Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Hairdresser left me with wet hair

118 replies

Goodlookingcreature · 18/06/2019 22:04

Am I being unreasonable because I feel super bad? Each week I get two blowouts. Usually on a Tuesday and a Saturday. There is an awesome salon nearby who work mostly with walk ins, but you can make appointments. I never make an appointment because I don’t usually mind waiting.

I went in this evening, no appointment and two stylists were busy. That’s fine, there’s one person in front of me and one lady behind me. I am currently on anti biotics for a nasty chest infection and sinus infection.

A 3rd stylist arrived and asked me to go to a wash basin so he could wash my hair. He then directed me to take a seat until the lady was finished with the client next to me.

I sat waiting about 20 minutes, with my hair sogging wet. The man who washed my hair took the client he washed after me and was half way through her blow out.

The stylist next to me, upon finishing the blowout, started to painstakingly curl the clients hair with the ghd. I proceeded to wait but it was taking quite a while because the clients hair was very long and thick. It looked like it was going to take a while still. I roughly dried off my hair and approached the corner to pay, just for the wash. Two of the stylists approached me and asked me to sit down, I was really embarrassed I was caught on time and I was sick so I didn’t want to stay there longer with my hair wet. The man offered to leave his blowout to start mine and I felt so embarrassed because his client apparently had an appointment. I just said I didn’t want to make a scene, it’s okay, I’m just in a rush and could I pay for the wash.

The lady I regularly go to looked quite hurt (it’s her salon) and refused to take a payment.

I am thinking about it all evening, I didn’t want to cause a scene but I felt at the time
I was justified. Now I’m not so sure.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 18/06/2019 23:16

Blow out is American for blow dry.

Every day is a school day!

They shouldn't have washed your hair until there was someone to finish the whole job. YANBU.

notangelinajolie · 18/06/2019 23:17

I have no idea what a blow out is but I suspect it's something to do with drying your hair. You had no appointment so it would have been reasonable to wait until someone was available. Why were you even there when you were so ill?

Butchyrestingface · 18/06/2019 23:19

Do you go to a salon twice a week, OP?

Fuck me. I need to up my game. Sad

LoafofSellotape · 18/06/2019 23:25

Good Lord,all this chatter about not knowing what a blow out is. Even if you'd never heard the term before it's not hard to make an educated guess!

20 mins is too long to wait with wet hair. They shouldn't have washed your hair unless they had so some to dry it.

MadCatLadee · 18/06/2019 23:40

YANBU. Get well soon.

ViserionTheDragon · 18/06/2019 23:43

I'm not sure why pp are giving OP stick for using the term 'blowout' and getting her hair blow dried twice a week.

I think perhaps you could have skipped the blow dry this time given that you were ill OP, as it obviously made the situation worse. But regardless, YANBU for wanting to leave if you were left sitting there for a while with wet hair. I think you were unlucky that day, sounds like a one off.

GibbonLover · 18/06/2019 23:45

it's not hard to make an educated guess

Unless you're the sort of person who takes things literally and has a vision of Nicky Clarke piling a load of Semtex on top of someone's head, that is...

Anyhow, twice a week? How come? Do you have restricted mobility? I do. I've got RA you see and take some pretty nasty meds for it. The type that obliterate your immune system. So if you'd been sitting next to me in the salon, your hair would soon be dry. Because I'd be giving you the hairdryer treatment for being such a selfish arsehole and spreading your germs around for the sake of vanity.

CookieDeal · 19/06/2019 00:08

That would have annoyed me too. But I think it was a little foolish to go out while you're feeling so unwell. Not to mention a bit unfair on everyone else sat there marinating in your germs.

LemonTT · 19/06/2019 00:40

On balance if you were concerned about waiting you could have asked how long it was going to be and if it could be rough dried (I hope that is a universally recognised hairdressing term).

They messed up doing your wash too early but it may have been fixable. You didn’t give them the chance and then you upped and left making what sounds like a scene. It wasn’t the right course of action if you just wanted dry hair.

I don’t think I dry my hair with a dryer when sick, just let it dry naturally cos I wouldn’t be up to styling. It is not uncomfortable unless you are bed bound sick, when greasy hair is acceptable. But you were up and about wanting styled hair.

I think you made your own drama here and probably got someone in trouble unfairly because you did not let them fix the mistake.

