Advice needed on whether it’s worth going to a top hairdresser (one off)

[AtlasPine]

I’m around 60 and not glamorous. I have long, fine fair to mousey hair which hasn’t been cut or coloured for a while although pre-COVID I get highlights and a cut from any random local hairdresser who has space when I have time, usually paying around £100. The last one who did it has left my hair very dry and brittle - although it’s beginning to grow out as obviously I haven’t had it done for months and months now.

Is it worth paying for a really good consultation, colour and cut (I’m in London) or would I be wasting my money? How much might it cost? Will I be surprised at how much they can make of my hair or will I look as ordinary as usual within a day or two? I don’t really have many hair styling skills (blow dry hanging upside down in about 3 minutes) and have a very non-stylish life generally, which I’m quite happy with. But as I age I realise that maybe I need to work a little harder with my hair.

Thanks to anyone who can answer my questions!

I’ve had times when I’ve been able to afford a good hairdresser and the difference it made to my hair was immense both in terms of cut and colour. When I’ve gone somewhere cheaper (when money has been tight) my hair has ended up a bit of a mess, the first cut has been fine but over time it’s like they do the same cut over and over and my hair stops looking right.

I’m currently growing out the last “reasonably priced” hair effort which left my hair over bleached and breaking. I’ve an appointment booked with a more expensive salon in a few weeks to try and fix the cut and colour and I’m going to just try and budget for a good salon every 3/4 months instead of every 8 weeks at somewhere cheaper - it should balance out over the year.

I know folk don’t need to pay a lot for hair but my hair definitely benefits from a good (more expensive) hair and colour.

I’ve lived all over the world and before covid split my time in London and overseas. Point being I’ve seen a million hairdressers over the years at every conceivable price point and have found there is no discernible correlation between cost and outcome.

I’ve also never had success with a consultation. Like you I have mid length very fine hair and over the years I’ve come to know what suits me. Even really good hairdressers rarely do.

I recommend both the big hair and the airwrap, I hated the latter when i first got it. It is undoubtedly fiddly and takes time because it’s the hot then cold then off sequence which really makes the curls “stick”. But with patience I get a great result.

The big hair is perfect for every day and definitely recreates the look of a decent blow dry. Far less time consuming and because I can use it one handed it’s perfect for using whilst scrolling MN

Oh and good shampoo really makes a difference. There’s not one that I can particularly recommend as it’s so personal to hair type and I find my needs change from year to year. But experiment with some decent brands.

@AtlasPine

Dyson air wrap is expensive!

And utterly useless on fine flimsy hair that doesn't hold a style. I promise you will regret it if you buy it. It looks great for 5 minutes but then just drops straight out.

@Thebestposter

Not nor not Tony snd guy. They teach people to cut hair in 7 weeks and have a business model based on turnover

Agree. Do not go to Toni and Guy.

I've accosted people in the street before now and asked where they got their hair done. People are typically flattered by this and will spill! I found a brilliant hairdresser this way. Just keep your eyes peeled for people with wonderful hair and ask them.

Also, I'm not saying my opinion on the air wrap is a fact per se but read the reviews on it and you will see hundreds of people with fine hair saying the same thing over and over.

Ive found an experienced hairdressser who is the same age as me (shes just turned 50) and knows exactly what I want and what suits me without my even saying, she's independent though, with a seat she rents in a local salon, shes the best stylist ive been to in years, I hate to sound ageist but newly qualified and younger stylists have never done as good a job as she does. Full head colour, cut and style for £90 is also a relief after paying a fortune in t&g, barbra daley and andrew collinge etc. As for the Babyliss/Air Wrap debate - Big Hair for me, the air wrap just make my shoulder length fine hair look messy and flyaway, and I found the Air Wrap bristles to be much stiffer and snaggy than the ones on the BBH.

I agree completely. Plus it's quite faffy. Tongs do a better job on my hair, in less time, for a fraction of the cost!

Ugh that last post was meant to quote bloodyfuckit 🤦🏼‍♀️

I’ll PM you.

I agree T&G is not the place to go for a great hair cut.

I would try to find a hairdresser by recommendation and then if you like what they do then stick with them. That way they will get to know your hair and be abke to give onoing advice.

Things that work well for my fine hair are these :

www.boots.com/john-frieda-luxurious-volume-perfectly-full-mousse-200ml-10217315

And then :

www.boots.com/schwarzkopf-got2b-powderful-volumizing-styling-powder-10g-10121351

I just sprinkle it on my roots and do a bit of gentle back-combing. Then voila, it gives me a bit of body.

