View Full Version : Why hairdressers prefer short hair
chen bao jun
March 1st, 2016, 06:40 PM
I don't this is hairdresser bashing and it does make sense.
I think short hair makes money for a lot of people. For fashion editors also, for instance. But the whole salon industry, which is $$$$ depends on the majority of the female population having hair that needs to be constantly styled.
http://www.hairfinder.com/techniques/why-hairdressers-prefer-short-hair.htm
spidermom
March 1st, 2016, 07:18 PM
of course, makes sense; and there's nothing wrong with wanting to make a decent living
Amapola
March 1st, 2016, 08:23 PM
That makes a lot of sense. And probably, many stylists do honestly feel that shorter hair just looks better; it *is* more in fashion and easier to achieve than, say, knee-length locks.
Shelley48
March 1st, 2016, 08:29 PM
I've never thought of it that way. You definitely will have to keep going back to the salon to keep your short style...Well, short! Unless you decide to grow it out :)
I had short hair from 2007-2011, and I had to go to the salon a lot more than now ... (I confess; I'm now terrified of anyone laying their hands on my precious hair!!!)
hennalonghair
March 1st, 2016, 08:37 PM
Shorter hair is easier for stylist to do what they want with 'your' hair and brings in the most money.
Most stylists want to cut your hair into a style and long hair isn't considered a style which is why I never go to them. Lol!
The last time I went to a stylist was 2013 to get an inch trim. I ended up with 6 inches of layers I didn't want, an added silicone filled conditioner I didn't want and my hair partially blown dry which I didn't want all so she could charge me more.
I'll never go to another again in my life. I don't really care what their reasoning is.
kidari
March 1st, 2016, 10:41 PM
I really enjoyed reading that article. It seems like a hairdresser wrote that article to help those who seek the help of hairdressers. Personally, I did experience a trend of hairdressers pressuring me to go shorter with my cuts and explore costly chemical services. I did have a lot of fun though and enjoyed all the looks I tried. I just stopped going to the hairdressers, because I was determined to grow out my super short hair. Then along the way I just ran into financial issues where I couldn't afford to get my hair done anymore and just learned how to do everything myself. I haven't been to the hairdressers now since '09. I cannot believe it's been nearly a decade since I paid for professional services!
Ingrid
March 1st, 2016, 10:44 PM
I never really understood why people think only short hair is a "style". It's as though they assume that all long hair is just people neglecting it and letting it grow of its own accord :lol:
MadHouseWitch
March 1st, 2016, 11:36 PM
I'll note that I once had a gal, who seemed to be "short shy" It was a "country salon" that she ran out of a room in her outbuilding though, making a hobby living off of referrals and neighbors LOL I went to have my hair cut a few times there. I just took note because often the "I want a pixie cut" or in my case a "catwoman" cut :P with a purple stripe in it was an EASY thing to have done and often cutting a bit TOO short can be an issue, but it wasn't here. The dang purple lasted a WEEK *sigh*. That being said I was spoiled and still am because my grandmother used to do the same thing. Small town salon in her case, when her kids were in high school.
so like, I had perms in 3rd grade (though I could live without the feathered bangs in 1st) it was "the style". NOW on that note, it STILL took me nearly 30 years to love my curls, somehow that professional knowledge didn't make it to me!
having family that does hair cuts makes you LIVID when you go for a trim and it is $14 for something that if I could take my head off my body *I* could do however, and she never gets the cut she wants. So, sometimes I get lessons!
but aside from one person of note I see a trend, even my Grandmother likes short hair. She just LISTENS to me better if I say "1/2 INCH" LOL
Sorry for the heavy use of quotation marks
parkmikii
March 2nd, 2016, 12:06 AM
Now that was really interesting! Thank you a lot for sharing it! I too had some bad experiences at hair salons before as well, since they took off too much length and since then I'm trimming and s&d-ing on my own.
