Does anyone here love going to the salon?

[bunnylake]

It certainly does seem like the average LHCer avoids hair salons like the plague, but I've recently decided that I LOVE IT! I think it's largely due to the fact that I am no longer overly concerned with the length of my hair, rather I'm interested in keeping it healthy and having fun with it at different lengths and cuts. But even when my hair was tailbone length, I enjoyed having my hair shampooed and trimmed and even blown out. I don't think blow drying is damaging if done so infrequently. Lucky for me, my sister is a stylist so she knows she better listen to what I want! And it's free... :o

Yesterday I went to my sister's salon for her to trim the longer front pieces (my angled bob is growing out a little funny). She's gives the most wonderful scalp massage while she shampoos, and used Aveda Rosemary Mint so my scalp felt cool and tingly. She trimmed very little and blew it out for me. I left with Aveda Rosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner, and Aveda volumizing style prep spray to use for when I (sometimes) blow dry myself. It adds volume and shine and helps to hold the shape and style without feeling sticky or stiff at all.

I just love the pampered and refreshed feeling I get from a visit to the salon. :toast:

Any other salon snobs (lol) out there?

[Madora]

I loved my 4 outings at the GM salon in NYC! But regular salon visits, no way. I smile when I think of all the $$$ I've saved over the years avoiding salons.

[JessicaAnn]

I generally love going when I trust the stylist. It seems like every few years I'll have a bad experience that will set me on edge for the next time I go. But the next positive experience sets me back right. I used to live down the street from a beauty school and it was only $5 for a wash and blowdry. I'm not too proud to say that some days I paid it, with a good tip, just to be able to relax while someone else took care of making me look presentable for the day.

[Tota]

No way. Maybe if my sister was a hairdresser, or a good friend, or my mother ... then it wouldn't be such a problem. But letting a stranger cut my hair almost never turned out good and I avoid it as much as I can :(

[thistledown]

Once I found a really nice lady who respects 'the hair' :) I love going! She triple checks when she trims how much I want off and she always has a 2 week wait period for serious dyes or cuts.....has saved me a few impulse whoopsies!......and she loves braiding my hair too! Win win ;)
Vanessa
PS I still only go about once every 2 months for a bang trim and once every 6 for a main hair trim.

[blue_eyes]

I have a love/hate relationship with salons. Usually I've been unhappy with the cuts I've gotten, but then I found a salon that I loved. The junior stylist I always went to did an amazing job on both the color and cut of my hair. It was a little expensive, but I was happy for once. Then one day, after I'd been regularly going to the same stylist for about a year (and I recommended a friend, who ended up going to her regularly as well) asked if I wanted a blow dry, because I wasn't booked for one. I was really confused because up until that point I'd always had my hair blown dry without ever making an appointment for it. She asked me this while I was sitting in the chair with my hair still soaking wet. She then told me it was an extra $35. Since I was already paying about $150 for highlights that day I said no, so she gave me the blow-dryer and told me to do it myself. While doing so, I looked over at her and saw her standing at the back, filing her nails while chatting to a co-worker! To me, that was like a slap in the face. After that I didn't go back, and now I'm growing out all the dye so I don't need to go to a salon. But I miss it like crazy. I loved feeling pampered, having my scalp massaged, having a cup of tea and reading a magazine while someone else takes care of my hair. I felt so good and refreshed when I left. Growing out dye/seeing my roots looks awful and makes me want to run to the salon...then I envision the stylist filing her nails as I dried my own hair and I don't miss it so much.

