Might be an LHC first...

[Kherome]

I went in for a trim today and clearly showed the gal about 1.5 or 2 inches of hair to cut off. I'm lucky if she took .5" off.

[Aurum]

Wow, a stylist who UNDER cut your hair! Well, I'd take that over chopping too much, any day. :)

[Kherome]

Seriously there was just hair dust on the floor.

[Entangled]

Lucky you. At least you got just a trim: you can cut back but growing takes time.

[fiðrildi]

I used to have a hairdresser like that, when I used to go to the hairdresser (now I self trim). She would always cut exactly the length I told her, and, when in doubt, she would under-cut it (without my glasses I couldn't even see my reflection in the mirror, so... :p)

[Catatafish]

That's brilliant. I had that happen to me the last time I went for a trim. I explained that I wanted the absolute minimum cut off of my hair, and she called it dusting. I actually had to have more taken off though, because the previous time I went for a trim, the hairdresser wasn't the best and made one side 1-2 inches shorter than the other.

Make sure you get that hairdressers name, and become friendly with her. It is annoying once you get used to one who will do what you want, and then they disappear.

[Kherome]

Yeah that happened to me. I had a good one and then he moved to NJ.

[DreamSheep]

This has probably happened to me, as my parents would often complain my hair looked the same length whenever I came back, and I never complained either way.
Then, back then I didn't really measure my hair either.

[Eastbound&Down]

Wow that's awesome

[lapushka]

It would be sensible to undercut (to make sure a client comes in more). ;)

[Kherome]

I think I might have scared her a little bit. Unlike many of the people here on LHC who come and lament how bad a salon visit was yet they didn't speak up, I DO speak up. I don't even sit in the chair before I lay down the law of:

1. You will only cut the amount I tell you to cut and we will confirm that we both understand what "1 inch (or 2 or whatever)" actually looks like.
2. You will not rip a comb through my hair. You will comb SLOWLY and if you hit a tangle you will stop and I will undo it with my fingers.
3. If you yank on my head/hair at any point I will leave with half cut hair and complain to a manager/corporate.

Sometimes this creates instant dislike but usually they seem to understand that I've had bad experiences in the past that have created this list of rules. This lady was nice and did just as I asked, she never ripped my hair and she didn't over do the cutting. I took her name and told her I'd be back.

[Kherome]

Oh, and I left a nice tip.

[AmyBeth]

I really like the way you lay down the law, Kherome! If I ever go to a salon again, I will have to be as politely insistant as I can be, on the same points. I am the least likely person I know to engage in Diva-like behavior, but when we're talking about MY hair, I have to be the boss! I stopped going to salons because it gets very old, paying for what I DON'T want.:p

[schnibbles]

I really like the way you lay down the law, Kherome!

I like it too!
This is why I can't go to salons. You definitely have to be direct or possibly wind up with something you don't want.

[Kherome]

I'm always polite, but I am very firm AND clear about what I expect. (Especially making sure we BOTH know what an inch is. Too many people think an inch is more like three.) And why not? I'm paying for it. It's a part of my body. It's not like I'm clothes shopping and can just not wear or return an item that doesn't work out or something. Whatever they do to my head stays there for quite some time. So I am very clear about what I want, and that I am no push over who will just accept "whatever" they do. It's worked for me so far, so I'm sticking with it!

ETA: I am the last person who'd ever be called a diva. I don't wear fashionable clothes, make up, and people who know me know IRL know that I'm not a talker. (Or a touchy hugger person...blergh!) I wear my hair up every day...EVERY day. I do expect things I pay for to be what I paid for though. Especially haircuts since you're stuck with it unless you cut a bunch more off to change it!

[Johannah]

I think I might have scared her a little bit. Unlike many of the people here on LHC who come and lament how bad a salon visit was yet they didn't speak up, I DO speak up. I don't even sit in the chair before I lay down the law of:

1. You will only cut the amount I tell you to cut and we will confirm that we both understand what "1 inch (or 2 or whatever)" actually looks like.
2. You will not rip a comb through my hair. You will comb SLOWLY and if you hit a tangle you will stop and I will undo it with my fingers.
3. If you yank on my head/hair at any point I will leave with half cut hair and complain to a manager/corporate.

Sometimes this creates instant dislike but usually they seem to understand that I've had bad experiences in the past that have created this list of rules. This lady was nice and did just as I asked, she never ripped my hair and she didn't over do the cutting. I took her name and told her I'd be back.

I think it's awesome you do this. At least you both know where you stand.

[fiðrildi]

I'm always polite, but I am very firm AND clear about what I expect. (Especially making sure we BOTH know what an inch is. Too many people think an inch is more like three.) And why not? I'm paying for it. It's a part of my body. It's not like I'm clothes shopping and can just not wear or return an item that doesn't work out or something. Whatever they do to my head stays there for quite some time. So I am very clear about what I want, and that I am no push over who will just accept "whatever" they do. It's worked for me so far, so I'm sticking with it!

ETA: I am the last person who'd ever be called a diva. I don't wear fashionable clothes, make up, and people who know me know IRL know that I'm not a talker. (Or a touchy hugger person...blergh!) I wear my hair up every day...EVERY day. I do expect things I pay for to be what I paid for though. Especially haircuts since you're stuck with it unless you cut a bunch more off to change it!

I admire your determination :)
I think most of us think just the way you do, just some of us are not brave enough to be firm and clear.
Where I live, hairdressers measure the amount to cut in "fingers". So, people would ask to get a cut of two, three and a half fingers, and so on (yes, it sounds funny!). My fingers are very thin, so when I asked for a "two fingers cut", I would always get the double of what I wanted.

[Kherome]

Most stylists use a standard type comb that has a ruler along the spine. She I always take the comb and show 1 inch, and make sure we both agree on that length.

[tokugawa.miyako]

It's really admirable that you speak up for yourself. I feel like sometimes people, women especially, are discouraged from being too firm in stating their desires for fear of being accused of being a "diva", as you said.

It's so silly do me that stylists have to be told this stuff in the first place. If your job is to work with hair and you've been trained in it, you would think they would know how to comb and detangle properly. And as was already mentioned earlier in the thread, it does seem like it would make more sense economically to undercut rather than over- cut. :rolleyes:

[spidermom]

I had that happen in the past before I joined LHC. I told him I was sick of my BSL hair and he could do anything that he wanted as long as it was something different. He cut maybe 1/2" off the ends. I was disappointed.

[jacqueline101]

You're right that's the first time I've heard of that. I wish all hair dressers respected our hair.

[vanillabones]

Congrats! Good hair dresser. And your hair is beautiful (avatar)
My hairdresser always cuts exactly what I want or less. I guess I was just lucky finding her. Been going to her since I joined LHC and boy am I due for a trim.