To think this problem is too common with hairdressers?!

[treeru]

I'm angry at hairdressers today (sorry to group you all together, lighthearted! )

But honestly, I went to the hairdresser yesterday and asked for about 4 inches off and they've took about 8. I'd make clear that I didn't want it too short either (as it was waist length) and it's at my collarbone.

It just frustrates me that it's not the first time it's happened to me and I bet a lot of others have a similar story. I feel like some hairdressers just don't listen at all when it comes to length.

1. AIBU to be angry about this and be close to swearing off hairdressers? (Lighthearted - ish)
2. AIBU to be as upset as I am about this? (This isn't lighthearted, I'm genuinely upset at how much has been taken off and can't even look in the mirror and it's just making me feel so down knowing there's nothing to be able to fix it other than wait years for it to grow back)

and
3) anyone else got a bad haircut story to share to lighten my mood today?

It happens - takes me ages to find a good hairdresser . I’ve had weirdly diagonal fringes , layers I didn’t want that took 3 years to grow out and a Bob I could not tie back ( to be fair though that looked really good and now it’s grown to the length I asked for it doesn’t look as good but I can tie it back ) … hair grows though and I just try someone else .. reckon I’ve had 4 good hairdressers in 50 years .. either I or they though always move !

I've had some ropey cuts in the past, but I went to a hairdressers some 20 years ago for a trim (very long hair) and admired a style in a picture on the wall. Hairdresser says if I want gentle waves like that I need a gentle perm. It was a very glamourous style and we were going to a big party in the next few days and I wanted to look glam so I said "Go ahead"
I ended up with a head of hair that was a cross between Vera Duckworth's and the wig of a High Court Judge!
It was so hideous I wouldn't go out for two weeks, missed the party, finally ventured forth outside , in a hat.
The perm never dropped, after every wash it "pinged back" I saw several other hairdressers who said that chemical treatment to get it to relax would not work and my hair would probably break off.
18 months later I started to look vaguely civilised!

I bet it looks fine. It takes a while to get used to something so different. YANBU to be pissed off tho

If anyone is in the south London area, I recommend Headmasters in Streatham and Elle’s hair and Well-being in South Croydon. They are good hairdressers. Sometimes you are just better off paying the money. Look them up on Instagram.

Yes, I had one 34 years ago, that was the last time I visited a hairdresser!

I went about 10 days ago and asked for not so much blonde ( highlights )
I'm at least double than the last time 😏
My friend now calls me Blondie .

Yes I hear you. I asked my sil (who's a hairdresser) for a (paid) inch trim. I had hair to just past my boobs. She trimmed little pieces off it behind my back, until it became a bob! I have a very round face, it looked terrible. Even my husband who never notices changes, said it was horrible and severe. She got carried away and fancied giving me a transformation. Never, ever asked her again. My teenage daughter trims my hair now, and I do hers. I have a hairdresser friend who refuses to use a hair dresser because this has happened to her numerous times. Her hair is gorgeous, it reaches her belly button. She trims her own now.

It grows from the roots so growth rate won’t alter but if you heat it a lot it could break at the ends. You’ll probably need to make sure the ends are well conditioned.

OP I have had this several times. Hairdressers always take off way more than they’re told to, it’s very strange. I’ve come to the conclusion that most of them are rather stupid. 🤷‍♀️

I can’t think of any other job where someone can do something completely different to what they were hired to do and still expect to get paid for it.

And yes I to have had hair which was nearly at my hips taken to above my shoulders when I’d asked for 3 inches off. While it was short it looked utterly shit, and was even lop-sided!

Now I always say “I just want a trim. This much. <hold the hair in my fingers> If it goes shorter than that I definitely won’t be paying ho ho, so please make sure the length is not too short as I’ve had problems with that elsewhere.”

Yes hairdresses ALWAYS give me a blunt bob... no matter what I ask for they always do their own thing. I can go in an expressly say 'NOT a bob under any circumstance, just take an inch off and add layers' and still walk out with a flat bob thats 8 inches shorter than I went in with.

They just seem to think they know better always telling me after how its 'best for me' with 'my thin hair type'. I like long layered tapered ends I don't care if it looks thin it MY hair. I know the wolf cut is suddenly fashionable but I have always loved it even when people moan its a 'mullet'. I personally think evenly thick blunt hair looks bloody awful and short hair looks awful on me.

I also spent ages doing an ombre once for the hairdresser to take it upon themselves to 'cut all the blonde out' because 'dyed hair is damaged' and 'it looks like its outgrown'... like ombre isn't even and usual style.

I have only met 3 hairdressers in my life that listened 1 was my hairdresser for years (specialised in 'emo' hair so was happy to do shaggy long hair) but moved to another country. The other 2 must have been temporary hires or something because they where never there when I went back.

1997 - I wanted to trade in my waist length hair for a Natalie Imbruglia "Torn" look. Hairdresser gave me a Deidre Barlow.

