Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

I walked out of the hairdressers!

89 replies

JMAngel1 · 18/12/2021 13:07

I can’t believe I did it yesterday - cringing thinking about it but I went to a new salon that I was recommended as being fantastic at colour. I had sent a photo in advance of the colour of my hair and then a picture of the colour I wanted. She had asked for this as she said she wanted to be sure she had the colours in stock that she might need.

I sat down, she was lovely. We chatted and she then told me the colour she was planning to use and I questioned it and said I had been thinking about a Demi not a permanent in 2 shades lighter than what she wanted to use. I also explained my hair is very warm and always needs an ash:violet tone to counteract this.
I had sent her a photo of a caramel honey level 7/8 and she said she wanted to use a permanent 6/4. I ran for the hills!

Felt really awkward but just stood up and said I didn’t think this was going to work.

Got home and did it myself with demi I had bought last week. My friend had talked me into using her hairdresser and said for such a big change I shouldn’t do it myself (my hair was level 9 yellow in places and she said it might go patchy)
My hair this morning is exactly what I wanted - but I am cringing at how I walked out (but glad I did or else I would have dark burgundy hair now!!
I swear that hairdresser was colour blind.

OP posts:
PaniniHead · 18/12/2021 13:09

Why didn’t you stay and discuss it through? Did you pay her before walking out?

SoSickOfItNow · 18/12/2021 13:10

Good for you.

I’ve got home from far too many hairdressers and cried after saying “ lovely, thank you” then paying for awful hair. Well done.

Samedaysame · 18/12/2021 13:26

Good for you don't feel bad that the hairdresser did not listen. Reminds of a time I started drying my own hair because I had told them I needed to be out by a certain time and the hairdresser was just talking to her friend that had dropped in to see her.......

Original poster
JMAngel1 · 18/12/2021 13:42

No, she didn’t start - it was just the discussion at the beginning. She was adamant that Demi 8/73 and 8/71 wouldn’t work and was hell bent on a permanent 6/4. I could see she wouldn’t do what I was asking for and genuinely think she was colour blind. So I just got up and thanked her but said it wasn’t going to work. Of course I didn’t pay her. There was no question of paying her. She didn’t touch my hair nor mix any colour up.

OP posts:
HunterHearstHelmsley · 18/12/2021 13:46

Good on you.

I think we've all stayed or ended up with something we're not happy with. It's a lot of money if you're not being listened to.

You absolutely shouldn't have paid or offered to pay. You weren't being offered what you had required, and forewarned them about.

Gonnagetgoing · 18/12/2021 13:49

Lots of hairdressers especially since lockdown seem to have a god like stance and I know as I did a great professional semi perm colour at home that I can do that myself. I even know friends who’ve used home highlighting kits with good results. I go because I prefer them to do it for me. But I’ve noticed a few salons where either staff have been rude or not concentrated so now I do my research, look around and don’t fail to leave if I’m unhappy. I’ve got a friend who’s a professional home hairdresser slightly too far away for me to use regularly but she always says to speak up and if not happy leave.

EatSleepRantRepeat · 18/12/2021 13:54

To be fair I'm sure she'd rather you leave before she starts, than complain afterwards. So many hairdressers thrive on word of mouth recommendations.

A good friend is an excellent colourist and talked me through the colour theory and the maths she has to do to get my naturally dark but graying hair into a blonde colour. It was fascinating - I thought you'd pick a colour number from the book but it's all adding and subtracting between the box number and what your natural colour and undertone is, very complicated!

Original poster
JMAngel1 · 18/12/2021 14:01

Exactly, it is complicated and fascinating and thank god I have learnt it because I dread to think what I would look like this morning - a level 6 would have grabbed to a 4 and the 4 tone is a cool red tone whereas I was asking for a gold which is a 3. I needed the aah 1 otherwise I would look like a pillar box.
It just amazes me that this girl was classed as a colour specialist.

OP posts:
Original poster
JMAngel1 · 18/12/2021 14:02

Ash

OP posts:
EishetChayil · 18/12/2021 14:03

Good for you.

You don't owe her a penny.

Palavah · 18/12/2021 14:05

Would like to see pics of what you wanted and what you've got.

Sounds as though the consultation waa well worthwhile!

Original poster
JMAngel1 · 18/12/2021 14:08

My hair was level
9 yellow in places with level 8 all over. I wanted a JLo type caramel honey shade around 7.5.

OP posts:
Malibuismysecrethome · 18/12/2021 14:17

I did it the other day. I think it’s about time we stood up for ourselves after all it’s an expensive treat this day and age

Pbbananabagel · 18/12/2021 14:23

Eh?? 6.4 is a vibrant red she’s totally daft!

OakPine · 18/12/2021 15:16

I'm so over hairdressers. So many meh haircuts over the years. So many times I came home with dye on my skin (from my very expensive city central hairdresser).

In lockdown I did my own hair. I've never been happier with it than then!

Good for you on doing it yourself. You sound like you have better skills than the colourist!

bonetiredwithtwins · 18/12/2021 15:21

There was no need to be rude though was there?

And yes you should have paid a cancellation fee as she would have likely turned away other bookings given hairdressers are always manic over Xmas

mutedrainbows · 18/12/2021 15:26

@bonetiredwithtwins reread the OP's post and I can't see anywhere where she was rude? Probably would've been much more rude if she went through with the several hour long appt and then refused to pay if it was wrong.

bonetiredwithtwins · 18/12/2021 15:26

She said she got up and walked out?

WaltzingBetty · 18/12/2021 15:29

@bonetiredwithtwins

She said she got up and walked out?
So how should she have handled it? Stayed and got a colour she didn't want in order to be 'polite' ? Confused
ElfIsTheImposter · 18/12/2021 15:30

I don't think the OP was rude and why should she have paid?

If you went into a restaurant, asked for spaghetti but were given a plate of fish, you wouldn't just politely sit there and eat it, then pay for it, would you?!

Original poster
JMAngel1 · 18/12/2021 15:34

I honestly wasn't rude - my exact words were "I'm sorry but I don't think this is going to work". She agreed and said "fair enough".
I said "thank you for your time".
Why on earth would I pay a cancellation fee? Pay her for her incompetence?

OP posts:
CoffeeRunner · 18/12/2021 15:48

I can't see how you did anything wrong.

Professional colour is expensive. Why on earth would you stay & pay for something you don't want? Never mind the having a permanent hair colour you hate.

Newnameobviously · 18/12/2021 16:58

I'm impressed with your savvy OP. I wish I understood all the colour codes at the hairdressers. In my head I know what I want but I find it hard to explain and the little twists of hair don't help. They all look so nice and I can't envisage how they will look on my head. It's the same with the descriptions of a cut, layered, tapered, graduated - they all sound the same to me. The only thing I'm sure of is that I want my hair dried with a lot of root lift and movement but in the end I still often come out with it poker straight and flat to my skull. ☹️

immersivereader · 18/12/2021 17:02

Good for you op.

toldgoodDog · 18/12/2021 17:03

What colour did the stylist use in your patch test 24hrs beforehand? I thought they had to use the exact colour for the test.. or perhaps not?

Swipe left for the next trending thread