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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this about my new hair....

52 replies

Ilovechocolate87 · 18/09/2023 10:40

Had my hair coloured at the weekend.
First time my hairdresser has coloured it.
I am really pleased with how the bottom of it looks, but AIBU to think that the top of my head shouldn't look like this? My husband even agreed it looks like weeks of root growth :-/ Feel like the highlights should have gone over the top of my head right upto the parting? Pics online show that too (have attached one below alongside the first one, which is mine) but i'm no expert....get on really well with my hairdresser so don't want to offend or insult her, but equally want to get it sorted if it isn't how it should be....I also can't pull my hair back from the front to tie it up as there is a block of dark at the front, then block of blonde bits at the back so looks strange.

To think this about my new hair....
To think this about my new hair....
OP posts:
Sparklecats · 18/09/2023 12:40

That’s balayage she’s done not highlights.

PinotPony · 18/09/2023 12:42

Well if you asked for balayage that's what you've got! It's meant to be like that, the lighter colour blending up to your roots. You won't get the hard line at your roots when it grows.

Personally I think it looks fine. The Pinterest pics are awful.

Perhaps next time you see her, ask for a bit more colour nearer your roots but I don't think you can complain about what she's done now.

DustyLee123 · 18/09/2023 12:43

Yours is much nicer than the Pinterest

Sparklecats · 18/09/2023 12:44

Ilovechocolate87 · 18/09/2023 11:34

Here it is from the side.Yep was balyage- really like the bottom part :) Just the top I'm unsure about.She did use toner though x

@Ilovechocolate87

You have got what you asked for.

Balayage doesn’t go up the root it is meant to look more natural and they leave 1-2 inches at the top for this effect.

Google balayage instead of highlights and you will see.

If you want it to go to the root you need full or half head highlights.

Baffled1989 · 18/09/2023 12:53

So you asked for balayage, not highlights. The Pinterest is highlights. The balayage is what you got and should not start from the root but should blend in to your natural hair colour.

anansu · 18/09/2023 13:01

I would go somewhere else if you don't feel confident going back to have it fixed, though I agree with a pp that I don't like the Pinterest photos either or hair stripes.

In all honesty it looks like weeks of regrowth and the stripes look orange.

RoachFish · 18/09/2023 13:01

I always go for highlights that start about half an inch from my roots. I think it looks so much nicer and much more natural. I think most hairdressers/colourists will do it that way unless you specify that you want all the way from the root.

sunnyseed · 18/09/2023 13:02

Baffled1989 · 18/09/2023 12:53

So you asked for balayage, not highlights. The Pinterest is highlights. The balayage is what you got and should not start from the root but should blend in to your natural hair colour.

That doesn’t look like balayage to me. I would expect something more like as shown in the photo posted by sparklecats

thesugarbumfairy · 18/09/2023 13:06

As others have said, what you have is balayage. Just not a very good balayage. It should blend in gradually and look natural, not like you have big roots that have grown out.

Prinnny · 18/09/2023 13:09

You asked for balayage that’s why it’s not all the way to the root. It’s not a very good balayage but you should ask for highlights if you want it to the root.

Katiesaidthat · 18/09/2023 13:10

I had my roots done in June and it has grown out and looks just like yours...

grumpycow1 · 18/09/2023 13:25

Your update says you asked for balayage. I’ve had balayage and it never goes to the root. You could ask her to blend it more but next time maybe research what you are asking for too. Or make your wishes exactly known and she can correct you if you used the wrong word. I’m not a hairdresser but it must be frustrating people saying ‘I want balayage’ and not even knowing what it is. Did you show her pictures of what you wanted? I always do this so we are on the same page. For what it’s worth I prefer what she did to the photos you included.

Mirabai · 18/09/2023 13:27

You asked for balayage but it sounds like you were expecting highlights?

MegaManic · 18/09/2023 13:33

Because your hair is dark I think the balayage may work better, you would need highlights every 6 weeks (v expensive and time consuming) as you will see the roots straight away. It looks odd because we can only see the top of your head but I suspect if we could see it all it would look great.
I have similar colour hair to you and have both and highlights are a pain in the arse so personally I prefer the balayage.

Cordeliathecat · 18/09/2023 13:37

You have a bad balayage. To fix it and enable you to tie your hair back you should ask for her to come back and put a few darker foils through the mid-section to break it up a bit and a couple of lighter foils around your face from the root.

Balayage looks much nicer than highlights if done properly and requires less maintenance so I wouldn’t necessarily go for highlights next time. Also, a bad balayage is easier to correct than bad highlights.

A few extra foils and I think you’ll be really pleased with your new hair.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 18/09/2023 13:38

Prinnny · 18/09/2023 13:09

You asked for balayage that’s why it’s not all the way to the root. It’s not a very good balayage but you should ask for highlights if you want it to the root.

