowers, chocolates and some bottles of wine and apologise genuinely for both upsetting them (with this written in a card) and the false allegation and explain (not justify) that you had shingles and we really ill but because the timings were the same as the hair dye you got confused and you messed up.
  2. find salon 3 but to be fair it is important you treat staff with respect and fairness at all times. Option 1 should have been done already regardless. If and when you do option 1 I wouldn’t mention salon 2 or your current issues just say to messed up etc and are sorry. See what the reaction is and if they say they understand etc you could maybe moot the idea without mentioning the current issue to you making an appointment. Eg I am genuinely sorry for what happened and my false accusations etc I was ill I had shingles I had never had it before and it look like I was reacting but I’ve been so ill with shingles etc I am so sorry I upset you I really loved you as a hairdresser and miss you. ….

see what the reaction is if they say ….,
that’s ok mistakes happen then leave it
if they say oh you poor thing mistakes happen but clearly accept the apology that ask if they will let you make an appointment but say you will 100% understand if they answer is no.

My hairdresser I love her and she does my hair and my kids hair and I have messed up a couple of times, once I forgot my appointment completely and I actually went round and paid she insisted I didn’t need to but I insisted I did- she could of had someone else in and didn’t obviously so I insisted I paid and then I booked another one. At one point she had a major operation and I took round some flowers and a voucher for a Chinese. But I get mine is different, she has become more like a friend over the last 10 years and she is now down to 2 - 3 days work a week and still fits us in and I’m grateful for her.

Hairdressers, beauty salons etc they work bloody hard on their feet all day (for a minimal income!) and reputation is a serious thing!

freaking · 25/04/2026 07:52

Just find a new salon, it’s not going to be the only place that can lighten your hair is it, find an image of what you like online, take it in and sorted, lighter hair you want

ThejoyofNC · 25/04/2026 07:54

SoScarletItWas · 25/04/2026 07:39

I think 3.
Good One. Bad One #1. Returned to Good One. Fell out due to shingles/not dye reaction. Bad One #2. OP wants to return (again) to Good One.

Edited

With a special mention to bad salon #3 who she fell out with in the past🤣

Growingasaperson · 25/04/2026 08:01

PinkPeppermint · 25/04/2026 07:24

Nightmare customer!

My hairdresser told me of a tingling she gets with some people- I asked her for the worse stories from over her years. One lady phoned and wanted an appointment (my hairdresser sensed something was off as she was moaning about her 3 previous hairdressers(!) and mine said she was full. This woman phoned 4 more times and then said ‘give me a time even if it was 6 months away’ and then she relented and had this woman in. The client then turned up with detailed photos and said I want it like this and my hairdresser explained her hair would struggle to be styled like that and the cut wasn’t suitable for her thickness of hair. She insisted. Hairdressers did dye test. And she came back for her colouring. She moaned all the way through about all the other local ‘crap’ hairdressers. She complained about the colour - she redid it twice (and she is a wonderful colourist) she complained about the cut so she booked her in again. She didn’t want to make another appointment - fine she explained she was very busy and woman said she’d phone if she wanted it doing again, all in all she spent twice or three times as long with her as a normal client. Five weeks later she phones and says she wants an appointment as it needs redoing in a week and my friend/ hairdresser said no I’m sorry I am booked up weeks in advance and the woman kicked off and my hairdresser had to block her everywhere. Awful. Don’t be her.

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