Hairdresser left me with wet hair

[Goodlookingcreature]

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.

@Passthecherrycoke chest infections are contagious.

Out of interest how much does a wash and blow cost in the US I'm curious compared to London?

I pay about $25 for a wash and blow out.

Blow out is the oddest phrase I have ever heard.

I think park up and hit out are odd phrases. Can you park down or hit in? Surely it's just park and hit.

I would probably just not go back.

YANBU, they shouldn't have washed your hair if they weren't ready for you.

For the cost of 2 blow dries a week you could probably buy a dyson supersonic in 6 months and do a decent style at home.

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.

Twice a week because I have Psoriatic Arthritis and I take methotrexate which causes my hair to fall out, so I prefer to get my hair done professionally because I feel pretty terrible about my hair to be honest. My immune system is also compromised and if I didn’t leave the house every time I was sick, I would be home alone a lot. I was 4 days into my antibiotics.

I agree 20 minutes is a long time to wait with wet hair. Once a hair dye job went wrong in the salon and they had to do it all over again. Because my appointment over ran by hours, they were tending to me in between other clients. The think the lesson here for you is to book an appointment, each time you go. If you don't then you have to accept that they can keep you waiting with wet hair, nbetween people's appointments.

I'd have just waited and let them finish. Leaving didn't resolve your issue did it 🤷‍♀️
Then you could have politely mentioned, whilst paying, that you would have preferred to wait for the wash, until right before the blow dry; as you were uncomfortable sitting with wet hair.
No need to make a scene.

Yabu
"I roughly dried off my hair"... So you had a towel then, you made it sound like your sat there with nothing for your 'sopping' wet hair and why did you go anyway when your ill and also passing on your germs....

YABVU to spread your germs about and if you are immunocompromised (as I am) you should know better than anyone how selfish and frustrating it is to be constantly exposed to illness because people put their need for a blow dry above the health of others. I’d be fuming if I’d booked an appointment to have a walk in delay my hair while I sat there marinating in their germs.

Wet hair does make you sick.

Everyone knows that.

*Wet hair does make you sick.

Everyone knows that*

No it doesn't. If sitting for 20 minutes with wet hair made you sick there would be a whole lot more poorly people. If you go out in an snow storm with wet hair it may help contribute to hypothermia. Sitting inside fully clothed with towel dried hair is not going to make you sick.

It was 20 minutes. If you'd been there for an hour, I'd understand you getting annoyed, but it was 20 minutes and you were being slotted in between other people. It was pretty unreasonable to then get up and leave, and it'll be awkward when you go back.

I'm much, much less of a regular than you and I've waited 20 minutes before! It's not long enough to make you ill, especially if you're inside, and really I'd have just been grateful that they were happy to do the blow out despite your illness. I appreciate that you don't feel you'd get out much if you didn't go out when you were sick, but you're spreading your germs to others with compromised immune systems, which is selfish however you spin it.

It's done now. If I'm honest, I'd pay them for the blow out even though you didn't have it, apologise for leaving and leave it for a few weeks before you go back, and hopefully it'll blow over and you can carry on being a regular.

On Saturday a new trainee stylist washed my hair and soaked the back of my top. The stylist blast dried it before starting my blow out.

Yesterday, my hair was washed, my neck and a little bit of the back of my top was wet. My hair was towel dried at the basin and left the towel that had been around me during the wash on my shoulders (wet) and left my hair down (not wrapped). My hair is very fine and thus, hard to manage, and the front of it was drying anyway and frizzy.

Moutain... molehill...

To reiterate they mostly work off walk ins. They do take appointments but it’s known for being the best place to go without an appointment. I had no issue waiting for the service to start. But I’m a regular client, I pay £60 each week. It’s supposed to be relaxing, a treat even. I’m just annoyed they took me, washed my hair and then left me to sit there, with sogging wet hair, while the stylist had yet to start another treatment on her client before she could take me. I get my hair done so much because it is a part of me I feel self conscious about anyway and never looks good when I do it myself, and the front of it was already wispy from air drying and she was only a little bit through curling the other ladies hair.

I don’t know why people are being so awful either.

Hairdressers do leave you with very wet hair. I generally have a towel put round my shoulders.

I’ve had this happen twice, once in a salon where it was November and I had a cold. I was left for half an hour with wet hair and it really was unpleasant.

The second time was with Toni and Guy who also washed my hair in freezing cold water

Sorry, but im immunocompromised. I get severe chest infections from stupid little colds, id be pissed if i’d been sitting next to you who actually had one!
Ive been in hospital twice already due to this.
Yabu. Going out with a cold, fair enough, this not ok.

As you are so upset with this hairdresser you should look for a new one.

But if you want better service then make appointments rather then just walk in.

I think the way forward OP is to make two regular appointments a week so they and you know what’s what and this can’t happen again.

£60 a week though.

She can’t wash her own hair. Would you like to have dirty hair? I wouldn’t.

I read the OP's post as saying she felt bad because she decided to leave with wet hair because she was feeling unwell, "caught" trying to leave with wet hair, may have made a scene because two stylists asked her to sit down and then the person she usually sees wouldn't take her payment.

I can see myself getting a bit fed up sitting there but afterwards worrying about having overreacted. Probably a bad idea to mention the PA later though as it looks like drip feeding. There was already a reason for leaving (infection).

I thought "blow-out", while originally being American (as the OP may be), was pretty common currency in the UK now.

Since the OP asked if she was unreasonable for feeling after leaving the hairdresser with wet hair, I'd say no (given what I've said above).