Should I go back to hairdressers?

[Marie2704]

Just wanted some advice as I really hate complaining and I feel so awful. I got these highlights done the other day and was really greatful as they managed to fit me in last minute with the 18 year old newly qualified girl.
Now I am home and upon inspection looks like she has missed bits as its lovely and blonde in at the top but not the middle and ends and I did notice that she didn't put the bleach on all of the foiled hair all the way to the ends but didn't want to say anything as this might be the correct way. Really unsure what to do, any advice?? Thanks

I’ve complained politely to about 5 or 6 hairdressers over the years and each one have been very accommodating and fixed the problem.
It’s never been a thing, I explain that due to lighting or a lovely blow dry I thought I was happy but now I’m home I can see the cut/colour either isn’t up to standard and/or what I asked for. A few times I’ve asked another hairdresser at the salon to fix the issue and a few times the original person sorts it out.
Be brave, it’s so worth it to get the problem fixed.
Only two weeks ago my hairdresser of four years didn’t do my layers right so I popped back in and she corrected them in ten minutes.

I have gone back to toni and guy before because the cut was a bit wonky and he was fine about it but I just feel a bit more awkward about it when it comes to colour because it would be a bigger job for them and I remember I once complained years ago and I was so embarrassed because the same girl was there and she was asking why I was there again so soon after. It was really awkward.

The toner isn’t necessarily to do with how it lifts, more to make the blonde a different tone which can be lighter or darker. I have toner to make it a darker blonde as my hair lifts to platinum. If you had a toner it would blend your dark roots with the highlights to make it less patchy and also gives it a lovely gloss.

Yeah I'm never sure what to ask for but usually when I go it comes out a nice light baby blonde and they always say I don't need a toner. I like the colour on the top just don't understand why it seems to go from light blonde then darker then lighter again. Just looks like she has missed bits but then some people are saying it's only the root that gets done with highlights but then it's a contrast and patchy. I'm just thinking if I send the picture that they might just say thats how it's supposed to look, Just frustrating.

If it's going to cause you stress to try and sort it out with then I'd just leave it and then go again in 6 weeks and get it done for christmas

OP please tell us where you can get a full head of highlights in london for £90 - it sounds like a miracle!

it looks fine to me, and as others have said you don’t bleach all of the hair when you have highlights, but if you don’t like it just go back to them and ask for it to be corrected.

I look after my salon’s social media as a side hustle - my hairdresser owns the salon and he would far rather someone went back than walked about with hair they weren’t happy with. You wear your hair every day, and are the salon’s billboard. Just send an email with photos and say when you got home you realised it wasn’t quite what you wanted, and could you pop back for a chat. (Attach photos to the email.)

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes it is a lot cheaper than what I usually pay altogether for highlights and a cut but I would rather pay the extra for a more experienced stylist. I'm just really undecided now because of the box dye I did a year ago might be affecting the results so not sure how they would correct it and they already did what I asked for. I'm happy with the actual colour she has done just seems to stop halfway and if that's due to the box dye then that's my fault I guess that I didn't mention anything.

Edit re query about patch test.

Need for patch tests

A patch test is only required when hair dye comes into contact with the scalp. However it is still important to do a patch test for other colour treatments such as hair highlights where foils are used, as the foils can leak and come into contact with the skin.

Yes my usual hairdresser always insists on a patch test for highlights. Think I'm just going to cancel my appointment and wait till Jan when my usual hairdresser has an appointment.

Why is everyone asking about box dye?

It's the hairdresser that is the expert and should be asking about that (if it might cause an issue) and even if she didn't at the beginning, she has eyes and can see the roots are a lot lighter than the mids and lengths.

I think this probably just needs a toner on it, but as a trainee the manager/owner should have been checking you before you left anyway.

PS I don't think it looks bad, but it's clearly not what you wanted. Give them a call and ask if you can come in for a review. They won't want to lose you as a customer if you're going every 10 weeks.