BouncingBanana · 19/06/2019 00:47

Visions of a salon full of ladies with hair looking like they've had their fingers in the plug socket after having a 'blow out'
Still, i suppose it sounds better than a blow job.

OP, couldn't you have wrapped the towel round your head to keep your head warm as you waited?

Trethew · 19/06/2019 00:56

I walked out of a salon once. Different circumstances though. My lovely hairdresser was setting up on her own and gave me her card. I booked an appointment. When I turned up to get a cut and blow dry it turned out to be the day after she had opened the new salon. I had my hair washed and she started cutting. She then left me three times to go and chat to people who had come in to see her. Not brief chats. I took the drape off and walked out with wet, half-cut hair. Never been back. These days I would have left a scathing review.

GlamGiraffe · 19/06/2019 00:58

YANBU I'll often walk in on the off chance for a wash and blowdry/blow out and am happy to wait when I haven't made an appointment, but I cant bear it when someone washes your hair and plonks you on a chair to be styled long before there's anyone free to do it. You end up with water seeping down the neck of your clothes making you feel really uncomfortable and chilly. It really was inappropriate of the person to wash your hair so long before the stylist was prepared. Experienced hairdressers know how long they will take until they will be with you. They were probably too busy to be thinking and even if you had an appointment may have been equally brainless. I have also dried my own hair in such a situation to get out quickly. Its not uncommon and a salon owner shouldn't be bothered. People suddenly have to leave for any number of reasons. If you are a regular client and the salon owner us a good one theyll be perfectly nice and normal next time and it wont even be mentioned, but on busy days i always check theyll be there with hair dryer ready quickly or ill ask to wait for a while until my hair is washed.
Out of interest how much does a wash and blow cost in the US I'm curious compared to London?🤔

Ihatehashtags · 19/06/2019 01:15

So you waited with wet hair? Big deal!! Why didn’t you ask for a towel. I really hope you’re not one of those people who tho k you can catch a chill? 😂😂

solargain · 19/06/2019 01:29

You all can't figure out what 'blow out' means? Hmm

Disingenuous assholes.

You are the people that make Britain a xenophobic little shithole that people look down on. Stop being such superior, snippy little cows.

Tippexy · 19/06/2019 01:30

American cultural norms are different to British ones so why do you think we know the answer?

solargain · 19/06/2019 01:33

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Popc0rn · 19/06/2019 01:43

"Two of the stylists approached me and asked me to sit down, I was really embarrassed I was caught on time and I was sick so I didn’t want to stay there longer with my hair wet. The man offered to leave his blowout to start mine and I felt so embarrassed because his client apparently had an appointment. I just said I didn’t want to make a scene, it’s okay, I’m just in a rush and could I pay for the wash."

Did you mention that you were short on time when you walked in? If not, then I don't think you can complain really. Personally I don't think sitting with wet hair for 20 minutes for a walk in blow dry is a major inconvenience or health risk though, even with a chest infection. Plus they did offer to dry it for you there and then when you got up to leave, so I think your title should really be "I left the hairdressers with wet hair" rather than the other way round.

Tippexy · 19/06/2019 01:46

Aren’t you a charm @solargain 👋🏻

solargain · 19/06/2019 01:46

Having said that you are being utterly unreasonable op.

solargain · 19/06/2019 01:47

And you being sick has no bearing. Why do you keep mentioning it? Stay home if you're too ill to wait a bit for a blow dry/blow out.

solargain · 19/06/2019 01:48

@Tippexy I am actually. I just hate the faux 'oh we're British and have no idea what you're talking about' just to be a spiky cow.

solargain · 19/06/2019 01:50

I'm turning in to the worst parts of a Brit and the worst of an American. Grin

Passthecherrycoke · 19/06/2019 01:50

I don’t think you should’ve paid for a hair wash- that’s not even a service!

It was a bit poor but I would’ve Waited fuming silently. Maybe got arsey.

I don’t get why people are saying you shouldn’t have gone with a cheat / sinus infection- it’s not as though it’s contagious?

alltoomuchrightnow · 19/06/2019 02:10

So hair is blown outwards? Not being snide , genuinely interested. How is it done? What if you want it blown under like curled under? It's only blown away from you?
As said.. only heard this applied to tyres

EMacCoffee · 19/06/2019 02:11

Seems a bit odd to go to a busy salon while so ill tbh.

My hair dresser regularly leaves me sitting with wet hair while she deals with other customers. I don't mind. I find that salons near me are always warm enough to compensate for it.