I’ve definitely had this done to me a couple of times. I basically swore off going to the hairdresser for years the first time it happened. Now when I go I insist they hold up the hair to show me how much they’re about to cut!

My mum is a hairdresser. She says any hair past the shoulders looks dead and horrible to her and she would give everyone a bob if she could. I don’t go to the hairdressers anymore, just trim my ends and box dye it myself. Not that I could afford the hairdressers anyway. It was £70 last time I went and walked out with layers I didn’t ask for.

You're not unreasonable to be upset/angry that a hairdresser has not given you the style you agreed but also has charged you for the privilege however......I've never been to a hairdresser who has done this. I have had a haircut that I didn't like, I've also had a haircut that didn't look as close to the pic I showed them (because I have different coloured, thickness, density, curl, condition to the model). Occasionally I've listened to a hairdressers advice eg You really need at least 2 inches off....and regretted my decision.
I'm not quite sure how she managed to cut your hair so differently to what you agreed without you realising or speaking up. I get there's sometimes a point where you think 'lm not liking the look of this but it might look better when it's finished..
I really don't think this is common. I do however think people are often disappointed with the results but the hairdresser isn't at fault.

BTW I did once get my eyebrows waxed and the tech ripped out the inner inner corners of my browns (by nose) despite me being very clear I wanted nothing removing from there or above my brow. It was so quick I didn't know what had hit me. I was furious. She told me that it looked better. I disagreed that a 2cm gap looked attractive. Even if it did, it wasn't what I asked for. I was enraged. The manager did her best to appease me but I said I preferred to just go and I'd leave a picture and a bad review. I think I caused quite a stir in the salon too. Didn't get me my eyebrows back tho.

What exactly and what resolution was offered?

😂😂😂 dying!

You were sat in front of a mirror???
Are you visually impaired?

That's ridiculous. Surely if you want around 4inches off that's what you ask for. If I went into a pub and wanted 2 pints I wouldn't order 3 in case they gave me short measures, and I would ask for a fence 1metre high because I thought they might add an extra foot on.
You should be able to ask for what you want and expect it.

I'm another one who cuts my own hair. I've had a handful of nice cuts and a number of perfectly adequate one. But I've had way too many truly awful cuts that have left me very upset. There was a horrible period in the late 90s/early 00s where every hair dresser would cut stupid short layers, around 2 inches long, into the back of my head. After the first time it happened, I would specifically say 'no short layers at the back' but if I didn't watch them like a hawk that's what I'd get. It's made me dread haircuts. I feel stressed and uncomfortable. Hate the results far more than I like them and have to pay for the experience.

I'm pretty good at cutting my own hair. I can do lots of variations from long with layers to a pretty short bob with short layers around the face. I cut it this afternoon. It's longish now, so I took an inch or so off the ends and revitalised the layers. I also mix a little semi-permanent dye, just about 15ml, and touch up my roots. I have to do that monthly now because my grey is all to the front.

You sat in front of a mirror to have your hair cut, why couldn’t you use your voice?

I don’t care about how much hair they cut off me… but the sheer absolute agony of having my hair raked through by what feels like Edward scissor hands holding a home made comb makes me very close to throwing up in the chair. I’m much too scared to moan. But it ducking hurts

@Thatbloodyhedge @Prettypaisleyslippers for the third time, I faced the mirror and they cut it with my hair BEHIND me. Unless I had eyes in the back of my head, I could not see until they were cutting the last of it! (At which point I was far too uncomfortable to say anything as there'd be no point!)

I'm not quite sure how she managed to cut your hair so differently to what you agreed without you realising or speaking up. I get there's sometimes a point where you think 'lm not liking the look of this but it might look better when it's finished..

Sometimes it's too late! If the hairdresser cuts part of your hair too short, you're basically forced to get the rest cut down to that length or it's not symmetrical.

I have this problem sometimes. I used to get a buzzcut, now I aim for a scissors cut a little longer than that. I have an all right place I go to regularly, but sometimes need to have a haircut when I'm away from there.

I find that hairdressers/barbers are obsessed with the top being significantly longer than the sides. Typically they start from the sides too. What often happens is that the whole ends up shorter than I was really aiming for, since I have to keep saying to cut it down shorter on the top.

This does not always work. I showed a picture of Sienna Miller with her blondy/ginger hair where she's wearing a green jacket... Got a pink toner and genuinely wondered if I'm colour blind...

Can you explain the bit about rubbing your fingernails together? Is that a thing?

I've chased my brilliant hairdresser across 3 different salons, because he's the only one I trust not to do this sort of thing to my long hair, especially when it comes to my fringe which I don't like to be square or too short.

The reason I started growing my hair to begin with is because of an incident during my mid teens when the local hairdresser, whose main business was old lady perms, cut the fringe on my shortish, layered hair to about 1/2 inch. It looked ridiculous. The word "spam" was flung in my direction more than once at school. I refused to have my hair cut again until I was earning and able to afford to go to a different salon of my choice.