Hairdressers!!!!!

[Imdoingitnext]

It's happened again I thought I'd found a good one - this was after three hatchet jobs where my hair looked like I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards. My hair isn't easy as it's thick and wavy curly but I'm not asking for much just a good cut.

So I went on a personal recommendation from someone whose hair always looks good and she thought highly of this stylist. I met him for a consultation before and he seemed to know what he was talking about and understood my hair - so I was optimistic I might have found 'the one'

But a week later and I've noticed a few things wrong. I liked the cut at first but I've realised now it's settled that it's cut unevenly at the back and one side is longer at the front - I thought maybe it was deliberate to get a choppy look but maybe not. My fringe is too heavy and curls up like a horn on one side. I think he's thinned it out too much at the sides so it looks a bit like a mullet cut

I'd spent months growing out the last bad haircut and am now back to cutting bits off and trying to make the best of it while I search for a hairdresser-,why can't I find a good one?

You have my sympathies - we recently moved to a new town so I’ve had to go through it. And I really loved my previous hairdresser. I think I have found one (third attempt) but it is not easy

The common denominator does appear to be you, op. Are you sure there are really that many bad hairdressers around? If you liked this cut at first, is it not more a question of styling it right? If it’s really the cut, go back and ask him to fix it.

@Purplecatshopaholic i think there are plenty of hairdressers around who are great with long hair. If you have slightly tricky hair - mine is extremely thick and wayward with a bit of a wave but not enough to look nice - or you want it short these days - it is really not that easy

@Purplecatshopaholic I'd like to think you're right and maybe I'm expecting too much from hairdressers, but like @bigbadbarry says they seem able to cut straight hair and are good at colouring but when it comes to curly thick hair they struggle. Is it a question of training or what?

I have very difficult hair too and have lost count of the bad haircuts and poor colouring jobs. Fine hi lights get completely lost in my mane.

FWIW I have yet to have a bad haircut in a salon that uses the Davines range. My nearest on is 40 mins away but the stylist is wonderful and if I ask for half a cm off then that is what I get. She books out extra time for me. That makes a huge difference. Trying to shoehorn my long thick hair into normal appointment timings never goes well. They end up rushing stages and that’s the one thing you can’t do with long thick curly hair.

Definitely a question of training. I've got curly hair and have a curl by curl cut at a hairdresser who specialises in curly hair.

Like you I've had disasters in the past but I joined a few facebook groups for people following the curly girl method and they all recommend a hairdresser who does curl by curl cuts and the before and after pics speak for themselves.

If you have Facebook it's worth a look because the groups have lists of hairdressers in every area.

You need to search for a curly cut hairdressers - have a look in the local FB pages for curly girl -

The one we use has curls herself. The first coat with teen DD she said ‘I won’t blow dry it’ I knew we found the right person!

I feel your pain! I also have thick wavy hair. I wear it in a choppy bob just above my shoulders. I moved last year back to London and armed with the same reference pic I always use have tried FOUR hairdressers, ranging from 'art director' at Toni and Guy (which cost £80) to a recommendation for a stylist at a small local salon. Not one has done it right. I went back to the last one and explained a bit more with more photos. I still had to trim the sides next time I washed it. When they style it it looks ok, but I tell them I don't blow dry or style my hair - it has to be wash and wear.
I called up my old stylist and I'm travelling 70 miles next week to see her (rest assured it's not the only reason - my son lives there too).

@hay5689 @Allsnotwell
I'd be interested in the curly Facebook site, what's it called? I think curly hair like mine is a challenge to many hairstylists as they don't have much training on curly wavy hair

@LadyPoison I've never heard of Davines range what makes them different? Do they get extra training or what? - I'm looking up salons on the store locator now.

I have thick hair and whenever I have it cut it usually ends up uneven at the back underneath, I have highlights and there are many tricks some hair stylists do to get through it quickly therefore after about two weeks my roots and hairline need doing.

Davines ( pronounced dav ee neighs) is an Italian range of hair products.

It's lacking all of the "nasties" you find in the big brands so you don't have that horrible chemical smell. It's also cruelty free and all but vegan (a few products have beeswax in them).Everything smells gorgeous and it's the only range where I do not get a skin reaction from the brown dyes (and that includes Aveda- had to have an emergency wash out the last time I had that range).

Pricewise I'm paying around £140-£160 for root dye, colour refresh, undercut, trim and blow dry (good 25 minutes for the last one!) which I don't think is out of line with the other salons around here.

I don't think they get extra cutting training but in my experience, stylists who go for this type of range tend to have a lot of pride in their work.

Thanks for the advice and commiserating with me.
I'll keep looking out for a good hairdresser, I've got one I know is good that I can go to but he's a 100 mile round trip.

@LadyPoison that's another grip I have about hair dressers - that whatever products they use sets off my eczema behind my ears and on my scalp which takes over a week to clear up.

Sorry I meant gripe

@Imdoingitnext try sensible curly people uk and curly hair method uk support group.

It’s Curly Girl - some are in regions - so take a look
curly hair is rated dependent on curl so you can find advice for different types of curly and thickness etc

*Gripe - Grip is much more fitting!

Definitely yes to curl by curl cutting whilst dry. Also to never underestimate that 1 inch off can mean 3 inches shorter with curly hair!!
I went to an amazing girl in Manchester 2 years ago and now maintain the shape myself by trimming a cm off each curl every 6 weeks. She has cut the perfect template which I follow. Works brilliantly and saves me a fortune!