I’ve had several horrible experiences in fancy london hairdressers- both in terms of the cuts and feeling like I wasn’t glam/slim/expensively dressed enough to belong there (I’m looking at you Trevor Sorbie Covent Garden!) One of the few I rated was Marc trinder at Charles worthington (after seeing him recommended on here many years ago)- he now has his own salon in St Albans and it’s very nice and friendly which is good if you’re very “normal” like me, and he really does make my hair look nice which I’d started to think was impossible!

Ps also agree with previous posters- dyson air wrap is rubbish for the price (anyone want to buy mine? 😄)

See I had a great stylist at toni and guy so my experience is different ! She actually bought a t and g franchise in a nearby more affluent town. It did well for quite a few years but has since shut and she's back working locally.
I blame the babyliss big hair for destroying my fine coloured hair. Turned it into a brittle birds nest

in my opinion - no - I went to a stylist at Trevor Sorbie for 2 years in my early 20s who was very nice but he loved to cut my hair shorter - a lot shorter!

By the time I booked to see him for a trim/cut etc my hair tended to have grown back and the last time I saw him, I said please don't cut loads off my hair - I just want a trim - an inch or so if that! He agreed and did that.

Definitely personal recommendation and also someone who listens to you.

Once I saw a hairdresser - not a top one - asked for a Gwyneth Paltrow blunt long cut bob got a very angled bob...

@Bloodyfuckit

I agree with big hair being rough on fine fragile hair. Dyson air wrap is useless too. Please don't waste your money on it. Any curls will fall out before you've even left the house.

Expensive salons to not guarantee good results. You need the recommendation of a very good colourist. Properly blended colour in the right tones makes such a big difference.

Babyliss Big Hair is fine for occasional use on fine fragile hair as I've used it, e.g. for special occasions, interviews etc - not every day.

For me - with colour - and I've had expensive and not so - it depends where you go and what they do.

Someone signposted Makeover Guy on YT - the hairdresser Chris on there seems to have some kind of wizardry going on - he always seems to know what to do with each lady - there are hundreds of short videos to watch, it's quite addictive . He's in USA so not for you to go to but worth a look to see good ideas for styles. Most of his "dos" seem to have an upward sweep with lots of volume and highlights. Quite a done look but very glamarous if that's what you're looking for.

@Iorderedyouapancake

Ps also agree with previous posters- dyson air wrap is rubbish for the price (anyone want to buy mine? 😄)

Ever thought of a career in sales? 😂

I posted last autumn about my fine fragile hair. It's long ish - past collar bone but not bra strap length. Doesn't grow quickly at all.

I bought a revlon one step styler (the large oval one) and some cheapo shockwave strong mouse and it has never looked better. I have used the revlon everyday since I bought it. I previously did the three minute blast. Now I have swishy hair!

My last cut was £9.50 from local hairdresser.

I’d also agree that cost doesn’t always equal a great outcome, and the risk is you are even more annoyed with a less than perfect cut.

Hairdressing is a talent, so it’s about seeking someone with it out. They can be found all over, and are not necessarily the most expensive. They have a good eye as to what will suit you. I pay about £60 in central London.

As I get older, I think frequency of cut is more important than it was, although part of hairdressing talent is someone who does a cut that grows out nicely.

Second Mark Anderson who I
Found on here.
www.markandersonhair.co.uk/

Terrible experiences with toni and guy for both colour and cuts. Agree to avoid.

I recommend Brooks and Brooks at Holborn. I've been going to them since they first opened - in fact I've been a client of Jamie Brooks for over 25 years, since before Brooks & Brooks even existed. If you search MN, you'll find other threads where Brooks & Brooks are rated well.

Book a free consultation and ask for their opinion. Then you have no cost and no commitment. If you don't like what they suggest, go somewhere else.

They'll be honest with you. They are no-fuss and very down to earth. Which is ideal for people like me who can't be bothered styling and messing around. I just blast my hair dry and then I'm done. A good cut makes all the difference!

I recommend Jamie (Brooks), Sally (Brooks) or Russell for cuts and Paul for colour. They've won numerous awards including London Hairdresser of the Year multiple times.

The best advice I can offer you is not to necessarily trust the recommendations of people who have thick, swishy hair totally different from yours. Someone who cuts their hair well may not necessarily cut yours well. Find someone with similar hair but who looks great! I have very fine, slightly wavy hair that grows slowly (grr) and falls out when I'm stressed. It is not easy hair to cut. I lived overseas for a few years and was recommended a stylist in that country. He was bloody awful but I couldn't find anyone who could cut fine Western hair or colour blonde hair well. I wanted to cry for the 3 years I was overseas. Yet my my overseas hairdresser was nominated for International Hairdresser of the Year (ironically one of his rival finalists was Sally Brooks). He was great with Asian hair but couldn't cut hair like mine to save his life. Finding a stylist who can handle your hair type is the most important thing and recommendations from people with totally different hair types sometimes really don't help.