Has your experiences at the hair salon influenced your long-hair journey?

[lru1116]

Among my several reasons for growing my hair long, one is that I hate going to the hair salon. I only go when my split ends get out of control. I get that same stand-offish feeling going to the hair salon, similar to the way many kids get going to the dentist!

Women with short hair who go to the salon rutinely go to the same hairdresser. They seem to have a strong attachment to this person. I haven't found a hair dresser I've felt comfortable with. In these past few years, I've been going to a different salon each time.

I also don't like the high pricing. Why pay the same for a trim that you would for a drastic change?

I'm glad I've seen past the social norm that you MUST get your hair cut every few weeks.

*I'm about to get my first haircut in several months. This time, it's no trim. I'm getting a "big chop" to my shoulder length or CBL to get rid of damaged hair due to years of overt brushing. A bit nervous.

[kganihanova]

I like them when I need a big chop but otherwise................... I can do it myself. I hate that I get more cut off than I want for a trim because they think I won't care. That said, there are some fantastic hair stylists. I just can't justify 50 dollars for a half inch trim so I ended up learning to self trim which saved my hair and let me grow long.

[lru1116]

I also don't like how they use so much heat and heat protectant spray to dry my hair. I'm so conscious of getting heat damage. Can't really avoid getting in blow-dried at the salon if it's cold outside.

[kganihanova]

Ugh they always get the blow dryer so hot :( like why? And they do so many passes with the flat iron!

[jeanniet]

You're not a prisoner, so don't let them do anything you don't like. You can ask to have your hair dried under a helmet dryer, for instance. And if you don't want your hair flat ironed, why are you letting them do it? Stylists can't read your mind, so tell them what you want. Otherwise, they're going to do what everyone else wants, and it's probably not long-hair friendly.

I love going to the salon. The only time I've been unhappy is when I got a cut I asked for, but was all wrong for my hair. A curly hair stylist has been best, but I've never really had a bad experience.

[Marbid]

Ivenever really had a bad experience either... But i am tooo cheap to pay for something i would rather do myself, and would be happier doing myself... I find no reason to go to a hair salon, never have.

[kganihanova]

You're not a prisoner, so don't let them do anything you don't like. You can ask to have your hair dried under a helmet dryer, for instance. And if you don't want your hair flat ironed, why are you letting them do it? Stylists can't read your mind, so tell them what you want. Otherwise, they're going to do what everyone else wants, and it's probably not long-hair friendly.

I love going to the salon. The only time I've been unhappy is when I got a cut I asked for, but was all wrong for my hair. A curly hair stylist has been best, but I've never really had a bad experience.

I found it really difficult to say no when I was younger. It felt really awkward and uncomfortable. Now, I have zero problem with it but 3 years ago? Instant mortification.

[jeanniet]

I found it really difficult to say no when I was younger. It felt really awkward and uncomfortable. Now, I have zero problem with it but 3 years ago? Instant mortification.

But that's not the stylist's fault. If people don't say anything, assumptions will be made, and since a lot of customers do want heat straightening, that's what will probably happen. For people who have a hard time saying no, or expressing what they want, a salon probably isn't a good idea--but again, that's not the fault of the salon. Barbershops are a good alternative if all you want is a trim and don't want to do it yourself.

[OperaPhantom]

I've never had any trouble with hairstylists, but maybe that's because I've never gone to salons. I just go to a GreatClips near us. Though I don't go very often, so I get a different person every time, the people that work at that particular one are always very nice, knowledgeable, and always ask lots of questions about what sort of cut you want. It's the only place I've found that isn't standoffish or scissor-crazy. So no, I've never had a salon experience that's influenced me.

[ErinLeigh]

I have always wanted long hair but I constantly get bad cuts that require fixed. Then hair gets shorter and shorter
It's starting to effect me. I am finally at a point to say "leave it alone and let it be."
I just cut off as much as I am comfortable with (shoulder) and am starting over.

I too am sick of paying a lot of money, being disappointed, dogging flat irons and silicones and burning hot hair dryers. Getting brushes ripped thru hair. I have tried bringing my own products and asking not be styled but they always insist or find a way to accidentially use their products anyway. Tired of Getting uneven layers and bad colors. I have decided I cannot keep stressing. I am going to try a year if hemline trims only and see how it goes.

