I walked out of the hairdressers!

[JMAngel1]

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.

Out of interest, how much would it have cost, if you'd have stayed?

I always trim my own hair now, I have a style similar to jennifer aniston, but at the hairdressers they always started the front layer way to short.

Really well done!

I did get the patch test - it doesn’t matter what shade that is - I think it’s a standard test per brand.
It would have cost around £70 as she was the colour specialist.

Tbh the money wasn’t the issue. The issue was I didn’t want to have to walk around with dark red hair! It would completely wash me out and be at odds with my skin tone.

I think you did the right thing OP and I absolutely would not have offered to pay a cancellation fee. You didn't cancel. She wasn't listening to what you were saying.

I recently went to a new salon. It has rave reviews. I researched the salon and chose a stylist (lets call her Alice) based on the photos that were up of her work. I waited four weeks to get that particular stylist/colourist. When I arrived I told the receptionist I had an appt with Alice. Some whispering followed and I was told the stylist was ready. In the middle of the colour, a junior came over to talk to Jen. I thought I misheard until a second person came over to talk to Jen.

It was too late to say anything but when the colour was done, it was completely flat and not at all what I wanted. I told her it wasn't how I had expected it and she told me that since it was only a demi that I could wash it out in 12 washes. I paid 150 pounds for that 'service'. I looked at the salon's istagram recently and they appear to be spending their days making tiktoks.

I agree with a PP who said that hairdressers seem to have acquired a very entitled attitude since lockdown.

@bonetiredwithtwins

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

She wasn’t rude. She left because the hairdresser wouldn’t do as asked. That’s on the hairdresser, so no OP doesn’t owe a cancellation fee.

Good for you. You will be feeling so much better for doing this instead of arguing about what you wanted or worse having something wrong done.

I'm really frustrated about hairdressers at the moment. Their hair dryers are so hot and seem to scald my fine strands or hair even though they say that they use heat protector, I don't feel it works. I've never had lovelier or longer hair since not being able to go in lock down. I've now had it cut a little which is okay, not what I really wanted layer wise but feel I can't try again for six months until it's grown in case they mess up the cut. I never leave a hairdressers being happy with the way they do it despite having hair which is complemented all the time when I style it myself.

I did get the patch test

I thought it had to be 24 hours on advance, to see if there was an allergic reaction.

Didn't she use the correct shade during the patch test? Or wasn't the correct shade discussed and agreed when she did the patch test.

Well done OP. Salons can promote who they like so who knows how experienced hairdressers are.

I've ended up with a too dark colour. I said something to the hairdresser but she seemed to know what she was doing.

@SandyY2K

I did get the patch test

I thought it had to be 24 hours on advance, to see if there was an allergic reaction.

Didn't she use the correct shade during the patch test? Or wasn't the correct shade discussed and agreed when she did the patch test.

It was. But they use any colour for the patch test, they have never checked what colour I am having before doing it. They only use the product type.

I have to try a new hairdresser soon as mine has closed down. Dreading it!! Well done @JMAngel1 I will need to remember this.

@Newnameobviously

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. ☹️

I don't understand the colours either. The hairdressers may as well be talking gobbledegook when they discuss it with me I am a nightmare though as well as I rarely know what I want in colour ( I am better with cut). In 15 years of hair colouring I've just let the hairdresser decide mostly. Sometimes I've liked it and sometimes not. I've always treated it as a sort of lucky dip

I did colour my own hair for a few years but that consisted of me selecting semi permanent colours at random of the shelf ( within shades of brown) and just using them every couple of months . I never kept track of what I used or.could remembered from one time to the next which Iiked more . I never did anything drastic though

Re the op, I think if you know what you want then what you did was absolutely fine if she wasn't listening.

I've gone grey now and I'm relieved as I don't have to think about it any more ( not that I did much before anyway)

@JMAngel1

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.

But you took up an appointment that she could have filled with someone else. You seem to be very knowledgeable about hair colour - why didn’t you just tell her what colours to use and let her finish it? You’re the customer, you sound like you’re assertive enough. But walking out without paying - no, that’s wrong.

Good for you! I just spent £250 on my hair only to dislike the result. Way too many highlights, I’m a brunette not a blonde! I paid another £100 to get it put right by another salon. I should have gone back and complained but couldn’t be arsed to be honest but I will be more watchful next time and will pipe up if I can see my head is covered in too many foils ! 😤

I did tell her what colours to use and she refused saying that those shades in a Demi wouldn’t cover the yellow / she was wrong because they have. They worked perfectly well. We talked for around 5 mins - very in-depth colour code chat.
She had dug her heels in re her plan and that was that. Sometimes a hairdresser can be cross if the client knows her colour codes as if it’s some kind of secret code that only hairdressers should know. I got that impression from her.

I went to the salon two days before for the patch test. I didn’t get to see the hairdresser / the girl on reception put a couple of dabs behind my ears.

Absolutely good on you OP! She wasted your time too so I really don’t think you did anything wrong what so ever! I’ve been dyeing my roots myself since this shit show and I’ve just started trimming it too. I wish i knew about colours tho as my hair is now a sort of balayage by accident! Like a PP, how do we learn about colours etc? I’d love to be able to do more than just my roots with a £3.50 box from wilko!

@SoSickOfItNow

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.

This has been me 90% of my hairdresser visits.

What are you on @Soontobe60? The hairdresser WOULDN"T do what the OP wanted! You're a complete mug if you pay for that.

Good for you. I'm glad you've had a good experience doing your hair. I used to go to the salon for blonde foils every 3 months. A few months pre covid my hair was breaking and thinned excessively. I'd even had bloods taken, in case it was my thyroid (which was negative). I always asked for the highest level tint, never bleach (I have dark blonde hair already). During lockdown I emailed them and asked what they used, as I wanted to try retouching my roots at home. They emailed back saying they'd been using bleach?! No wonder my hair was so bad. I tried various hair dyes and found a cool high lift tint, that made my hair look a lovely shade of blonde. I can't believe I can dye it myself, and it looks good. My hair looks so healthy and thicker now. I'm never going back to that hairdresser again.

Stop cringing. You did the right thing.

Sometimes a hairdresser can be cross if the client knows her colour codes as if it’s some kind of secret code that only hairdressers should know.

I had this at the previous salon I went to- I knew what I was talking about and the owner of the salon laughed and said "I've got to hear this!" He then shut up because I was spot on.

Well done for doing your research, and well done for walking out. She could have done what you asked for, and shown what she wanted to do in a strand she'd taken, so if you liked it you could have that next time.

For those of you wanting to know more about colour codes, Google Salon Geek Wella Numbering System. It’s a really good starting point. I only use Wella as they’re great colours and I only need to learn one colour code system

You absolutely did the right thing, but I do wonder if your Demi will still look the same after a few washes. Maintaining a J-Lo caramel is a time consuming, expensive pursuit!

I do curly girl so don’t use shampoo except for root colour wash off. So I only use shampoo once every 4 weeks. So demis last forever on me.