This.

In my experience (and I’ve only had balayage done once or twice) you have to get a colourist who’s fairly experienced with balayage if that’s what you want.

I’ve had highlights for years too and you wouldn’t believe again how many colourists get lazy and let the highlights go blocky rather than run another colour through so it’s natural etc or know the difference between fine and thicker highlights and what suits your hair!

After a lockdown colour disaster by a colourist I found a new one who I can honestly say is the best I’ve ever had but because they were fixing another salons mistake they were sympathetic and worked with me and actually listen to me. I personally find the latter quite rare apart from a school friend who’s a home hairdresser and the only reason I don’t go to her is she’s too far away!

LastHives · 18/09/2023 13:40

Ilovechocolate87 · 18/09/2023 11:39

And yep it was balyage, just done with foils, so would that much dark on top be more normal for Balyage? Thanks...I'm so clueless 😅

That explains it then!

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 18/09/2023 13:43

Cordeliathecat · 18/09/2023 13:37

You have a bad balayage. To fix it and enable you to tie your hair back you should ask for her to come back and put a few darker foils through the mid-section to break it up a bit and a couple of lighter foils around your face from the root.

Balayage looks much nicer than highlights if done properly and requires less maintenance so I wouldn’t necessarily go for highlights next time. Also, a bad balayage is easier to correct than bad highlights.

A few extra foils and I think you’ll be really pleased with your new hair.

I disagree with highlights looking nicer than balayage. It’s up to the person what look/finish they prefer.

That’s my highlights I’ve had done recently and I think the colouring does an amazing job, but then I prefer highlights to balayage. 🤷‍♀️

To think this about my new hair....
SparklyTwinkleGlitter · 18/09/2023 14:04

I'm a qualified colourist.

Balayage is simply the term for the painting technique used instead of the usual highlight foils. It's used to ensure the result is more natural looking but you can have balayage highlights and still have a heavily highlighted look, if that's what you're aiming for.

The problem here seems to be a communication based issue. Your hairdresser explained what she was planning to do and assumed from your conversation that you were on the same page.

However, as you're not happy with what you've got, it's worth going back and explaining that what you've ended up with isn't what you thought you were getting. Do not let her brush you off by getting others in the salon to agree it looks great.

I think the hairdresser is partly at fault here for not ensuring that you understood what she was doing. Poor consultation skills are one of the most common hairdressing mistakes and to be fair, we've all done it, especially in the early stages of our career.

Cas112 · 18/09/2023 14:22

Ilovechocolate87 · 18/09/2023 11:34

Here it is from the side.Yep was balyage- really like the bottom part :) Just the top I'm unsure about.She did use toner though x

Your hairdresser has give you balyage albeit she has not done a very good job with the blending but yes balyage starts further down than at the root and usually looks a bit more natural and not like you need your roots doing

Baffled1989 · 18/09/2023 14:28

I didn’t say it was a good balayage.

littlebopeepp234 · 18/09/2023 14:29

I have my hair done in a similar fashion to how yours is on your picture. I always ask for balayage which doesn’t go right up to the root and looks way more subtle when it grows out as you don’t get the harsh roots showing through as much like you would with normal highlights. Balayage is also in fashion at the moment and way more subtle than the stripes of normal highlights.

I feel the Pinterest pictures are kind of outdated now. I would say those pictures are how I used to have my hair in the 2000s and maybe up until 2014 (ish)

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 18/09/2023 14:31

It sounds like you got what you asked for, tbh / what the hairdresser said she’d do.

my hairdresser is amazing. But after a similar misunderstanding we’ve agreed to always use pictures to make sure that we mean the same thing…

I also can't pull my hair back from the front to tie it up as there is a block of dark at the front, then block of blonde bits at the back so looks strange.

I had that happen when I was younger. Which is why I always specify (nowadays) that I like to wear my hair up and that my highlights (which is what I get) need to look good when I put it up or pin it.

although good hairdressers tend to ask about your hair style habits (unprompted), at least IME.

littlebopeepp234 · 18/09/2023 14:36

littlebopeepp234 · 18/09/2023 14:29

I have my hair done in a similar fashion to how yours is on your picture. I always ask for balayage which doesn’t go right up to the root and looks way more subtle when it grows out as you don’t get the harsh roots showing through as much like you would with normal highlights. Balayage is also in fashion at the moment and way more subtle than the stripes of normal highlights.

I feel the Pinterest pictures are kind of outdated now. I would say those pictures are how I used to have my hair in the 2000s and maybe up until 2014 (ish)

Edited

Sorry only just seen your update saying you didn’t want it the same as Pinterest pictures. But what you have got is balayage which doesn’t go all the way to the root