Is it normal to have to pay an additional charge just for someone to dry your hair? I've been to lots of salons, and some would charge you for a blow dry IF it was being styled as they did it. If they were just drying it, not styling it, they didn't charge me. The point was to just dry it so I don't go outside with soaking hair. Other salons I've been to included a blow dry and styling with whatever else you were getting done, and you didn't get charged extra. I couldn't believe that this place had a "$35 or do it yourself" type of policy, especially when I'm already paying over $150. Or am I being ridiculous? :S

[bunnylake]

I have a love/hate relationship with salons. Usually I've been unhappy with the cuts I've gotten, but then I found a salon that I loved. The junior stylist I always went to did an amazing job on both the color and cut of my hair. It was a little expensive, but I was happy for once. Then one day, after I'd been regularly going to the same stylist for about a year (and I recommended a friend, who ended up going to her regularly as well) asked if I wanted a blow dry, because I wasn't booked for one. I was really confused because up until that point I'd always had my hair blown dry without ever making an appointment for it. She asked me this while I was sitting in the chair with my hair still soaking wet. She then told me it was an extra $35. Since I was already paying about $150 for highlights that day I said no, so she gave me the blow-dryer and told me to do it myself. While doing so, I looked over at her and saw her standing at the back, filing her nails while chatting to a co-worker! To me, that was like a slap in the face. After that I didn't go back, and now I'm growing out all the dye so I don't need to go to a salon. But I miss it like crazy. I loved feeling pampered, having my scalp massaged, having a cup of tea and reading a magazine while someone else takes care of my hair. I felt so good and refreshed when I left. Growing out dye/seeing my roots looks awful and makes me want to run to the salon...then I envision the stylist filing her nails as I dried my own hair and I don't miss it so much.

Is it normal to have to pay an additional charge just for someone to dry your hair? I've been to lots of salons, and some would charge you for a blow dry IF it was being styled as they did it. If they were just drying it, not styling it, they didn't charge me. The point was to just dry it so I don't go outside with soaking hair. Other salons I've been to included a blow dry and styling with whatever else you were getting done, and you didn't get charged extra. I couldn't believe that this place had a "$35 or do it yourself" type of policy, especially when I'm already paying over $150. Or am I being ridiculous? :S

That sounds very strange... maybe the salon wasn't doing very well and they needed to start charging extra? Weird! I'm pretty sure at least a blow dry is included in whatever else you're making the appointment for. One time I went to a salon (not my sisters) and they blow dried and curled the ends a bit for me... really pretty. I didn't even ask for it!
Call another salon and ask about it. Also, there are "blow dry bars" popping up everywhere in my area. You go in just for a wash and blow out.

[molljo]

Salons are weird places for me, because I like to be quiet during them. It's hard to relax and enjoy being pampered if the stylist is asking lots of personal questions (and I don't really do well with smalltalk in the first place), and many stylists seem to get offended if, after I've shown them a picture of what I want and my plans for my hair, etc., that I just want to sit and and have a peaceful time. It doesn't help if I'm not 100% confident they won't destroy my hair, which more often than not tended to be the case.

I did have one stylist in college who was a genius with my hair and seemed to appreciate my not gabbing her ear off, and I went to her religiously, until she got a better job at a salon several states away. After that I started cutting my own.

[molljo]

I have a love/hate relationship with salons. Usually I've been unhappy with the cuts I've gotten, but then I found a salon that I loved. The junior stylist I always went to did an amazing job on both the color and cut of my hair. It was a little expensive, but I was happy for once. Then one day, after I'd been regularly going to the same stylist for about a year (and I recommended a friend, who ended up going to her regularly as well) asked if I wanted a blow dry, because I wasn't booked for one. I was really confused because up until that point I'd always had my hair blown dry without ever making an appointment for it. She asked me this while I was sitting in the chair with my hair still soaking wet. She then told me it was an extra $35. Since I was already paying about $150 for highlights that day I said no, so she gave me the blow-dryer and told me to do it myself. While doing so, I looked over at her and saw her standing at the back, filing her nails while chatting to a co-worker!

I can't imagine what she was thinking, especially since you were such a loyal client, that she didn't at least explain that the policy had changed, that she was sorry about it the extra charge, etc. because the way she treated you (and how many others?) sounds like career suicide. I'd be surprised if she didn't at least have to work super hard just to build up her client base from scratch again.

