Why do I always end up with a bob when I ask for sonething different?!

[Honey1975]

Had enough of my hair so booked an appt for today to have a good couple of inches of the back. I don’t have much time in the mornings to do it and it was just looking a mess for work.
I took lots of pictures with me today of the kind of looks I like. I can safely say I look like none of them. I have instead got myself another bog standard boring as hell bob with 3 strands as a fringe. I wanted a change and wanted to cover my lined forehead but she didn’t seem keen on doing it. I’ve had a fringe before so I was happy to do it.

Feeling fed up and dull. I spent a lot of money today and just don’t feel I was really listened to. She implied that no one is ever going to really look like the pictures I had. I wonder if she just gives everyone the bog standard bob!

I’ve been feeling rubbish about my appearance lately and just wanted to treat myself and have a new look but I feel like a frump.

I hate that. I have become very blunt at the hairdressers of late, but still come away disappointed every time.

You're going to have to be very specific about wanting a fringe and what style or length of fringe, and not wanting a Bob, but what kind of cut you want.

Book in for a full restyle, but it does cost more.

I honestly think with the trend for long hair some hairdressers have been de-skilled with cutting short hair. It’s took me five different stylists to eventually find one that gets it.

My hair is also fine so the default was always a bob no matter what I said to them.

I can’t afford another visit for a while now. I just think well why can’t I have a nice hairstyle like the people in the pictures? They’ve managed it and I did a search to bring up pictures that would work with my type of hair. She basically poo pooed every one of them. I felt silly and too scared to argue with her as you kind of assume the hairdresser knows best!

Harry were all 5 at the same salon? I’m particularly peed off because it cost alot of money.

I understand about the cost, it can be megabucks.

You could look for a local college with a beauty school and see if they need models? The best cut I've had in a decade was by a final year student. Suited me really well, and was beautifully done. Always overseen by a tutor who will correct any errors as they go, so you will never come out wonky - a touch shorter than planned at worst! And super cheap. A full restyle was £12 I think. I tipped heavily.

Bloody hell Silver I’ve just looked up my local college and a cut and blow dry is £6.00 and half head highlights is £26!!!

Ace!! Give them a ring! Getting appointments can be awkward sometimes, as you have to work around them, not them around you, but if you can be a bit flexible it's great!

Bit worried about letting a student loose on my hair but then it can't be much worse than today's effort!

Don't worry Honey, the students are very well supervised.

Thanks for the suggestion, I think I will give it a go. I have been getting my grey roots done every 6 weeks and occasional highlights and it’s costing me a small fortune!

Allow lots of time when going to a college, it can take hours longer!

It's usually HND students and the lecturers are there.

They usually charge about £5 - £10

Ah yes, allow longer. They usually explain it on the phone. Honestly, I've never had a bad cut or colour that way. I had a dreadful cut recently, however, from a senior stylist at a posh salon in Plymouth - totally uneven, longer one side than the other, just crap. She's moved on I hear.

I trust students a lot, as they are concentrating hard and they are being monitored closely, plus it's checked over by a tutor repeatedly throughout and again at the end!

I know the feeling about bad hair dressers! I'm still growing mine out from the spring when I asked for blunt cut with no layers and the hairdresser was arguing with me telling me I needed layers in it, telling me I needed an asymmetrical bob!! It's a shame because one of women at the salon is absolutely amazing, knows my hair type well and knows what suits and what works. She would listen and then gently guide me towards what suits within that. But I absolutely refuse to go back there because of how the other woman (who I think is the head of the salon!) was with me.

I need to get it cut again soon, and get some better layers cut into it because I'm growing it out again now.

I suppose the thing is I don’t really know what would work on my hair as well as they do but I just hate feeling my only options are a long mullet of a boring hanging bob with 3 strands for a fringe. And they are right in my eyes which I hate!!
Before I go elsewhere how can I be confident that what I’m asking for will work on my hair type, which is quite thick with a natural wave?

If you've had a fringe before, you know what will or won't work there.

The wave might be the issue with the length, but frankly it's up to you. Have you had it layered before? I have very thick, very straight hair. I have basically had the Rachel cut in varying lengths since 1997 and I'm sick of it... However layering is needed or it takes me up to 40mins to dry it in the morning when it's waist length. Balance what you want with low maintenance!

I agree re the great cuts by students. Our town centre Toni and guy runs advanced hair dresser courses so a cut is £5 a time from a fully qualified hair stylist whose doing extra training. I have watched a few of their training videos and it's really interesting. They are generally just so thankful to have a hair model and part of the training is communication and actually listening to the client. Last time I went the guy took one hour to do my main cut and another hour to do my fringe, however it was lovely so well worth the time.

My current hairdresser is amazing, first time I met him he was asked if he could be honest and then was very blunt about my colour and what I could achieve with my hair and made big changes. I had been asking for advice/change for years and he was the first to actually take on the challenge. Also what he suggested has resulted in me getting a cheaper cut and colour but although he gets less per visit he is the first hairdresser I have been loyal to in a long time so he gets the repeat custom.

Beemybaby that sounds interesting too. Do you have to go with a set style that they are wanting to practice though?

My last hair colour was a masterclass for Kevin Murphy (their colourists) at a salon, and I didn't pay. They were practicing a new technique on me, and I got a £180 treatment for free. Gorgeous fiery redhead colour, I love it! And yes, I got to have a say, but I did say I would go any colour except green .

It's growing out beautifully, so I don't need to keep going back to have the roots done or anything either, hence the technique they were teaching. Very clever by them, massive bonus for me.

Lucked that’s what I’m looking for. Someone who can say to me how about this or this would look fabulous. Same with the colour. I’m never that happy with the tint as it turns orangey after a few weeks. Everytime I tell them but they never seem to be able to correct it and I just hand over another £40!

I’m actually feeling quite upset about today’s cut. The cut itself is not bad but I just feel that she totally did what she wanted and didn’t listen to me. It’s like a cross between a bowl & a helmet!!

I was looking forward to a new hairstyle giving me a bit of a confidence boost.

What colour have you gone?

Also, have you thought about going back in and complaining, and saying exactly what you've said in the last post?

My natural colour is brown but greys are appearing so I had a half head of highlights at the start of summer and then as the grey roots appear I have a brown tint done on the roots and a few strands pulled through to break up the blonde a bit.
It’s high maintenance & expensive and time consuming but I don’t want wiry grey roots.

I know I should go back and complain but I don’t really know how it would look as the cut is not bad itself it’s just sooo boring!! Also I hate complaining, scaredy cat😂