To be annoyed and offended at what this hairdresser did, and what she said about my hair? And should I complain to the owner, or just not go back?

[ILoveAGingerCat]

So I have been to this particular hairdressing salon, 4 times before, (I go every 3 months for a dry cut, and 'Julie' usually cuts my hair.) My old hairdresser retired so I started going to this new one about a year and a quarter ago...

This time I had Lisa. (Julie had rang in sick.) For context, my hair is about 6" below my shoulders, and wavy/curly. It's thick and blonde and I love my hair.

I got into the hairdresser chair to sit down for my cut, and Lisa got the hair straighteners out, then spent about 15 minutes straightening my hair within an inch of its life! Several times I kept smelling burning hair, when she kept them on for too long!!! I kept saying 'my hair is burning, you need to stop.' She carried on, and didn't remove the straighteners for another 10 seconds, and kept chatting shit to her colleague who was a few feet away from her. She barely made eye contact with me, despite me trying to chat - several times!

Then - when it was all straight - she said 'that's much better now it's straight.' I said 'what? Why is it better?' She said 'it looks much better on you than the curly hair.' I said 'but that's my natural hair, it's curly and wavy.' She said 'yeah but it looks better straight.' It was 100% flat and straight because she's fucking fried it with the hair straighteners!

She then started chatting shit to her mate again, and proceeded to cut about half an inch off my hair, and a quarter inch off my fringe. No layering or feathering or any attempt to style it. She spent 5 minutes cutting it... And as I say, she cut it very little! Then she said 'all done' and walked to the till... (I could have done that at home, cut that tiny bit off! In about 2 minutes!)

And I don't believe she straightened my hair to make it easier to cut because it's wavy/curly, as every single hairdresser I have ever had, just sprays it with some water, and combs it through, to make it a easier to cut it properly. The silly mare didn't even cut it properly! And she charged me £45 for it. A shitty, non-cut, and half my hair fried!!!

AIBU to never go there again, and should I make a complaint? About the poor cut, her frying my hair, and her basically telling me that my wavy/curly hair is shit?! 2 pics included are 1) what my hair is like, and 2) how she MADE it look!

You can still speak up now. So do.

Do explain what happened and that you were so taken aback by it all that you just left as soon as you could.

Thanks @Eddielizzard

Yes, I would complain. It was bad hairdressing and I agree she was very rude to say your hair is better straight.

Thank you. I thought it was rude too. I love my wavy/curly hair!

I’m not usually one for speaking up but I do think that if I had gone in for a hair cut and she began by straightening my hair, I might have queried it 🤔

And my photos are STILL not showing! What's going on!

It was odd wasn't it? Do hairdressers usually do that?

I have had a few experiences of hairdressers straightening my wavy hair when I have explicitly asked them not to. They don’t listen and carry on. I can be hard to be assertive in that situation.
It puts me off going to the hairdresser, I would like to get a good haircut but have never had a good experience so just do it myself in the bathroom mirror.
Not helpful advice for you OP but I get how this sort of thing happens. As you usually like that salon it probably is worth saying something. Asking to never have Lisa again because she didn’t listen and insulted your hair.

That's helpful, thank you. xx

I have curly hair and id of been fuming with this. Although I’m the same and I think shock in the moment would have stopped me complaining there and then. But I would absolutely phone them and speak to the owner x

Try posting them again. Sometimes the pictures seem to never show if you try to put them in the OP but if you put them in a regular post they will.

And just to add when I go for a hair cut somewhere new I phone and ask if they have a stylist with experience of curly hair. May be worth doing this

I would absolutely complain. Tell them what you told us, and perhaps say that you didn't know whether just not to return but thought it was better that they should be made aware.

What a bitch!
A rude fucking bitch!
I’d complain, just say you were in utter shock as you were leaving else you’d have said something at the time.
Complain about her specifically by name, that she was rude, ignorant, ignored your comments about burning your hair, then made vile comments about your natural hair and then did a shit hair cut on top.

Thank you. Yes, I am fuming. Angry with myself for not speaking up properly at the time, and for paying £45 for it, and insulted and offended at the 'your hair looks better straight' comment.

I came straight home and washed my hair to get my curl back. But the silly bint bloody burnt my hair. I'm getting more angry by the minute 😠

Don't beat yourself up OP, it sounds stressful. It is really hard to say something in the moment and it sounds like you tried but were ignored. I agree with OP saying you should ask the salon if this hairdresser was qualified. If she is that sends alarm bells to her and salon that she needs to pull her socks up. I have recently had a bad experience whilst my hairdresser is away travelling. I went for correction and that still looked awful so I'm not going back to that salon until my usual hairdresser is back.

I’m with those saying you should complain now.

It’s not always easy for everyone to speak up in the moment, especially if you’ve already attempted to say something and have been ignored, so I understand why you didn’t complain straight away. But it’s not too late. The lazy cow needs to be flagged to her boss and hopefully they’ll give you a decent cut.

Don't blame yourself. Lots of people, myself included, freeze in the moment. We're so conditioned to not make a fuss, it's hard to act in the moment.

Thank you.

The pics are showing now, in my first post! Only took 45 minutes, 😬

I think you should ring and ask to speak to whoever runs the salon. Tell them what you've told us - there was no discussion, she burnt your hair and ignored you telling her, didn't style. Give them a chance to put it right with Julie.

This is something that should have been a) stopped at the time and b) dealt with at the time.

I actually think your hair looks lovely in both photos and I normally don't like straightened hair. My hair is wavy/curly like yours and I would never set to it with a pair of straighteners. I do like it straight but I prefer it blow dried straight with a round brush so it still has body but is not poker straight.

I don't blame you OP. I have dead straight hair (like Japanese straight) and I've still had hairdressers straighten it before a cut!! Totally baffling. I didn't raise it at the time because I figure that all hair dressers have a different way they like to do things and I know fuck all about hair so I just thought 'crack on' but I was confused as to why she was straightening already dead straight hair. I wouldn't like them to burn it though, and I'd be very annoyed to have received an unsolicited opinion against my natural hair. I would definitely complain but probably give them feedback in a constructive way.

I have very wavy hair and I would be livid. It sounds like she has no idea how to cut hair like that so made it straight.

Absolutely go back and complain

Wow... my hair is curly... they cut it dry, then wash afterwards.
I bet she's not actually capable of dealing with curly hair.