[Pamala513]

I enjoy going every 5 weeks to get my hair colored. I go to an organic only salon.

[chen bao jun]

I am a curly.
Salons (except Devacurl, which is not easily found) are geared towards straight haired people even more than they are geared towards 'stylish' hair.
I defy you to find curlies (except those who like to be ironed straight) who like going to salons.
Pampering--?
Doesn't happen.
I'd rather go to the dentist than to a salon any day, let me put it that way.

[jeanniet]

I am a curly.
Salons (except Devacurl, which is not easily found) are geared towards straight haired people even more than they are geared towards 'stylish' hair.
I defy you to find curlies (except those who like to be ironed straight) who like going to salons.
Pampering--?
Doesn't happen.
I'd rather go to the dentist than to a salon any day, let me put it that way.

Curly, and I like going. :p But it's a Deva "inspired" stylist. I like watching him do the cut, because it's very involved and takes a long time.

[spidermom]

Love it, going Sunday, Can't wait.

[DelynofRhondda]

Ah yes, the joys of being curly haired. :run:

The best salon spa experiences I've had have been at barber shops. Scalp & neck massage, hot towel "facial", hot coffee, quiet attention, 1/4-inch trim is 1/4-inch trim, extra plump towels under the neck at the shampoo bowl, no fussing about long(er) hair, no badgering about dying. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Easy appointments. Standard rates, no up-charge for long(er) hair.

My favourite salon treat is a Wash & Set when I can have it washed, conditioned, wrapped, bonnet dried, combed out. Thought that service had gone the way of dinosaurs. Salons in NoVA didn't offer it. Here in rural LA, it's a ritual among Ladies of a Certain Age. A ritual I may just take up...maybe monthly...or when Spirit moves me LoL

Sadly, most of my salon aka beauty parlor experiences have been... This is a family friendly forum so maybe it's better left unsaid.

:wethree:

[Granger Mane]

Nope

Awful chemical and perfume stenches. Whoever washed my hair was always rough and banged my head against the sink and faucet.
Ripping brushes through my hair, awkward small task, complaining about my apparently hard-to-handle hair. Asking to put inlayers to make it easier for them.
And of course, NEVER listening. If I asked and showed 2 inches, I got 4 off If lucky (will not discuss the worst). Even when I had it short, they would never style it the way I like, although that came out with a few washes fourtunatly.
As a kid, I was always excited to go to the doctor or dentist. Id complain the whole way to the hairdresser. I till prefere going to the doc's

[blue_eyes]

I can't imagine what she was thinking, especially since you were such a loyal client, that she didn't at least explain that the policy had changed, that she was sorry about it the extra charge, etc. because the way she treated you (and how many others?) sounds like career suicide. I'd be surprised if she didn't at least have to work super hard just to build up her client base from scratch again.

That's what I thought! She certainly lost me as a client, which is unfortunate because up until that point I'd been very happy. My friend (who I'd referred to this stylist) had a few other incidents with her as well. Maybe I'm being unrealistic, but I think that if I had a really good client and had nothing else to do I would just dry their hair for them. It doesn't have to be anything fancy...just blow it around until it's dry. I would have even understood if she asked me to dry my own hair because another client walked in for their appointment, but it was the fact that she went and began filing her nails that drove me nuts!!!

*deep breath* Anyway that was my last salon experience. It really put me off salons altogether. Prior to finding this "good" salon I'd had nothing but bad experiences too. This last instance just put the nail in the coffin.

[fairview]

Yup. every day of the week and I'd do it 7 days a week if they let me. I love it. Oh yeah, I forgot, I'm a stylist. I'm supposed to. lol

[LauraLongLocks]

I have only had one truly terrible experience at a salon, and two experiences that were less than ideal.

The terrible experience was when I was a child. It was a beauty school, and the stylist cut and styled my hair, but didn't work with my cowlick in front correctly, and so my hair was totally wonky, like I had bedhead or something. Awful. I couldn't wait to get home and get it wet so I could fix the cowlick issue.