squirrrel
March 2nd, 2016, 12:34 AM
I find it thinteresting... For me the first thing that comes to mind is the two lovely ladies at the hairdresser my Mum goes to, when I was growing up they were horrified if I ever wanted to cut some of my length off. My beautiful hair, why would I want it short? Even if they did later on admit that I do also suit short hair! (sometimes I was a kid growing up, I just wanted a change, other times there were other reasons for it). I think I must have had every style in the spectrum - what with having a pixie for a while due to being unable to lift my arm for a while (broke it up by the shoulder, needed something I could wash one handed). One of them has hair - I'm going to guess it could be as much as waist length, though it has been a while since I've seen her. The other, probably shoulder length. Makes no odds, they both loved the look of my hair long, at least when I was a kid.
morrigan*
March 2nd, 2016, 12:47 AM
A retired hairdresser once said to me that she prefer short hair on woman because, they care for their appearance more - it's not universally true, but it's true that short hair can't be put up and usually must be styled to look good.
DaveDecker
March 2nd, 2016, 02:23 AM
The key question here is, whose interests are being served by the industry? I maintain that the industry is self-serving more than it is client-serving. The primary objective is to take its clients' money (and leave its clients with less of their beautifying hair). Their attempts to lasso deserters by shaming them into returning? Not empowering of the individuals so rudely targeted!
Do they deserve to make a living? Sure. Just doing something else... of actual value to society.
henné
March 2nd, 2016, 02:44 AM
The key question here is, whose interests are being served by the industry? I maintain that the industry is self-serving more than it is client-serving. The primary objective is to take its clients' money (and leave its clients with less of their beautifying hair). Their attempts to lasso deserters by shaming them into returning? Not empowering of the individuals so rudely targeted!
Do they deserve to make a living? Sure. Just doing something else... of actual value to society.
Wow, you feel rather strongly about this ... interesting conclusion.
The truth is that all industries are self serving, ultimately. As long as 'profit' is included in their calculus, they are serving themselves.
So yeah, shorter hair makes more money for hairdressers. Simple equation. That said, it's also highly individual. I've actually never had a hairdresser push a shorter haircut on me or cut my hair 'too short.' I guess I'm surrounded by honest folk ;)
Jennisney
March 2nd, 2016, 04:34 AM
I havent been to a hairdresser for about 6 years because everytime I went my hairdresser would say how she wants to cut my hair short so badly.. she always would cut off 6 inches instead of 2 as well >.<
JustPam
March 2nd, 2016, 05:17 AM
Of course they prefer short hair, short hair needs maintained regularly, and they also love processed hair, make even more money dyeing and styling and then doing expensive deep conditioning treatments to "repair" the damage, and of course, cut it all off again when it's beyond conditioning.
Obsidian
March 2nd, 2016, 05:36 AM
I often feel like hairdressers forget there is a person under the hair who has to live with it day in and day out, all they see is a blank canvass waiting for to be "styled". Almost like their clients are the same as a mannequin head with a wig, lets see just what we can cut and change to make the hair fall in line with the current fad.
I see so many women on here who won't go back to a hairdresser after a bad experience, thats money the hairdresser is loosing out on in the future. Even if a longy only visits a salon once every year or two, thats still profit the hairdresser has screwed herself out because she did what she wanted and not what the client asked for. Thats just stupidity to me.
chen bao jun
March 2nd, 2016, 05:41 AM
Nothing wrong with their wanting to make a living--
However, its important to be aware and that their goals are not necessarily your goals.
Plus, it causes a lot of unhappiness when someone does something to your body, that you don't want done and told them not to do and you have to pay them for it. Most of society has been brainwashed/convinced that they do want short styled hair, or that their hair won't grow, or that some hair colors and textures are ugly and 'need' to be fixed, so they will not lack clients to make a living off of; what I object to is that when a client comes in and says, do it this way, most not all totally ignore the client, that's what's not right.
