To ask for a refund for these highlights?!

[Itsfiveoclocksomewhereright]

Hi guys -

I went to a new salon yesterday for a cut and balyage colour as my previous hairdresser has retired. He had good online reviews and a lot of hype about apparently used to be a stylist to the stars so I though I'd treat myself to a bit more of an expensive haircut than normal (£130😬)! He owns his own salon and he's the only stylist there for background info.

I was a medium blonde shade to start with and advised id like to go darker but leave some honey highlights to keep it summery. He seemed happy with that. It was only when I asked half way through what colour he was using that he said he was using bleach and alarm bells started to ring. He styled and cut and the colour seemed okay, not what I asked for but not horrendous, a slightly lighter blonde then what I went in with so i paid and left.

It was only after getting home and the curls starting to fall that I could see the actual true state of it and I was so upset. It was streaky and unblended and brassy and there harsh lines all over my roots. To top it off my scalp reacted to something he used and it's only just calmed down now. I rang my old hairdresser crying and she managed to find me a salon who can hopefully fix it next week for me (AND DO A PATCH TEST FIRST!)

Sorry for the long ramble wanted to avoid drip feeding! But my question is, WIBU to ask for a refund for the colour?

The cut isn't fab but it's fine and I do appreciate it took him a lot of time hence why I'm not thinking of asking for a full refund but I also don't want to go back to him after the reaction to the products and the disregards for what I asked for in the first place 🙁

I’ve had a few muck ups at the hairdressers and I’ve always phoned up, nicely said I’m not happy with the cut or colour and gone back in and had the problem rectified.

I see what you mean OP. Looks a bit hap hazard. Chunky in one photo and not near enough to the root.

I mean I’m no hair dresser but £130 is very expensive!

This happened to me twice on different occasions. First time I phoned back and corrected it (it was orange at the roots and ‘bleeding’ through)

Second time I asked for cream coloured highlights and the colour wasn’t even yellow brassy, it was orange brassy. I was fuming when I got home. She was the owner and in her late 40’s is not a new trainee!

I phoned back and she said I could go back and get it corrected but she wouldn’t give a refund. I didn’t go back as I felt awkward. I just never went back and I wouldn’t recommend it obviously.

I thunk the colour is nice but the finish is not worth that price imo.

Good luck OO

I wouldn't be happy it's not near enough to the roots for one thing. It's not hideous but looks very rushed.

As a hairdresser yes get a refund that's shocking

Thank you everyone for your responses. I think I will speak with him about a refund then. I'm probably being a bit of a wimp but I'm totally anxious about it though because he doesn't have an email or anything I'm going to have to call him!

Not sure I would trust that hairdresser to fix what looks like a bodged job.

I would ask for a refund and explain why as politely as possible.

If they refuse to, leave a negative review with photos and if you paid with a card ask for a charge back.

Shocking technique and the reason why I hate hairdressers.

Honestly, it's terrible. I say that as someone who trained as a hairdresser when I was younger and wasn't even particularly amazing at it. For £130 I'd want to feel like Jennifer Aniston walking out of that salon. Definitely ask for your money back!

Have they got a Facebook page ,post your photos on there and ask them to refund you ,I’m sure they won’t want other clients seeing those photos
Dreadful,by the way

Is it the same guy you’re going back to, I wasn’t sure?

I would to give him the opportunity to fix the chunks he’s missed (it looks like the foils slipped or something?). And sort the colour.

Leave an honest review after.

Use another hairdresser. Preferably one a pal uses so you’ve seen the outcome before and liked it.

YANBU, that’s a shoddy job - especially for £130! I would definitely ask for a refund. Hope you can get it sorted!

It's not the same guy I will be going back to, I managed to get hold of my old hair dresser who reccomended a salon to fix it for me. I can't seem to find a Facebook page for him either but I suppose if he refuses I could post it to one of our community pages, I hate being that harsh though!

Also no foils, he told me it shouldn't be done with foils?!

Have left a message for him to call me back, really hoping to get this sorted today! Thanks everyone!

Balayage is done with bleach and painted on freehand, so it can look uneven, particularly on straight hair - it looks best when hair is curled.

The bottom line is that if you’re not happy with the colour, you need to complain and ask him to rectify it/refund your money.

PS. Highlights are done with foils, balayage is not. As I said in my post, it is painted on freehand and each section of hair can be backcombed a little before the bleach is painted on - colourists often use a board underneath the hair. Once the colour has taken, toner can be applied.

I think you should say something but I think he would want the opportunity to fix it before offering a refund... that’s my experience in the past anyway...

Stella - it's not so much the colour, although it is brassy because he hasn't touched it with a toner, it just looks awful at the roots! He didn't backcomb it or anything he just painted it on in a streak. My previous hairdresser had been doing balayage on my hair for about 5 years and always smudged the colour up the hair/backcombed in order to blend and I've never had this problem, straight or curly it's always looked seamless, so tbh I wasn't expecting any less from this guy 🤷🏼‍♀️