Both of the less than ideal experiences were having too much cut off, and in both cases, I didn't speak up and really tell the stylist what I wanted. I was uncertain and not at all adamant about my desires. My ambiguity mixed with their scissor-happiness meant that I got a bit more cut off than I really wanted.

[AmyBeth]

No way! I worked in a salon for 7 years at the front desk. I loved working there, I had so much fun with clients and co-workers. But I was always the favorite guinea pig whenever a stylist attended a class or trade show and wanted to practice a new cutting, styling, coloring or extension application she had learned. I tried very hard to be a good sport, and couldn't bear to say no. I spent so much time in a salon chair, I'll never miss it. The cuts and colors I had to live with! I'm also one of the weird people who find the shampoo bowls dreadfully uncomfortable, I would always have a stiff neck for hours after having my hair washed. I love doing my own hair now, I self trim and do my own henna. My hair is so much healthier, shinier and thicker now, not to mention longer:). I feel empowered by doing it myself whenever I want. Of course, I can think of many other things to do with my money (Ficarre, Senzalimiti, Flexi 8, etc).

[Flor]

Nope

Awful chemical and perfume stenches. Whoever washed my hair was always rough and banged my head against the sink and faucet.
Ripping brushes through my hair, awkward small task, complaining about my apparently hard-to-handle hair. Asking to put inlayers to make it easier for them.

Yep, this sums it up for me as well.

To OP: having your sister cut your hair (even in a salon) it's a whole other experience from going to an unknown stylist. It's not even comparable. So your question really should be - would you enjoy a salon experience if a close relative/friend you can fully trust was working there?

[Llama]

I like going for the most part, but only because I *love* when people touch my hair/scalp. Tingles my whole head. :p
I don't go too often though because my hair doesn't require a whole lot of upkeep. I don't color it or anything.

[lapushka]

I loved my 4 outings at the GM salon in NYC! But regular salon visits, no way. I smile when I think of all the $$$ I've saved over the years avoiding salons.

Regular salon visits, indeed: no way! I managed to save a lot over the years as well. Just think about it. A normal cut would set you back about €40 to €50 in this country (Belgium). And a cut and highlight session (or perm) would easily cost € 120. Highlights need touching up, so every 3 months. It's generally about € 500 minimum you save a year. For that money, you're allowed to buy a hairtoy or two, IMO, and you still wouldn't have surpassed that amount.

[PixxieStix]

Salon visits are one of my favorite pleasures in life, more so when I have a stylist I really trust and enjoy going to. I can't say I've ever had a terrible experience, certainly more taken off than I'd like, and I really would have appreciated the stylist telling me that there is no way in fact to get my red hair platinum blonde (walked out with Barney Rubble yellow, yikes!), but the shampooing and scalp massages and pampering make me a happy camper. :) Having people play with my hair is one of my favorite experiences, probably because of my mother and grandmother's playing with my hair from such a young age.

As a matter of fact,I have an appointment this Thursday for a trim, and I ADORE my stylist, I've been to her once before and she gave me the best trim I think I've ever had. Total fluke I was booked with her, but I'll be a very loyal client (even if it is only 2 trims a year!) for a long time to come.

[FireFromWithin]

I also love having my hair played with and shampooed but I tend to get head massages these days to avoid having to cut my hair... All the good without the length loss and they use oil so I let that sit for a few hours and wash out for a nice soft feel to me hair.

[patienceneeded]

I love salon visits! My only bad haircuts and experiences were 100% my fault. I love having my hair washed, my scalp massaged, the whole works. I even let them *gasp* use the hairdryer! No straightener though. I always enjoy going to the salon.

[spidermom]

AND I grew my hair out to classic length while having a trim about every 8-12 weeks. Salon visits don't always result in hair shorter than you want. Communication is key.

[Crumpet]

I love the shampoo/conditioning and clean/pampered feeling of salons. I really want to try the GM salon -- I'm saving it as a treat!