You don't patch test the bleach! It doesn't touch the scalp and risk of allergy is for colour which is a completely different product. You can't even patch test the bleach as it is in a powdered form and you never patch test peroxide for obvious (I hope) reasons.
OP, the colour is not bad. It took me a while to see what you were talking about about. The technique is also fine as you wouldn't usually put the bleach through to the ends on every appointment or the hair will snap eventually. Sometimes it is necessary though, and maybe hairdresser didn't have enough experience to make that call..
Ring the salon and ask if you can pop in for colour correction. You can safely continue to use the salon even after "complaint". Most people need a quick correction every now and then, it really isn't a big deal.

I'm on the fence @Marie2704. It looks OK to me to be honest and will probably blend a bit more after a few washes.

I'm always surprised when people want to go back to a hairdresser when they are unhappy with their hair. If they did a bad job first time, I wouldn't be letting them touch my hair a second time. I think you need to cut your losses and pay for your usual hairdresser to sort it if you are unhappy.

Pragmatically, what did you expect from the very inexperienced stylist who had free last minute appointments for £90 in SE London. My hairdresser is in SW London and charges a very reasonable £200 for cut, colour and blow-dry. (And never takes the colour all the way down the foils).

Actually she is a good hairdresser !!
( I am a hairdresser)
she more than likely thought the ends were a faded bleach job and like any good hairdresser she didn’t overlap the colour because if it was bleach your hair wud snap in a few weeks !
what she didn’t do is have a hair history !
and if she did she would have maybe done it correctly that’s on you and her !
good news thou that too brightness with fade in a week or so !
if your not happy thou go and have a hat I’m sure they will find a solution x

Thanks for all the replies. It looks a little better after washing a few times.Ive now just left it as don't think it looks particularly bad enough to complain about. I've booked an appointment with my usual hairdresser in January and hopefully by then some more of the box dye can grow out.

have you dyed it recently is the one question I've always been asked, without fail, every single time I've had any sort of colour put on my hair, in multiple different hairdressers.

tbh I'm not convinced it is that - if it was surely it would have affected half your hair from a certain point down, not one third in the middle! I can't see how that would have resulted in your top (uncoloured) and your bottom (box dye coloured) hair being exactly the same colour and just a bit in the middle being different?

I actually think it looks quite nice - sort of a subtle ombre/balyage look but it is noticeably different, particularly in the first photo, so if you don't like it it's worth telling them! I'm sure they'd prefer spending twenty minutes doing a toner than losing a customer who spends £146 a pop!

Um... great?? Not sure why you've quoted me though. My advice to the OP was to volunteer information in case the hairdresser doesn't ask, as she didn't in the OP's case, as a PP told OP not to tell the hairdresser, which I think is bad advice. My own various hairdressers don't usually ask me what chemical processes I've done at home so I volunteer this information to ensure they have everything they need to make professional decisions. The last time I was asked about dye was when I was 17 and I'd blatantly dyed it because it had come out looking terrible. 🤷‍♀️

It’s quite normal when using bleach to only colour the regrowth otherwise your bleaching already bleached hair which could cause breakage and is actually really bad for the hair. They will take it some of the way down and blend it. Toner would work well given you’ve got different colours on there too. I always ask for a root melt as well, makes it look more natural when it grows out.

The way she has done it is good practice, the colours she’s chosen for blending could maybe have been a little better.

Personally don’t think it’s horrific so would wait to see your usual HD in Jan.

quoting you because your comment was excusing the hairdresser and made it sound as though "Oh of course she couldn't be expected to think of all these million and one things that there was a tiny possibility might have affected OP's hair." Whereas I was saying that 'have you dyed your hair' is the number one thing every hairdresser would/should ask.

It's weird to essentially blame the victim in this scenario and tell her she, the non trained customer should know exactly what information is relevant and it's her fault if she didn't tell it to someone who dyes hair professionally because it's unfair to expect the professional to ask!