To ask why hairdressers are so violent with long hair?

[Chocolatefreak]

Just been to a new hairdressers as my usual one is off sick. As someone who's had long hair pretty much for the last thirty years, I'm always astonished about the brutal treatment of my long hair by hairdressers. This is what they nearly always do, and it's annoying because it's damaging:

• Shampooing hair twice, with extra tangly rubbing to the dry ends (once is enough, and you don't need to massage the ends, only the scalp, the soapy water running through when rinsing is enough to wash the ends)
• Using hot water! Cool/lukewarm is less damaging.
• Not using conditioner (helps combing through and dryness)
• Trying to comb by dragging comb through from scalp rather than starting at ends and working up - or worse still, using a brush to attack your head - again from the roots, so your head is painfully dragged back

At hairdressing school don't they include any training on how to treat long hair? And yes I sometimes offer to comb my own hair - but they're the professionals!

Yes, I know this is a first world problem, sorry! Rant over for the next three months!

My hair is long but straight, and I usually get a wash and cut. They always ask if the water temperature is okay, and if I want conditioner. They always seem amazed that I don't want it blow dried and don't blow dry it at home, but they do go with my wishes, albeit reluctantly and in confusion...

@worraliberty my usual hairdresser now knows not to shampoo twice with boiling water, rub vigorously with a towel, try to detangle from roots with a brush etc - it was the new one I went to today that did all of that all over again!

Any hairdressers on this thread? Can you confirm if you've received special training on how to make long hair extra tangly?!

I didn’t realise how lucky I was with my hairdresser. She is so gentle, always conditions and there are never any knots in my hair when she brushes. I have very long thick hair as well!

And why so rough with the head massage? One scratched my head with her long nails. I now refuse a massage every time. Also once got folliculitis from dirty scissors - I fucking hate going to the hairdresser - and always going on about their holidays..

Same
Mine only detangles it when full of conditioner and no towels used ever, she blots the water out with a cotton t shirt

I have long hair but have had short, and in 20 years I've never not had conditioner, or tangled up ends from rubbing etc. Get a better hairdresser!

Sounds like you’ve just had bad experiences with hairdressers! None have ever been like this with mine!

Ive been to several different ones over the years - they’ve always asked if the temperatures ok, they’ve never made it knotty and washing it with shampoo twice is a game changer to make it softer and shiner which they obviously want you to leave with.

Ive also been to many trainees as my hair grows very long, very quickly and I’ve never experienced this either!

You can definitely ask for cooler water and to only wash it once. Not sure what you can do about the tangling though!

Mine isn't like this! They wash once focussing on the scalp firm but not tangling the hair then use conditioner which they comb through with a wide tooth comb then rinse, all with luke warm water. They blot my hair with a cotton wrap thing (thick curly hair) rather than rough dry with a towel. Wash cut and blow dry is around £40 so not expensive

I have extra long super fine hair. Some hairdressers are great with it but generally I would only go in with it freshly washed and wet and allow them to spray with water and cut. One local hairdresser was incredible - she did my cut which took mere minutes (maybe 5) as I just wanted a good end trim and then spent the rest of the appointment time doing a fishtail which took 45 minutes. It was a work of art!
I have been to a very expensive trichological (?sp) salon in London - well known. They did know how to comb hair but they did not know how to wash long fine hair at all. The appointment was £000s and in all honesty, I never went back for the hair treatment part as I can do that much better at home.

I've only had one 'bad' hairdresser, in that once he didn't rinse my hair properly. To be fair I think they were short staffed as the trainee or junior staff did the hair washing usually. He'd also want to chop off as much as he could, only an extra inch or so, nothing major.

I think you've had bad luck, OP, as I've always been quite fortunate, and the salons I've been to they have used the products they want you to buy, so a nice deep conditioning kerastase masque or similar.

The only thing I have found (from other very long hair people) is that a disproportionate number complain about having more cut off than agreed or it hasn't been cut straight, requiring a repair job, and more inches off, elsewhere. Is there such a place as a long hair salon in the UK? That might be a solution also.

You need a better hairdresser.
One that knows how to treat long hair.
They do exist. and they use lots of conditioner/products to brush long hair with.

But I agree with the hot water..I shower at 38 degs C at home, anything hotter hurts!

Omg yes to all of this!!!! Can I also add:

• Rubbing the sides of my face and forehead when shampooing, effectively ruining all my makeup and leaving me with a shampooey smelling face

• Blowdrying my hair so hard and pulling so aggressively with the blow dry brush that I come out with newly split ends

• Spraying hairspray over me like a cloud so I leave with it all over my face and clothes instead of anywhere useful

I have waist length hair and always have a dry cut because of these problems. Is that an option for you?

My experience getting my long hair cut and coloured is gradually getting worse.

The last time I got my hair coloured it wasn't rinsed properly. It was washed for all of 5 minutes and the next day I spent 25 minutes washing my hair til the water was clear. My collar was also covered in dye.

The tugs when getting my hair dried were painful! My hair wasn't combed through properly before drying.

This isn't long hair specific but I always, always need to go home and sort the front of my hair. It's left stuck to my head with no volume or style.

In my case the owner has passed the colouring and sometimes cutting to the junior who is now fully trained but doesn't do fringes 🤔 nor does she understand how long it takes to wash dye out. I had to go back another day to get my fringe cut but was told they wouldn't charge me extra 😂

I need to find a new hairdresser, dreading it as this one was good when it was the owner but she's now too busy with another business 😭

Agree. I've had similar experiences.
It gets so tangled in the basin.
They don't use enough conditioner.
Are very rough brushing that I end up losing a lot of hair.

I have brushed it myself at the salon on occasion when they're being too rough.

You do know you can tell them the water is to hot?

rather than starting at ends and working up

Doesn't this take ages if your hair is very long?

It does take longer but otherwise you rip out loads of hair trying to pull knots on top of knots down the length. I usually book a longer appointment as I have long thick hair.

I've very long hair and have never had my hair treated badly! I don't go expensive ones as I can barely afford it a couple of times per year as it is!

The main issue I face is having curly hair and finding salons used go working with black hair. It's quite a white area and I really have had to beg some hairdressers to please put the straighteners down!

I agree, just yank your head around which isn’t good if you already have neck pain. I was having a flare up and even telling her to be gentle I had to remind her I was in pain. Also slightly sticky out ear, every time I gent the comb down on it, very painful