WIBU to ask hairdresser for a refund?

[INeedThatForkOff]

First world problem.

My usual hairdresser has been made redundant, and as I can now never get an appointment at the salon , and needed my highlights doing for a.family wedding next month, I thought I'd go back to a salon I used to use before moving house. It had changed hands, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway.

With very little guidance from the hairdresser I agreed on the colours, and specifically said I wanted to avoid anything too bright or brassy. Guess what I've ended up with?

To give him his due, the stylist did say, while my hair was still wet, that it looked like he'd put too much orange 'caramel' in, and if I didn't like it I could come.back to have more blonde put in. My heart sank at this point - I'm 10 weeks postnatal and feel a mess. I really wanted a lift. However I said I'd see what it looked like and try to get used to it as it does sometimes look a bit bright when wet after it's first been coloured. I didn't feel I could look too closely when it was finished, but under the salon lights (it was dark outside) it looked just about ok.

Having loved with it for the day it's horrible. The highlights are so chunky it's almost a block of brassy ginger. I used a hairband just now while I had a wash and saw a big chunk of yellow. The contrast with the regrowth will be horrendous as it's so unnatural.

I could go back to have it corrected but I really don't want to. The salon is pretty much a one-man-band and the stylist who did my hair is the owner. I didn't particularly take to him anyway, and through our conversation it transpired he's not very experienced. I just don't trust him to put it right.

There isn't much spare money around at the moment and although I'd rather go elsewhere to get it corrected I don't want to have to pay again. There's a time issue as I'm about to start a work contract with a tight deadline, so he's caused a problem there too - this was supposed to be the last opportunity between now and the wedding that I could get my hair done due to my and DH's work commitments, and obviously childcare.

WIBU to phone on Tuesday and ask for the money back for the inconvenience and so I can at least go elsewhere?

By two-tone I mean bright blonde on top and more natural brown underneath

So he added more blonde to fix the blonde he'd already fucked up? What an idiot! What kind of condition is your hair in OP? Might be best to go back to your natural colour and start again. Would probably cost a lot at a different salon but you could try your local hairdressing college. Colour correction is something level 3 students have to learn and would of course be supervised by a lecturer.
Definitely review him, you gave him a chance to fix it. If this happened in my salon a bad review would be expected. (Not that it would of course)

oh you poor thing. i've had similar. if i were you i would buy a mid brown/colour closest to your natural one and colour the lot.

Be careful though, I tried to go darker after highlights and because of so much bleach it went a hideous non colour, almost sludgy grey. Don't risk home colouring, go to a (different) salon and they can break up the blonde with darker (but ask for your natural colour) lowlights. Definitely try for a refund!

I've just had a similar problem, new hairdresser gave me wonky highlights at the front, I went back and she 'corrected' it by adding more bleach. If I put my hair up I look like I've used sun-in; terrible stripes!

Oh God I was going to say DON'T go back!

NEVER go back if a salon has wrecked your hair - always just ask for your money back.

I feel your pain OP I ended up with pink high lights not long after having ds and crippling PND, that nearly finished me off having shit hair as well!

You need to find a 5 star salon and see the colour specialist - you wouldn't believe how easy it is for someone who knows what they are doing to correct a bad dye job.

Get your money back from the other place.

x

You can google 5 star salons in your area if you didn't know already :)

Be very careful indeed. My friend (who up to then had beautiful long hair) made the mistake of going back to a bad hairdresser to have the original, over-bleached nightmare of a hair style corrected. After the second visit when yet more bleach was applied, she was so horrified that she applied a brown, permanent dye herself. The result being that her hair quite literally broke off.

So find the best colour specialist around and take their advice. Which may be to proceed very carefully until your hair is in a condition to take more treatment.

You should seek advice from a salon with a decent colourist, get a quote to have it fixed properly then go back to the original salon and tell him you want him to pay your bill.

I'm self employed and if I cocked up would like the opportunity to recitfy it other than lose my reputation.

valium, I've just Googled five star salons in my area but it just comes up with Toni & Guy and a couple of self-proclaimed five star places. Is there some sort of industry recognised ranking system?

Lowlights could be a possibility.

I'm really reluctant to do it myself, but my contract has started now, with a three week turnaround, and I can only work when DH is available. I don't know where I'm going to find yet another three hours to have it done again. I suppose I'll just have to live with it until I have more time (and look even more of a mess on the wedding pics than I already would as an overweight, BFing frump). Fucking hell.

Thanks all for the advice.

wash your hair in the original vosene shampoo and get a very thick conditinor.

I wouldn't go to any hairdressers for a god few weeks.

I am not a hairdresser or know anything about bleaching ect, but would a wash in wash out hair dye work.

Well I've been in touch with friends and had a good salon recommendation. They're seeing me for a consultation tomorrow. I'll still ask for a refund.

Well I asked for a refund via a message through their FB page (no email address unfortunately).

His response is no: I should have said I was unhappy before I left (I did); they would've put a toner on it (he didn't suggest this). I also told him before he started that I wasn't happy with the chunkiness of the highlights but he said there was nothing he could do about that, and now they're one big block of brash colour. He's still trying to blame my hormones for the way the colour has taken.

I want to write a review on Yell but frankly I'm a bit intimidated by him and his fiance's 'massive family'. I'm aware of the damage a bad review could to to a recently established business and would prefer not to go there for the sake of £45, but I'm so angry. I also once reviewed a horrible cut (after my last pregnancy ) and the salon just followed it up with a flurry of 5* reviews to cancel it out.

Yes there is an industry star rating system - they get inspected and awarded stars.

www.goodsalonguide.com/welcome-to-the-guide/what-the-ratings-mean