Do you find that the first few cuts with a new hairdresser are great, but at some point they stop taking as much care?

[malalam]

I've found this a few times. I find a new hairdresser, during the first few cuts they take ages cutting and checking and I have a cut that is both flattering and technically great, but at some point (usually in the first year) they start taking a bit less care... I've longish wavy hair that is layered and the difference between a great cut and a not great cut is apparent after the first wash. It's not the easiest hair and I get the owner or someone at a similar hair to cut my hair, so am paying the top level for that particular salon. Does anyone else find this too? I've returned to a few hairdressers after duff cuts (including once when it was obvious they'd missed layering one side, it was laughably uneven) and they're always helpful.

I'm obviously in the minority here. Same one for at least 10 years. Short precision cut, dead straight thick hair. Still as good as at the beginning, and no noticeable difference in weekday/weekend. He's not very chatty in general maybe that's the difference? A couple of times I had to go to different places for logistical reasons, now those cuts were vastly inferior, after just a fortnight you could hardly tell I'd been at all!!

Gruffalo, you have summed up exactly why I never use salons now and stick with a freelance. That way time and money are precious to both of you and perhaps you could find a good one you trust.

This salon does not deserve your custom.

Thejumped you can read exactly what I said. I did qualify it with IN MY EXPERIENCE.

If you can afford to then get your hair cut by the salon owner. It is their business so they want to keep their clients happy and loyal. I think a lot of people who work in hairdressers, particularly the large chains are pretty poorly paid and this is probably reflected in the amount of effort that some (not all) put into your cut. I've been seeing the same woman for 20 years and for the last 12 of them she has owned the salon. Her customers have stayed with her because she is a really excellent cutter - I have literally never had a bad cut and had every style from crop, through bobs to long and layered (thick, slightly wavy hair here too)

Ironically my problem stylist was one of the senior stylists I transferred to after the salon owner seemed too distracted by what was going on in the rest her salon, nickEcave! Been with her for years and familiarity seemed to breed not exactly contempt, but was an issue of "oh, it's OK to alter Gruff's appointment, delay her, etc. as she's a loyal, long term customer, it's more important to keep the newer ones happy".

The head massage is the best bit!

I totally agree OP, it sounds just like my experience.
At the moment I look like Crystal tips, if anybody is old enough to remember.
I have tried good back street hairdressers named salons. I've had junior right up to manager.
I think if you call yourself a qualified hair stylist you should be able to do any hair.
Ok, maybe curly hair is more challenging but we still deserve a good cut.

Yes the familiarity thing does make sense. Like they don't have to impress you anymore or they get too relaxed about it. Thing is, with wavy, and presumably even more with curly, hair, you can't get relaxed about it. It does grow in a predictable way and takes more concentration than straight hair.

Doesn't grow

I'm just about to change hairdressers - I like the way she cuts it, but she's become really miserable and just grunts at me! We used to have a laugh and a good moan when I was with my STBXH but now, she's dead grumpy.
Having my hair cut is a treat and I want to have a slightly chatty stylist but definitely not a head massage
Also, I don't tip! If I'm paying £35 for less than half an hour of her time, I'm not tipping on top of that!!!

I have wavy/curly hair and find it difficult to get a stylist who understands it. I generally wear it wavy/curly because it takes much longer to dry straight. When it is curly, the top layers bounce up but the bottom ones are almost straight, so I need the layers to be almost as long as the bottom. However hairdressers are really into hair, so I'm not sure they really get the idea of only spending the minimum time on it on a daily basis. Then by the time they have combed it to cut it, there is no way that my hair will go back to its natural curl, so they dry it straight. I am shown it and agree that it looks lovely, with no idea what it will look like once I wash it.

I also get offered a fringe. I do understand that a fringe might look good, but it would need to be straightened every time I washed it or I would look terrible. And a straight fringe with curly hair looks incongruous. So a fringe would commit me to drying my hair straight for as many months as it took to grow out.

So I explain my hair and how I wear it to my stylist when we first meet and they listen carefully. They do a good job and my hair is how I want it. I ask for it to be trimmed back to the same place next time, which sort of works, but gradually it loses the specific cut I requested and becomes the mid length layered cut done for everyone. But it is really difficult to start the whole conversation about how I wear my hair and what it is like because the stylist gives a good impression if knowing me, so it seems rude, particularly when I said it looked good last time. So the simplest solution is to change stylist.

Yes, every few years I have had to change hairdressers for this very reason. They seem to not care so much and take you for granted after a while.

The past 3 or 4 visits to the hairdressers ??(I go every 5weeks) I have just asked for a little bit off my jaw length choppy bob. So nothing radical, basically a trim and lots of weight out...I have very straight heavy hair.

But last week I said I wanted something shorter and sharper and her eyes lit up . Took her over an hour to cut but it looks great.

I feel so much better ...much more confident and contemporary. I had been in a rut but of my own making, as I always say " this is what I want" as opposed to "what do you think".

Interesting point MrsDavidBowie, I always tell my hairdresser to do whatever he thinks.
This causes looks of from most people but he does always do a fab job and respects my current general preference, eg long hair, short hair but with colour and exact style I let him create
Maybe this is why he does such a consistently fab job and has done for twenty years?

I just can't say to a hairdresser 'do what you think' or at least, I have done, and voila....