Generally, I'm pretty happy saving my money and doing my own hair. I like knowing what I'm getting rather than chancing it. I've had a few hair disasters in the past!

[Anyuta]

No, not anymore, never. I am now officially self-sworn "no salons" for the rest of my life. I have tried at least 30 different salons in different cities as well, whenever I traveled I always thought maybe here is better, no way. Very very unprofessional people everywhere I went, they don't know a $#!^ about hair. They don't care and don't listen, they don't differentiate between hair types or know how to handle a particular hair. Every time I come, I have to explain, my hair is thin, very tangly, breaks off easily, CANNOT be brushed when wet (their favorite thing to do after washing) and in general needs to be approached gently. When they hear all this, they get angry that I am ruling them how to do their job, and still I get out from that place unhappy. They brush so harsh and intensively that I feel like I left half of my hair on her brush and then I get a headache for the rest of the day. I have not yet met a hairdresser that I would go back to. As a result, I am now my own hairdresser ;)

[jacqueline101]

I used to love going to the salon. I think there is something about being pampered that's great. I do agree you can go to a great salon and get the services you want and not worry about your hair being cut shorter then you like.

[millyaulait]

Yes, very much so. From a very young age I experienced going to the salon with my mother as a bonding experience. She would always go from one extreme to another in just one day (like going from dark brown to honey blonde), so we spent hours in there each time. I loved the transformation and seeing how it all happened, as a child it was mesmerising. In my teens I started 'transforming' too & I think it brought us closer together. It sounds weird, but it's true.

I still love the salon, I just don't love the damage afterwards, so I don't go. The combing, the wet combing, the heat styling, the plethora of products used, etc.... It's just too much of a risk even though I have my fair share of hair problems, I just don't want to make it worse for an hour at the salon.

[restless]

I like the thought of going to a salon. You know, getting pampered, someone else is brushing your hair and you´ll walk out of there looking pretty with hair that smells of flowers.

In reality I avoid them nowadays because I havent had that many good salon experiences. Ive heard from many stylists that my hair is thin. When I had my last hair cut done the stylist even stood there repeating to herself; "Its so thin... so very thin!" while brushing it... :sad (no its not horribly thin! :rant: ). It didnt help that I always looked like a drowned rat while sitting in the salon chair with my hair wet, having to stare into a mirror under very unforgiving lights. Why would I want to pay someone else to make me feel bad about myself? I know my hair isnt on the thick side. How could I NOT know that when its attached to my own head...?

My hair has never looked as I wanted it to afterward either, except for the very last visit when I had high lights done in my dyed black hair to make the dermacation line blend better. The hair stylist was a real sweetheart and made it a positive experience. She listened to me and didnt insist on cutting anything off after I had told her Im trying to grow my hair. She just did what I asked her to; high light, and that was it.

However, one positive experience cant make up for everything else so nowadays I just cut my own hair. Its quite easy after youve reached a certain lenght and wavy hair is very forgiving if you make small mistakes. My own haircuts leave me with a slight U-shaped hemline and I like it. Whenever I want to get pampered I do an oil treatment and instead of spending my money on a salon, I´ll buy hair toys and other fun things instead. It suits me perfectly fine.

[Ocelan]

Well I do miss the scalp massages given when shampooing/conditioning, but otherwise no. That's mostly because I'm hypersensitive to scents though and whenever they put any product on my hair (whether it was shampoo or leave-in) they would always blow dry my hair nice so it would look pretty, but when I got home I had to go wash my hair straight away so I wouldn't get a headache. I did ask them if they had non-scented products, but the shampoo and conditioner never were... I'm also very glad I'm now saving tons of money since I started trimming my hair myself (or sometimes my mom does it) and stopped dyeing.

