Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Hairdresser cut my hair too short

250 replies

SaraYork · 07/09/2025 20:21

Last Friday I had a hairdressers appointment. I had long curly hair. When you pulled down the hair it just came above my bum. I told her that I wanted to keep my hair long and that only the necessary bit needed to be taken off. Which was the ends which looked very thin, dry, with split ends. She showed me how much was needed to taken off which was around 3 inches, which I agreed to.

I told her that I last went to the hairdresser's over 1 year ago. She told me that as I wanted to keep it long, I should come back every 3 months, so that they only have to cut off around 1 inch and my hair will look beautiful when it is long.
I also told her that I felt that I feel that my hair is growing more slowly while getting older.
She washed and conditioned my hair. She said that I had lovely curls and should use the scrunch technique with products.

When I got to my chair again for the cut. She showed me what she was going to cut. I said yes that is fine, which was around 3 inches. My hair was flipped to the front over my shoulders and hang over my chest. When my hair was pulled down, it cae to my belly button. But as it is curly it looks shorter, so on my chest.

Before she started cutting I took of my glasses. After some time when I had to look down I noticed that my hair looked short. I grabbed my glasses and put them on to have a look in the mirror. I turned my back sideways towards the mirror. Then I saw that she cut my hair way to short. I told her that and I started crying. She said that is what I told her. Never in my life I would have told her that as I always have had long hair.

It comes now just short over my shoulders. And that is with straightening it as she needed to straighten it as she could see then if everything was cut correctly at the same level. As I was so upset and crying she told me that I don't have to pay the additional charge of 5 pounds which they charge for people who have long hair. After she was done butchering my hair, I left crying the premises. I called my husband who told me to come home. He also said that it is something I would not go for and never that short. He knows me over 15 years.

Since Friday I feel sick to my stomach. I am unable to eat, cry, barely can sleep. I told my husband and mother in law that I have not felt this bad as when my father passed away, 3 years ago. My mother in law told me that it sounds like that I am grieving. And it feels like that. I took great pride in my hair. I have been feeling low lately and I saw going to the hairdresser's as something that I needed and would do me well. As normally I feel great and fabulous after having my hair done.

I have not been able to look at myself in the mirror. I am too afraid too touch my hair as it really makes me feel sad. My husband is abroad now and back on Wednesday. I just feel that I will break down, when I look at it in the mirror again. I also don't dare to brush it as I will feel how short it is.

I am not sure what I want from this post. I just feel so down and don't know what to do. This morning I woke up with lots of back pain which I think is caused by the stress of it all.

My mother in law told me that I have to go back to the hairdresser's and talk to the manager what happened. Not that I will get my hair back, but that they need to know and not happy with their service. In the end it is my word against the girl who cut my hair. I am not even sure at this point if she was fully qualified as what she did to my hair. I have no idea what she was even thinking and was going on in her head. Why, to say to me to come back every 3 months to cut off around 1 inch, and cut all my hair off!?

What do I need to do? Am I AIBU for feeling this way?

Thank you.

OP posts:
Jesswebster01 · 07/09/2025 21:36

SaraYork · 07/09/2025 20:30

@Jesswebster01 My husband just texted me as well to look into extensions. However, I read that it can damage and weaken your natural hair? Is this true? I am also looking at wigs.

No I have wore extensions for over 10 years. I wear a weft 2 rows as I feel the tapes and nanos are very visible and always seem to he able to spot them. I find them very low maintenance.

SaraYork · 07/09/2025 21:36

AD1509 · 07/09/2025 21:21

Sorry you’re comparing a hair cut to your father dying?! That’s utterly disgusting. It’s hair. Grow up.

@AD1509 I never have said that. And I find it disgusting that you insinuate that is the case.

OP posts:
5foot5 · 07/09/2025 21:36

SaraYork · 07/09/2025 21:23

@5foot5 She showed me how much needed to be cut off in order to look healthy again. And that was around 3 inches. She never said I am going to cut 3 inches. She showed me, how much she was going to cut off. I use inches here as I am aware that in the UK most people use that.

Do they?

I rarely do now. My almost 30 year old daughter would look doubtful and ask for a conversion in to metres or centimetres. Most products that you buy by length such as dress material or pieces of wood, or for which you are given dimensions, like furniture, use metres or centimetres.

Very occasionally if DH and I are doing DIY and I ask him to hold the tape measure and read out the length, he will give it in feet and inches ( he is 5 years older than me). I give him a look and he remembers and we proceed in centimeters.

I would be mildly astonished if most people my age or younger did prefer to use inches.

Bologneselove · 07/09/2025 21:37

Couldn’t you feel they were cutting it much higher than you wanted? My hair is very long and I can feel where they’re cutting.

Catssuddenlyappear · 07/09/2025 21:38

They would know no peace until they paid for extensions and compensation.

Reviews, word of mouth etc. Make them your enemy, if nothing else trying to end their business will take your mind off it all

SaraYork · 07/09/2025 21:38

DeeKitch · 07/09/2025 21:30

Did she show you the length she was going to cut off when it was over the front of the cape?

@DeeKitch Yes, she did.

OP posts:
DeeKitch · 07/09/2025 21:39

SaraYork · 07/09/2025 21:38

@DeeKitch Yes, she did.

Yet cut it a good six inches higher? Seems she couldn’t manage and kept trying to fix it

Chiefangel · 07/09/2025 21:40

Maybe your hair was in a really poor condition and so it needed a really good chop.
Now it will probably grow back quite fast as it’s healthier.
You are being very over dramatic. Hair grows.

FlayOtters · 07/09/2025 21:40

SaraYork · 07/09/2025 21:36

@AD1509 I never have said that. And I find it disgusting that you insinuate that is the case.

you literally made this comparison in your OP.

bad haircuts suck. your reaction is not proportional or normal. you need to speak to your GP and then a therapist to help you unpack this.

