To think that hairdressers who don't attempt to blow dry hair properly shouldn't be charging for a 'cut and blow dry'?

[Cheesestrings123]

I went to the salon today. Had long hair down to the middle of my back and wanted to chop it to my shoulders. Was quoted £47 for a cut and blow dry - fine.

After cutting it, the hairdresser asked if I like straightening irons being used on my hair. I said yes but not so much from the roots as I don't like it to look flat. I have the type of hair that if it dries naturally and if it's rough dried, it will look a complete frizzy mess. However if it's done properly with a round brush, it can be tamed pretty well and then the iron just needs to be used sparingly. This is when my hair looks best. At home I tend to have to opt for the rough dry option and then straighten it as I have young DC and can't sit there drying my hair for half an hour and my arm hurts after 5 minutes . I therefore like going to the hairdressers so that my bonce can look it's best, and to me, it's part of what I pay for

Anyway, the hairdresser rough dried it without a brush (obviously turned it into a complete frizzball) and then just straightened it with the straightener . I was going to ask her while she was rough drying it whether she was planning to use the round brush, but she was doing it so fast and vigorously, and as my hair was now shorter, my hair felt dry in a few minutes and it would have been pointless

Anyway after straightening it, I wasn't overly happy with it as it looked like I'd done it myself in 10 minutes at home . She charged me the full price obviously, but I walked away thinking I'd been short changed . Do you think I should specifically say next time that I want it dried properly with a brush and that it takes longer than 2 mins? When I was observing the other stylists in the mirror reflection, they were all rough drying with their hands, so I wondered if it was the norm!

I know what you mean...before ghds became a thing, any hairdressers I went to used to always spend ages doing a lovely blow dry after a cut. I think there is a lot of skill in doing that. Now they skip straight to straighteners after a quick blast with the hairdryer. I always think it defeats the purpose of going to a hairdresser if they are just going to do something I could do myself!

This is one of the reasons I hate going to the hairdresser! The one I go to know usually asks how I'd like it dried. I usually ask for a "bouncy blow dry" which means using the round brush and not getting away with doing a quick dry followed by straighteners. They seem to like the straighners option as it's quicker and easier.

Agree. They should be able to blow dry it to look good without straightening.

I have always been in awe how the hairdressers could get my (thick, slightly unruly, wavy) hair so sleek and smooth by just blow drying with a round brush and it felt softer and more manageable for several days after. If done with straighteners I agree the effect is not quite the same.

A good blow dry involves a lot of brushwork and pulling hair firmly from the roots it’s ok to finish off with straighteners if you want your hair super straight but a good blowdry is 95% in the brushwork

I have found a good hairdresser, great at cutting. But lazy. Rough dries and then straighteners. My hair looks good for an hour and then it just goes lank and as straight as a ruler.I usually come home and wash it. Last time I asked him not to straighten it, just dry it. He asked why I didn't want straighteners used. I told him why, he seemed surprised. He cut my hair and then sighed, looked at his watch and then blow dried it. It looked great. Even he said it looked good. I didn't need to wash it straight away.

The reason why they use straighteners is to save time, to squeeze in as many appointments as they can.

I am due to have a cut in a few weeks. I will be asking him to not straighten again. If he sighs and does the watch thing again it will be the last time I will go there.

Can I name names? Peter Marks once stuck me under the hot helmet thing to dry my hair. Then charged me usual rate, not even the student rate I had specifically mentioned when booking. Crowd of witches. I've never been back and that was about 20 years ago. Nowadays I'd offer them whatever the student rate was and let them take it or leave it. I was less confident back then

Straighteners are totally unnecessary if they are good at what they do. A bit lazy. That came from my hairdresser as well, not me.

Completely agree that it's skilful to be able to do it, it would be interesting to hear from any newly qualified hairdressers whether blow drying skills are emphasized in the training these days. I remember my first proper salon cut and blow dry in 1998, the guy only used a hair dryer and brush, no products and no irons and it felt and looked amazing . Hair definitely feels lank quickly with just straighteners and I will deffo need to wash it tmrw morning

And yeah, laziness, I think that's why it annoys me. I can't take short cuts in my job and charge for the better service , as I suspect most people can't .

Good to know ianbu, will definitely give them another chance to use the brush properly and see what happens

I think you need to communicate more clearly to be honest. She specifically asked if you were happy for her to use straighteners - that's when you should have spoken up. She'd probably have been perfectly happy to do a blow dry with a round brush if she'd known that's what you wanted.

I’ve never had straighteners used on my hair in a hairdressers! They always do a proper blow dry with brushes.

Now that you mention it, I haven’t had a proper blow dry in years although I am constantly paying for them! I just attributed it to not having super long hair anymore.

My salon just rough dries and styles with a straightener, my hair always looks healthy and shiny though. Much nicer than when I rough dry it, but it’s certainly not a voluminous, bought blow dry.

Bouncy blow dry*

I don’t think you’re unreasonable. But to me saying yes to straighteners mean you don’t want it blow dried and want it straightened.
I love my hairdresser but always ask for a rough dry as I’ve never been happy with their blow drying! To their credit they charge about £15 less for rough dry and straighteners.

that's one way for a hairdresser to ensure they don't get a tip

and I wouldn't go back there.

(not helpful, but I have never seen a hairdresser using straighteners, so it's not a "thing" for all of them)

and can't sit there drying my hair for half an hour
babyliss big hair is your friend!

@DontbeABabs Using straighteners seems to have become a thing recently. It is laziness for sure, it is quicker and allows for a faster appointment, which means more £ for them. It would be interesting as a PP said to see what newly qualified stylists are taught. Are they going to use straighteners or blow dry?

My stylist never even asked, he just did it until the last appointment when I told him not to use them.

My hairdresser always uses the big brushes - I like the bouncy look. It's never as bouncy at the roots as I'd like, but always looks good.

IMO very few hairdressers can do a good blow dry. Mine does a great cut and colour but a very feeble blow dry, really just laying the hair over the brush and going down the length with the dryer. I once had a different hairdresser who convinced me to let her use straighteners when they first came out, telling me I’d never use anything else once I’d tried them. I have very straight, well-behaved hair so really don’t need straighteners and they did nothing for me apart from leaving my hair flat and lifeless.

I once had the most amazing blow-dry. He did most of it with his hands, pulling and lifting my hair with occasional use of a brush. It was incredible but sadly was in a town many miles from home.

See I have thick unruly hair and the last thing I want is volume but too lazy to straighten every day plus not good for my hair but previously hairdressers have managed a very sleek straight effect with a blow dry (that I wouldn't describe as bouncy or voluminous) and that I would never in a million years be able to do at home

That’s interesting Alexa. My hair is fine, flat and poker straight but I can get great root volume by mostly using my hands and the dryer. I think the trick is to pull and hold the hair away from the head, then release the tension and aim the flow at the root so the force of the air is creating a bend which in turn creates the root lift.

I hate this too - only had it a couple of times though. And I never went back to those hairs