I have had some really horrible salon experiences including cutting too much even though instructions were clear, dying my hair orangey blonde when I asked for very subtle highlights which the hairdresser talked me into instead of just a cut, salon door locked and nobody inside when I had my appointment for a hairdo for a fancy ball... Basically mom cut my hair up to age 18 and those three salon visits were the only times I let anyone else do it and they turned out awful! Then I took a few year break from salons during which time my hair grew and then I found "the good salon" which I visited every time I needed something done until I joined LHC. I'm glad the last experiences aren't the worst ones because otherwise I would be traumatised! Even though now I kind of wish I hadn't found the place as my hair could be knee length by now if I hadn't gotten it cut and colored so many times.

[blue_eyes]

In reality I avoid them nowadays because I havent had that many good salon experiences. Ive heard from many stylists that my hair is thin. When I had my last hair cut done the stylist even stood there repeating to herself; "Its so thin... so very thin!" while brushing it... :sad (no its not horribly thin! :rant: ). It didnt help that I always looked like a drowned rat while sitting in the salon chair with my hair wet, having to stare into a mirror under very unforgiving lights. Why would I want to pay someone else to make me feel bad about myself? I know my hair isnt on the thick side. How could I NOT know that when its attached to my own head...?

I understand this all too well unfortunately. While I haven't had a stylist repeating to me that my hair is thin (which it is, it's very fine and perfectly straight with no natural volume. It isn't 'thinning' though.), I sit there, looking into the mirror with their awful lighting beaming down on me, like a drowned rat and feeling uglier by the second. Not exactly a great feeling when you're trying to enjoy the experience.

Also, I've had this happen to me at three different salons: when you arrive they treat you like a VIP. In two instances I had the full attention of not only my stylist, but two additional people as well (not that that it was necessary). However, the second another client walked in, they all left me and acted as though I ceased to exist. The three of them hovered over the other client, which wasn't necessary either. It is really not a good feeling to be suddenly snubbed by all the staff. If two people go off to help the new client, fine. But my stylist as well?! This was another one of those cases where I dried my own hair and left, never to return. I've also had issues with a stylist double-booking, and another instance where I had an appointment, but was never assigned a stylist. While I was there for my appointment I was bounced around by 4 different stylists who had their own clients to take care of. I felt so unwanted and in the way...it was awful.

I have a hundred bad salon stories and could be sitting here all day typing about them lol.

[Mayflower]

Regular salon visits, indeed: no way! I managed to save a lot over the years as well. Just think about it. A normal cut would set you back about €40 to €50 in this country (Belgium). And a cut and highlight session (or perm) would easily cost € 120. Highlights need touching up, so every 3 months. It's generally about € 500 minimum you save a year. For that money, you're allowed to buy a hairtoy or two, IMO, and you still wouldn't have surpassed that amount.

Wow. I live in a relatively big city in Belgium and even in organic salons a cut is usually no more than 18-25 euros. My hairdresser cuts my (hip length) hair for 12 euros and does it with the utmost patience and attentiveness, never cutting off more than what I ask for and always being very precise.

Granted, perms and dyes and stuff are more expensive, but if you were paying 50 euros for a trim, you were looking in the wrong places. ;)

[ositarosita]

I love going to the salon ... I just hate the price and finding a stylist that I trust. So for a special occasion say my 25th birthday I will go to a salon just for a wash because I miss having my scalp massages

[lapushka]

Wow. I live in a relatively big city in Belgium and even in organic salons a cut is usually no more than 18-25 euros. My hairdresser cuts my (hip length) hair for 12 euros and does it with the utmost patience and attentiveness, never cutting off more than what I ask for and always being very precise.

Granted, perms and dyes and stuff are more expensive, but if you were paying 50 euros for a trim, you were looking in the wrong places. ;)

It's pretty much that price everywhere in my city. Maybe yours is different. Only places for students and large chains cut at discount prices and we barely have those around. €40 is not much around here (it is a lot in my book), but that seems to be the bottom price for a decent salon.

[MissBubble]

I also like the idea of going to a salon. Be pampered with no worries about the result.
But the result is almost never what I ask for. And I always get comments without reason like that my hair is thin, the color doesn´t seem natural, I should change it (they told me that even when it was natural), I should but all that expensive stuff they sell hoping that my hair will look better, etc...

