Would a hairdresser know if they were a bit rubbish?

[WheelieBinPrincess]

I had my hair cut on Saturday. First time since I had a baby two months ago so was looking forward to it to feel like a had a bit of style back to it etc.

I asked for a senior stylist at a place I go to often, It’s in west London and it’s not a chain. I wanted someone more experienced because I want some low maintenance layers cut into it so I could just wash it and go with minimal attention, but not just have to scrape it back. I was asked how I’d like it blow dried and I said keep the natural wave in it, don’t blow dry it straight.

Firstly she took about two inches off when I said only one. The layers seemed to be cut in very quickly then she quickly moved on to blow drying it- she put a huge amount of curl serum or something in it then diffused it, she seemed determined to make it curly for some reason. When she said she had finished my hair was wet and sticky with all this product so I said I wasn’t happy. She begrudgingly offered to wash it again and said it was because my hair couldn’t handle product

Anyway she washed it and then got a junior to blow dry, also seemed to be trying to make it curly until I said that wasn’t actually what I asked for and just a natural wave was fine. By that point I’d been gone a far longer than I wanted so I just said it was fine and paid up without really looking at it properly. It wasn’t actually dry but I was told they couldn’t do anymore because it would just go frizzy. Do you think they knew it wasn’t a good job and were trying to hide it by trying to make me have it dried curly?

Anyway. I’m not happy because it’s not what i asked for, there’s nothing low maintenance about layers that flick out all over the place. So upshot Is I rang and spoke to someone and will go in on Thursday to try and sort something or at least explain why I’m pissed off.

Sorry it’s so long but my point is, if a hairdresser is rubbish or has had an off day and done a bad job, would they know? If she’s not there on Thursday will the manager or owner tell her about my complaint? I’m just curious to know. I also think I’ve not really had a great haircut since before lockdown and is that anyone else’s experience? Like not cutting hair for a while put some stylists out of practice? I know £64 isn’t loads for a haircut in the grand scheme of London prices but I’ve paid more at other salons and it still wasn’t amazing. More just sort of ok, and maybe I just wasn’t ready to accept that this time. I feel like it’s been years since I had a haircut experience where I’ve really felt listened to and have actually come out thinking my hair looks great.

YANBU however hair after a baby is so weird. My hair is totally different to pre babies I guess it's the hormones. YABU to ask for a natural wavy blowdry, to me if you want to leave the natural wave in you sort of just need a rough dry. A blow dry is either straight, bouncy or curly IMO. £64 is cheap in my area so maybe try another salon next time, I'm in the south but outside of London in an affluent area and I'd expect to pay more than that particularly for a senior stylist. Hope they get it sorted.

I used to go to a salon as a teen/young adult until I moved away as the hairdresser had the same type of hair as me.

I went in in the summer and she was busy so an ‘senior’ hairdresser did my hair. He took a before/after picture but it never made the Facebook page as the job he done was AWFUL. The woman I had always gone to was going on how wonderful it was and how healthy it was etc etc.

Not only would have he known how shit it was so would have she, and as the owner she should have sorted it out asap.

The middle layers were longer than the bottom layers for a start.

I think that hairdressers are generally confident in their ability, yes - even if misplaced!
It’s just not a job for anyone with “imposter syndrome” thinking they’re not good, or actually realising they’re not - it would be too high stress to cut hair thinking / knowing you were bad.

So I think there are three types of “bad” hairdresser:

• those that are generally bad and just don’t see it
• those who are usually good but do a bad cut and are defensive about it, to point of actually believing themselves
• those who might often be good but think they know best - so disagree that it’s bad

A family member has a salon. She finds it real hard to recruit full stop, let alone good staff! She has held back on expanding because she has the customers but won’t risk her reputation on poor staff. She used to work as an assessor for 16-18 level hairdressing courses. She stopped, because the marking scheme meant people were awarded too grades, but she said they were people she wouldn’t take as trainees, they really weren’t good. So based on that, I’d say there were people coming into the industry who had been told they were good - who really weren’t.

My personal experience has been of plenty of shit hairdressers. One guy cut mine for years, no issue with cut as it was very simple. Over time I found the colour was turning orange. I pointed this out in a friendly way - not a criticism I just assumed my hair was changing. Despite the orange evidence in front of him, he said I was talking nonsense. I’d had three friends ask in a chatty way, “oooooh - have you changed your hair colour, that’s quite ginger now?”
Never went back to him.
I put him in my defensive category, with a mix of the thinks he knows best category!

@Cocomarine that’s really interesting, thanks.