Catssuddenlyappear · 07/09/2025 21:40

Keroppi · 07/09/2025 21:21

Awful! It's because they aren't used to curly hair, definitely. That and some hairdressers seem to just keep cutting.
Definitely go back or email and complain/explain the situation. They may offer extensions or refund.
Look up Nuala Morey salon or The Curl Clinic on Instagram and next time go there! You need curl experts.

You could try a half up half down, or really bringing out it more curly and just embracing it. You can buy some nice Biotin supplements from Holland and Barratt and use rosemary oil in your shampoo/buy a scalp brush to stimulate hair growth. At least it'll be healthy and it'll grow again. Think positive, you got this and winter is coming anyway, buy a lovely jumbo scarf.

These are nice ideas, but she shouldn't have to think positively. These people fucked up - they should pay to put it right, whether thats extensions, compensation or both.

I'd be warning everyone off them, fuck those bitches

Wasitabadger · 07/09/2025 21:40

SaraYork · 07/09/2025 21:27

@Wasitabadger She even had curly hair, so I thought she knew what she was doing....

I would wonder then if her curls were not natural and she used a curling wand. I have been with my hairdresser for 10 years. The first 7 years I wore my hair straight. As soon as I informed her I wanted to start wearing it curly she changed how it was cut and styled.

monkeysox · 07/09/2025 21:41

Yanbu. Many hair dressers dont have a clue how to cut curly hair. My long bob was a shitty up to the ear uneven bowl cut a couple of years ago.

theresbeautyinwindysun · 07/09/2025 21:41

I am amazed at people’s responses. Your reaction is absolutely ridiculous.

Catssuddenlyappear · 07/09/2025 21:43

theresbeautyinwindysun · 07/09/2025 21:41

I am amazed at people’s responses. Your reaction is absolutely ridiculous.

If you're paying someone for a service and they fuck it up to that extent, they really need to be better at putting it right.

Would you tolerate a shitty roast dinner or cleaning service you were paying for?

Growlybear83 · 07/09/2025 21:43

I have had long hair almost my entire adult life and I understand how you feel. I had an awful experience with a hairdresser many years ago when a spiral perm went wrong. I had several sessions with a trichologist to try to restore my hair condition but still ended up having it cut from waist length to just past my shoulders. I was completely devastated and I sued the hairdresser. I was awarded the cost of all the hair treatments I had, and some compensation, but nothing made up for the loss of so much of my hair. My hair has always grown very slowly and it took three or four years for it to get back to its previous length.

BurntBroccoli · 07/09/2025 21:44

Can you post a photo of the before and after?
I had this years ago and absolutely hated my hair for months. I found a half ponytail made it look better and longer. Keep some longer sections around your face.

QuirkyHorse · 07/09/2025 21:45

If you have felt fabulous after previous haircuts, why have you changed stylists?
Or have I misunderstood, is this your regular one?

It will grow, try not to be too disheartened.

RosesAndHellebores · 07/09/2025 21:46

I'm sure it looks really nice, even if a bit shorter than you would have liked.

Please tell me you didn't pay when you left?

Please get some help for how you are feeling.

LBFseBrom · 07/09/2025 21:47

If 3" is taken off wet hair, it will be more like 5-6" when it is dry, especially if it is curly. It seems to shrink.

It will grow, stop being a baby. I doubt the stylist did anything wrong.

Doggymummar · 07/09/2025 21:48

5foot5 · 07/09/2025 21:36

Do they?

I rarely do now. My almost 30 year old daughter would look doubtful and ask for a conversion in to metres or centimetres. Most products that you buy by length such as dress material or pieces of wood, or for which you are given dimensions, like furniture, use metres or centimetres.

Very occasionally if DH and I are doing DIY and I ask him to hold the tape measure and read out the length, he will give it in feet and inches ( he is 5 years older than me). I give him a look and he remembers and we proceed in centimeters.

I would be mildly astonished if most people my age or younger did prefer to use inches.

I'm 56 and was taught inches, also pounds and stones I have no idea about kilogrammes

CeciliaDuckiePond · 07/09/2025 21:48

I had that happen to me in 1989, and that was the last time I ever set foot in a hairdressers. I trim it myself if it needs it. I don't trust hairdressers.

OP, I suggest researching hair growth products and trying some. They might or might not work, but it would give you back some sense of agency.

zaazaazoom · 07/09/2025 21:51

Nessiesfoodprovider · 07/09/2025 21:03

Yikes. That's a huge amount to have cut off. You need to go back and complain, or at the least email them.
I had an awful similar experience a few years ago, although my hair was nowhere near as long as yours was. It's traumatic. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise or try to minimise it.

Its not traumatic. Stop minimialising trauma. Its disgusting to use the word for a shit hair cut. I can give you a long list of things that are traumatic and this is not one of them.

Growlybear83 · 07/09/2025 21:51

Some people’s responses are very harsh. If you’ve got long hair that you see as your crowning glory, it’s a really major thing if someone ruins it. It takes a long time to grow your hair as long as the OP’s and she is quite understandably extremely distressed.

zaazaazoom · 07/09/2025 21:52

Catssuddenlyappear · 07/09/2025 21:43

If you're paying someone for a service and they fuck it up to that extent, they really need to be better at putting it right.

Would you tolerate a shitty roast dinner or cleaning service you were paying for?

No but equally I wouldn't be crying about it a week later.
I would be crying almost the time if something this pathetic upset me given the shit I've dealt with.

Actupfishy · 07/09/2025 21:54

bad haircuts are awful but you are being so damb dramatic