Maybe it's my country. When I lived abroad I always enjoyed going to a salon, and I had been to various and everyone was cheerful, we had nice conversations instead of telling me how bad my hair is and brush it as rough and cruel as possible.

[cranberrymoonz]

Back when I had a short bob, I used to go to salons every two months or so. I loved it. My salon was very good and I always walked out the door with a cute style that i very much liked. It was expensive, though, but my mother was paying for it back then. When I decided to grow my hair out, I went one more time to have my layers cut out, and never went again. I got myself some scissors so I could trim my ends myself a year later. I would love to go to visit a stylist some time, just to be pampered, but it seems such a lot of money if you only want to have and inch or so cut. Then I would rather spend it on a spa day or a massage:)

[Mayflower]

It's pretty much that price everywhere in my city. Maybe yours is different. Only places for students and large chains cut at discount prices and we barely have those around. €40 is not much around here (it is a lot in my book), but that seems to be the bottom price for a decent salon.

That's unfortunate! 40 euros is a lot, especially for a trim. I know of some people who easily pay between 90 and 120 euros for cutting and dying, I could never justify spending that amount of money on my hair.

[meteor]

The only thing I like about salons is the scalp massages and the compliments hairdressers give you on hair. But it's difficult to receive them while they are pulling on hair from roots with a brush that's definitely NOT designed for thick, long, non-straight hair. They also burned my scalp (and hair, duh!) a many times with a blow-drier. Really painful. :(
I also get more cut than I ask. I think when you sound strict and aggressive, you are more likely to get exactly the cut you want. When I say: "just an inch or two", I get like 5 inches off.
You need to be very precise and repeat yourself a few times and watch what they are doing, just in case... and that gets annoying. :)

[cranberrymoonz]

It's pretty much that price everywhere in my city. Maybe yours is different. Only places for students and large chains cut at discount prices and we barely have those around. €40 is not much around here (it is a lot in my book), but that seems to be the bottom price for a decent salon.

I think it's all about the place you are looking for a salon. In larger towns around here you can get a cut from about 16 euros, usually outside the city center in less advantaged neighbourhoods. When I lived in Tilburg there used to be a turkish barber around the corner that would cut hair for 10. It included a beard trimming service, lol. Such low prices make me wonder about the quality of the haircut, though.

[cranberrymoonz]

About hairdressers cutting more than you tell them to: I cut relative's hair myself somtimes, and it is very hard to cut an exact amount of hair. If you have a round or v-shaped hemline, or even layers, It's even worse because you will have to go in to cut the edges and you really won't remember how much you have cut allready unless you use a measuring tape. It's pretty unfair to measure your hair afterwards and tell them they have cut half an inch too much. Though a stylist should always LISTEN to your wishes and try to approach them as well as they can with their hairdressing skills. Anyway, it's probably best not to say how many inches you want cut off, but to just hold the hair and say "this much". Most people are very bad at estimating.

[spidermom]

Salon today; new haircut
https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1507813_10202729563137914_270228417_n.jpg

[Caldonia Sun]

spidermom, you look very nice. Great cut.

[Caldonia Sun]

When I was younger, I enjoyed the experience of being pampered, especially at an Aveda shop. As I got older, the chemicals used in all the various products really bothered my scalp and my breathing. So I found small shops where I was the only client at that time and that has helped. The girl currently doing my hair doesn't do nails so that horrible smell is not present. But I always wash my hair at home first and just let her trim. I find I don't enjoy having my hair combed by someone else; they always pull too hard! But I have trims every few months - my hair is so straight and I insist on a clean, sharp hem.

[UltraBella]

SPIDERMOM, you look awesome !!!!!

I love time spent in the salon chair and I love the feeling of a new cut or color.

