To think my hairdresser is taking the piss?

[itscseason]

I’m trying to get my hair lifted light enough to go silver.

I’ve just been 2 weeks ago to the hairdresser and had a toner put on (no bleach, not had bleach for 3 months) and it cost £100. The toner has already washed out. Fine I kind of expected it.

I’ve text her to arrange a bleach session and she said I should wait even longer and just have toner again. £100 for something that lasts two washes. And she said my hair isn’t in good condition. My hair seems fine to me, don’t get me wrong it’s not 10/10 health but it’s hardly candy floss.

I pay £120 to have my extensions refitted, half head highlights and root smudge, plus a trim and finish. This is in Lancashire

£100 for a toner is a massive swizz, obviously, but what did you want the toner to do? You already know that you need bleach to get to the shade you want, so you need to do that.

Maybe give this stuff a go. www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/jan/07/this-dream-cream-is-the-most-exciting-development-in-haircare-in-a-decade

Hi OP - what shade are you starting from? Did the 2 other hairdressers you tried give any feedback as to why/how the strand test didn’t work?

Your hair is really pretty OP!

But £109 for a toner?! I pay £75 for highlights and toner

*£100

That’s definitely not how it works 😂

That’s my hair with no toner on, so yes yours with toner will look better.

I don’t know what you mean.

I’ve been to 5 different places and I was quoted between £180-£200 for what I wanted.

I went with my particular hairdresser for many reasons.

My hair is dyed mid brown chin length and I usually manage it myself with trims and dyeing so admit I may be slightly challenging in a salon but decided to treat myself before Xmas and walked into one of the few salons in my small northern town. Only one customer sitting in foils in there so the owner was free to talk. I explained I would like a full head colour lightening then new fair shade plus a tidy up trim.

She reached over the reception counter and poked my hair, then told me it would take up to ten hours of various stages and the cost would be £25 per hour.

I thanked her and left. Does this seem even remotely reasonable? She did not get my custom and I am no further forward.

@isthismylifenow I pay £85 for a cut BUT it's in Manchester, and it's a curl specialist
So it gets cut dry, washed, styled, dried and then cut again. Can be up to 2hrs so I don't think that's too bad

I really like the Lee Stafford Bleach Blonde purple toning hot shots. During the second lock down I vowed to never leave my roots as long again and DD did a home bleach job on the roots for me but it was appallingly yellow.

I used to wash my hair with these hot shots and leave it on for about 45 minutes and the result was a really nice, even, cool blonde. Even when the toner washed out, the yellow had gone.

I've only found them in Boots.

I've got very blonde hair with foils and bleach. You need bleach if you want silver. Your hair looks quite light to start with. It also looks in good condition.

I pay £100 a time with a cut so I think you have overpaid.

@Helendegenerate - the problem will be how dark your hair is. So it may not lift enough. Maybe you could have dark and light foils? £250 does seem alot for two colour or gradual bleaching

Shrine drops in ash blonde here

And Sali Hughes was recommending this hair treatment in the Guardian here

I've use the brunette shrine drops and they've worked well but haven't tried the ash blonde ones. Olaplex doesn't work for me either, but I'm tempted to try the treatment above.

@user1471538283

Mid brown box home dye. I have not heard of being quoted an hourly rate though rather than simply a price. Perhaps I am just not up to date with how it all works these days.

Yes your hairdresser is taking the mick. I felt the same about bleaching my own hair but did it recently by following this video:

All I would add is that I got the Russell Jerome bleach and developer. You buy the sachets and the developer is in a separate bottle. I did 40% strength…. I didn’t realise how much I would need though. Bleach isn’t like normal hair dye where it’s easy to spread it. I needed three of each in the end. Don’t get caught short like i did. Thankfully a lovely relative ran to boots for me 😆

@itscseason
I think your hair looks gorgeous.

Have you got a photo of your target colour? Show your hairdresser and say this is what you want. And go elsewhere really as you are not getting what you asked for

@isthismylifenow

I think what it is, is that these are the only 2 salons within about 18 miles. (In the market town I live in.) So they have the monopoly. There is no public transport out of the town, only to 2 fairly big cities some 25-35 miles away. There are 2 buses a day there, and 2 back, but it takes an hour and a half because it stops at every village and hamlet and small town, and costs £13-15 return... depending on where in the city you want to go.

The argument for that price is you would spend that on petrol and parking charges... You really need a car here, if you want to get anywhere away from the town. There's everything everyone needs here pretty much, but the bus service was cut some 4 years ago due to lack of use!

I digress! Anyway, these 2 salons basically have the monopoly. As I say though, they weren't expensive pre pandemic, so it's very odd that they are suddenly charging exorbitant prices. Also, as I said, the barber my DH went to that was actually in a big town shopping centre, was only £18. And they spent over half an hour on it.

So I can't fathom what the reasons for the extortionate prices can be. They are not even a fancy place/name brand. One is just an independent one called 'Shirley's' and the other is called 'Illuminations' and they have 3 salons - one in my little town, and two others in similar small towns 30 and 40 miles away.

Not sure about their trade, how much they get, or who goes there and pays these prices, and I don't know if they are busy a lot, as I rarely pass them, but they are still open, so someone is paying these prices! Must have more money than sense! 😬

nb, Shirley's and Illuminations are not the real names.

@itscseason
*
JustForABitofFun
What makes you think the area you live in is so expensive?

I don’t know what you mean.

I’ve been to 5 different places and I was quoted between £180-£200 for what I wanted.

I went with my particular hairdresser for many reasons.*

I'm picking up on the fact that in a number of your posts you've asked where people live and said this makes a difference to the cost.

So I wondered why you feel it's so expensive in your area!

You do not need to leave purple shampoo and conditioner on for hours.

Another who is in love with your hair as is OP! It’s gorgeous! (Sorry!!)

But where you live does make the cost of trade different. Just like housing.

Again I’m not seeing your point or how it’s relevant. I have no idea how hairdressers in my area calculate their prices. All I have is averages from when I’ve been to different salons.

I’m not that bothered about cost because I can’t change when I paid for now. My aibu is whether she’s taking the piss saying my hair is too damaged to bleach and trying to make me continue having toner until she agrees to bleach it.

I don’t think you’re understanding the OP.

It’s always useful to mention geographical region when talking about prices for hair (or housing etc) for context, as it really does vary wildly depending on this.

If it was not mentioned in the OP you can guarantee someone would have to ask in the first few replies. It’s genuinely key info.