Hair Appointment Should Not Take So Long!

[AiryFlyingFairy]

I've been going to my hairdresser for many years. She is a good hairdresser but the appointment always takes absolutely ages.
So I had my 1st post Lockdown do of a cut & full head colour.
For context, I have a lot of shoulder length. thick hair so I understand it can take longer than average.
I was in there more than 4 hours.
She was doing 2 people's hair the same time as mine. So at 1 point I was left at the sink waiting for my colour to be washed off while she was putting a colour on another customer & that was 30 minutes for me just waiting. Bored sh@@less.
I've heard other people saying she takes too long so not just me.
I've got to the point now where I dread the appointment but good hairdressers are hard to find. I do actually like her too & the price is affordable.

Mumsnetters, How long does your cut & highlights take?
Is it reasonable to expect a cut & colour to take more than 4 hours?

I'm normally 3, was more like 4 for first post lockdown visit - hairdresser admitted they were struggling as everybody was a restyle so it was all just taking that bit longer. They normally have their timing and client juggling bang on.

It's been years since I had my hair coloured. However it used to take around 3ish hours. Seemed even longer if it was close to Christmas. She did exactly as u describe, I thought most places did that though or she'd be standing around waiting for my colour to develop. I do think they sometimes squeeze too many folks hair at once. 4 hrs seems too long though.

She'd do my colour leave it on and start doing someone else's. Sometimes I used to worry it had been left on way too long as well. Cut my hair then bugger off to do someone else's, leave me waiting a bit or on one occasion got the junior to start drying my hair and she was shit at it.

If I'm out in under 4 hours it's a very rare occurrence!

It takes close on an hour to get the foils in alone and I have a root colour and toner as well.

It's' a good 45 minutes for the blow dry alone never mind a trim and undercut.

I have a lot of hair....

My hair is past shoulder length and I have a lot of hair. After the first lockdown, it needed a lot of work as I had just missed out on an appointment so it had been about six months since my last visit. That appointment over 2.5 hours, but normally I allow 2 hours for colour, cut and dry. Post covid, the stylists to not alternate clients, it is one client each at a time too, keeps the numbers down in the salon and means no more waiting than is absolutely necessary.

If my appointment routinely took 3.5 or 4 hours I would definitely go elsewhere.

Full head colour , low lights & cut
1.5hrs max including coffee & chat

With covid she shouldn't be fitting people in between

And even when she can, it should only be for things that actually fit in with your treatment

My previous hairdresser got gradually longer and longer - initially 2 hrs but I finally had enough when it got to 4hrs. She was also doing multiple other people at the same time and I felt like I wasn't cared about at all.

I changed hairdresser and am back to max 2hr appointments again. And now it feels relaxing again, not a constant stress.

The only time it’s taken six hours is when I had a colour and hair extensions on the same day. I’ve now got elbow length thick thick hair and a cut and blow dry takes just over an hour.

I don't like sitting there for long so I learnt to do it myself. I can cut it, colour it and style it. Doesn't take half as long and I get a result I like.

I have v thick shoulder length hair. When I have a full head of foils, I'm there at least 2.5 hours. It takes an hour to put the foils on. I didn't realise this was a long time until I compared with friends! They all have fine hair - but maybe my hairdresser is slow!

I have lots of fine, shoulder length hair and I get a cut and all over colour, nothing fancy.

I also hate it when it takes such a long time to do my hair. I expect 2-2.5 hours. The parking in my town is three hours. The last time I went to get my hair done, pre covid, I had to run across town with a towel on my head to put more money on the car. I ended up being there more than four hours. I stopped going after that.

I find it's a combination of often running late to begin with, trying to fit too many clients/ services into the slot where my colour is developing, and not having a junior who can wash hair/ colour out.

Hairdressers seem to start off great, but then slowly get worse. I've tried nearly everyone in my medium town now. I'm going to have to move to the ones in the next city. And I can't remember the last time someone massaged my head during the hair wash. It's been years.