[redtuss]

Salon today; new haircut
https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1507813_10202729563137914_270228417_n.jpg

That is very pretty Spidermom! :D


And on topic:

I don't really care for salons, it's never been a wow-experience for me but I've gotten good cuts of course. The pampered feeling I don't really relate to, of course it's nice to have someone else wash your hair but that's it - nice and not more than that. Most of the times I'm just longing to get home and wash out all the crap and I really don't like the feeling of blow-dried hair or overly styles hair.

But I still plan to treat myself to a salon visit this year! :) There's an organic one I want to try and I haven't been to a stylist for 3-4 years now, last time I was not happy and then I decided to grow my hair and have been trimming myself.

[Haybop]

Spidermom - you look lovely :)

I've had to go through bad hairdressers to find 1 good one but up until I actually started to want to grow my hair I never noticed. When I did want to grow my hair and just asked for the mullet shape to be got rid of, explaining I wanted it to grow, I was told 'If you wanted to grow your hair you shouldn't have come to me.' I came out with the same length pixie I'd had 5 months previous!! Needless to say I never went back to that one and waited a long time before going back to a hairdressers.

Now the lovely hairdresser I've found is a student and cut my hair into shape when I wnated to start growing, then trimmed it to add in a fringe when I wnated it to and likes the idea of watching my hair grow - she's even told me that if I come in asking for a chop in the middle of summer/a heatwave then I'll be turned away and told to wait a few weeks (I totally agree, I ahve that habit to grow out of). It can be difficult finding a hairdresser when you're just wanting an inch taken off as they're probably more used to clients wanting a style cut in, darn the length lost :S

[lapushka]

That's unfortunate! 40 euros is a lot, especially for a trim. I know of some people who easily pay between 90 and 120 euros for cutting and dying, I could never justify spending that amount of money on my hair.

Me neither, especially if you're in it for the long term (long-term highlighting, perming and such). It's a *lot* of money!

[ellenajordans]

I do, i love how my hair feels afterwards especially the ends. And I feel sort of pampered.

[HintOfMint]

I'm a huge fan of the salon. Despite the worrying about possibly cutting off too much length, or thinning it out too much, I really love the experience and the vast majority of the time, they do a great job. I almost always walk out looking like a million bucks.

[Avenie]

Since I found my particular salon, I love it. I found over the years that some stylists really struggled with pixies, chopping in an unflattering masculine crop or a frumpy helmet rather than the sleek, pretty styles I was after. The salon I go to has their own specific 'way' of cutting - they gave it a name, somethingsomething-mechanics or whatever, either way, whether it's a gimmick or just a fancy name for their training day, I feel it really works and they cut in a manner very flattering to the client. I've never had a bad cut from them. My husband switched from having it cut 'wherever' to this place, and is really happy, and I send my son there too.

Now I'm growing it, I will go back when I have some length to work with as I know they'll be able to advise me on a flattering style (both in-between and growing-out styles, as well as the final long-style. I'm probably not going to just grow it all one length, I'm more a layers or bangs person. But maybe I'll change my mind.) and I can trust them not to ignore my wishes and shear off 6 inches because they're watching the clock, not my head.

[Sofialu]

For some strange reason I love going too but each and every time I have been I end up going back because they never do it right! So I think what I like is the 'me' time I get when there and the head massage when they wash it, even the styling afterwards - I find nothing more relaxing than having someone mess about with my hair so it is a bit like therapy for me :)

[Auburndreaming]

I'm not a big fan of going to the hair dressers, for a couple of reasons really, when I was younger I went to the hair dressers because at 11 I tried to cut "layers" into my own hair and had messed it up abit, the hairdresser spent a lot of time asking me what I had done to my hair and it made me feel pretty bad, needless to say that's the last time I've been to the hair dressers for a cut. (She did a nice job, but as usual you wash and style your hair at home yourself and it somehow becomes a big mess again haha)

And the last time I went although the service was good (had a dye job), I hate having my hair washed in those bowls and it aches my neck so much! I think I just prefer doing these things at my own pace and all within my own control in the comfort of my own home! :)