I do wonder if it’s a skill that is maybe not held up to as much scrutiny as previously- or perhaps to absolutely guarantee great haircut you have to pay big bucks- the thing is, I HAVE done in the past and while it’s been better, I don’t think it’s ever been amazing. Maybe just a bit Emperor’s New Clothes….plus that bit at the end when they hold the mirror and ask what you think, I’m sure most people just say ‘it’s great, thanks’

Plus you never know what it really looks like until you’re home and have washed it yourself.

£64 is ‘cheap’ for London I know but I still thought I was getting it cut by someone who knew what they were doing.

I got my hair cut last week by a mobile hairdresser as my DD is disabled, she is at home all the time and it's difficult to get her wheelchair out to a salon etc. This is what I was left with and this only cost £15 I'd have been even more gutted paying what you did!

@Effinell did you say anything her? I’m really sorry that happened to you.

In my experience, yes they know when they’ve messed up…I had a long bob for a while and had been going to the same hairdresser for ages. She knows I wear my hair straight so got to a point of not even asking. She asked if she could do it wavy for a change so I said yes, thinking nothing of it…when I got home and straightened it, it was really uneven. Like, about 1/2 inch longer on one side. You couldn’t see it when it was wavy so she 100% knew what she’d done…I’ve never been back!

It wasn't til she'd left and I had straightened it that I seen how bad it was. I've not got the strength to complain nor do I want her back to try and fix it, I'd probably end up with no hair left

That’s the most frustrating thing- I’ve had too much off so it can’t really be fixed without making it even shorter which I absolutely don’t want. I intend to explain and hope they agree to fix it In a month or so when there’s a bit more to work with.

Former hairdresser - I knew I was only OK. My theory knowledge for colour was top notch, I was a decently colourist, but I just was not excellent at cutting, I knew I was winging it, I just did not have the gift. The anxiety around it in the end crippled me, I used to dread new clients or any of my regulars wanting a revamp and I left a few years ago.

The right decision for me. IME, there are a few over confident souls but most just blag confidence even when very good!

Perhaps it is hard to achieve the skill....

@WheelieBinPrincess, and lots of stylist don't 'get' wavy hair

This is what I was left with and this only cost £15 I'd have been even more gutted paying what you did!

Obviously no-one should be charging for a service they can't deliver competently - but surely a bad haircut from someone who charges £15 is fairly self-selecting? I can't imagine any even halfway decent hairdresser is that cheap.

(Cue loads of people saying theirs charges £2.50 and a pickled egg, and they're marvellous ...)

Ah see I know it’s a huge problem for people with curly hair to find a hairdresser that deals, I didn’t know it was the same with wavy. It’s only the last couple of years I’ve embraced the waviness; I’m very much of the GHD poker straight Avril Lavigne generation.

It is for this reason I am often changing hair salons.

@WheelieBinPrincess

Ah see I know it’s a huge problem for people with curly hair to find a hairdresser that deals, I didn’t know it was the same with wavy. It’s only the last couple of years I’ve embraced the waviness; I’m very much of the GHD poker straight Avril Lavigne generation.

I’m 100% with you on that with the waviness! I want to embrace it but if I don’t ask them to straighten it I end up feeling like an extra from Dallas with a ‘bouncy blow dry’…I’d never wear my hair like that so then I struggle to know what to do with it myself!

God, we have all had bad haircuts. I remember as a teenager having a fringe trim and it was half way up my forehead and looking completely stupid!

I have been to mid to top range hairdressers in London and I find the key is their staff turnover. Also you can go to the same hairdresser for years and sometimes they have an off day but yes, as others say they can get very defensive.

I had similar @WheelieBinPrincess. Went back to my usual hairdresser after lockdown and a baby and they just couldn't seem to cut my hair anymore.

Weirdly my hair went really wavy after having the baby (pregnancy is so weird) so maybe that had something to do with it.

I've changed salons and was really happy with the new hairdresser. It's lasted really well and is super low maintenance. I spent a lot of time looking through instagram looking at people who had cut hair that was a similar texture to mine and in a similar style to what I wanted. No help now - but might help you find someone new once your hair has grown a bit.

Good luck! A bad haircut is so upsetting

I blame the fashion for long, straight hair which has been in for donkeys years now. I was a teenager in the 80s and short hair for women was fashionable. I had some good cuts then, but skills seemed to decline by the late 90s and 2000s saw me receiving some awful cuts as I still liked having shortish hair, but nobody could manage.

Hairdressing seems to be all about the colour and straightening now (and has been for decades it seems).