I have had my hair chemically burned of 3 times in high end salons resulting in shaving head, bobs and shags to correct. I have learned a lot. I am stepping away from it all.

[jacqueline101]

I just don't like the high prices. In fact I can't afford my hair trims. Damien has to keep his shorter due to school policy. He doesn't have to crop it off just to a length where it's not prone to tangles of course the schools louse policy.

[HazelBug]

The last time I went to a place to get my hair trimmed I asked for a 1 inch trim and got about 6 inches chopped off. I was a teen at the time and I was pretty upset. I stopped going to anyone but myself. I learned to cut the back of my head with mirrors and sharp scissors. I learned all sorts of ways to trim my own hair the way I liked. I'm not one for chin lenght hair.

[LongHairLesbian]

I've never really had a bad experience at the hair salon; I usually go to cheap hair cutting places that are happy to spend 5-10 minutes cutting my hair before they move on to a more lucrative client. My long hair journey is based on curiosity, and a desire to have impressive hair that stands out with very minimal effort. If you having a tough time at salons, I would suggest going to a barber instead. All they do is trim, so they have less incentive to try to pester you about getting a drastic cut/colouring.

[Lady Mary]

When I was young, I had long hair simply because I hated going to the hairdressers. They always cut it too short, even when I told them in inches what I wanted. They insisted it needed to be washed with their products, tore a comb though it, cut too much off and then come at me with the blow dryer, when I kept insisting I didn't want any of that. Let's not forget the magic cure all sales pitch at the end, where they insist that this or that product will cure all that's wrong my hair (that they said was: too thin, too straight, too long, too whatever.) I didn't really know how to speak up for myself and add to that, without my glasses I can't see at all. So, I felt pretty helpless. I even made a point to be taken to different salons when the time came to have it cut and it was always the same. I finally told my mother I was done with haircuts and grew it out for a few years over the whole thing.

Now, I just cut it myself. I can do a pixie, a Louise Brooks bob, an a-line bob with either a shaved or shaggy back, longer bob, anything shoulder length with or without layers, etc. I cut my husbands hair too since I think he dislikes getting haircuts as much as I do. The downside was, learning to cut my own hair left me always cutting it! When I am trying to grow it out, that's quite a detriment. :)

[jt623]

I once came in with a picture of a hairstyle that I thought wanted, and I ended up growing out layers for years. I was 12 or 13 at the time.

[ladylowtide]

Not at all actually. I was always the person who said "just do whatever you think looks best," now that I am obsessed with long hair though, I probably will continue to do my own cuts and avoid the salon. I just don't think they handle hair gently.

[spidermom]

I like my stylist, so I'm influenced to go to the salon more than I would otherwise.

[Gabriel]

I haven't really had a problem with any stylist or salon. I've had one really bad cut & color years ago but that was my fault.

I've been happy with all of my stylists wherever I've been and whatever length of hair I've had. And I've been almost every length of hair and lots of colors in between.
I've even had trainee cosmetologists cut my hair and been really happy with the results. I've even had my hair cut and colored by people who didn't speak the same language as I did.

I like(d) my last two stylists/cosmetologists a lot too and only stopped seeing the one because she moved to a different state. My current cosmetologist is just as great. They've both been with me on the long hair part of my journey and have helped me grow to longer than average length while respecting my long hair.

The experience with them has influenced me to keep growing because their honest opinion of my hair's condition and quality is pretty important. They can see it objectively and have helped me get it in much better health over time.

[chen bao jun]

I would not have a chance of long hair if I kept going to salons--and I DO speak up for myself. They still always do what they want, not what I want.
but I'm not a good client, my goal is going to the hairdresser has always been to come out looking exactly the same as when I went in, except with my ends tidied up a teensy little bit. Their goal is to give me a 'style' and transform me and show off their 'art'.
Ugh.

[endlessly]

As a result of my past salon experiences, I haven't gone to have a proper cut in over a year, just self-trimming when I need to do so. In my experience, most stylists now haven't the slightest idea how to care for, let alone cut long hair. Even when my hair was only at waist, I always felt like a second-class citizen in some of the salons around town and like I wasn't "good enough" because I didn't have one of their hip, modern hairstyles. Now that I'm nearly at classic, I haven't set foot in a salon in over a year, mainly because I don't need them to make me feel like I'm not good enough and I definitely don't need them to damage my hair since they don't know what they're doing!