I have to say, I did find a hairdresser who listens though. the lady who has flatironed my hair 2x now accepts that I don't want a 'trim' , will use the comb I bring in on my hair, treats me with respect and does not pressure me. She herself has hip length hair and she has daughters with beautiful curls that she treats with respect, but she's just a good person. Also, she works out of her home, which may make a difference (no salon owner pressuring her).
lapushka
March 2nd, 2016, 05:49 AM
Plus it is *hard* to cut longer hair. It truly is. Blunt? Not so much, but a "style" - yes. If it is long, try cutting layers into it the regular way. Hairdressers need to pick up the hair, extend it all the way to where it needs cutting (and for long hair, that's a feat) and then cut the style into it.
Hypnotica
March 2nd, 2016, 06:25 AM
I have NEVER experienced any pressure from any stylist to cut short - in fact, when I went to my current one she told med that she would not cut short even if I wanted, she would cut shorter and then let me continue the appointment and cut even shorter after a week or so. She is a very accomplished colorist and does a lot of complicated coloring but she have never suggested or pressured me to color my hair. She even thinks that henna coloring is really cool and have read up on it.
She wants to make her customers HAPPY, that is her goal.
And a gentle reminder that there is stylists that are members of this forum.
luxurioushair
March 2nd, 2016, 06:41 AM
Honestly, besides short hair being quicker to style, I think some stylists are actually prone to jealousy. Which is one reason some of them love to hack off way more hair than they were supposed to.
humble_knight
March 2nd, 2016, 06:46 AM
Let's not forget G M Salons, whose staff also choose to make a living from hair. The difference is they actually cater for customers with long hair. I'm actually surprised there are not more salons dedicated to long-haired customers because if any of them used this forum they would see that LHC'ers care a lot about their hair and don't mind spending their money on it. I think there is just one salon here in England which follows the G M model. It's in London.
JustPam
March 2nd, 2016, 07:42 AM
Of course there are good hairdressers and yeah there is nothing wrong with them making their living from it, but it's a lot like sales people, you can get genuinely helpful ones who will do what they can to get you what you want, and then there's the pushy ones that will try to sell you stuff you weren't even looking for and convince you it's something you need because they have targets or whatever. And of course people tend to to get vocal about bad experiences rather than good ones.
I've never had a terrible haircut myself, but a couple of my friends went to a salon that had a deal on for students, and yeah, they got nothing like they asked for. One wanted a pixie but basically got a crew cut, and the other was being convinced to get what they called a "fashion mullet", she said no but they layered her SL hair so much that it was just a bit mullety :|
lapushka
March 2nd, 2016, 08:16 AM
I've had one bad haircut, really that I was displeased with - in my life. Right before graduation, in the late 80s, early 90s. It was a trainee who cut my hair (I asked for a few layers) in those typical 80s layers and my bangs as well. I was livid. The manager ended up having to cut it into very short bangs and an ear length bob to even it out. My mom's face when she came to collect me. I knew it was bad, but those layers back then, had to go! I looked like a rock singer, especially with my wave pattern. These days, I would welcome the layers, but not back then.
LongCurlyTress
March 2nd, 2016, 08:25 AM
Honestly, besides short hair being quicker to style, I think some stylists are actually prone to jealousy. Which is one reason some of them love to hack off way more hair than they were supposed to.
So sad but true!!
I cut my own hair....so I have full control over the results... both good and bad!! :p
And I do think that a short haircut/highlights/dye job require constant reshaping and maintenance, hence a bit of job security/client dependency imo. They always push their salon high end products on me too so it is always awkward when I don't "buy" into their sales pitch. I am so glad I don't have to deal with this anymore. :cheer:
bunneh.
March 2nd, 2016, 08:40 AM
I think it's perfectly fine to do stuff simply to make money, but I don't understand why some hairdressers force a certain hairstyle on their clients. Don't you want them to think you're awesome? That you know what you're doing? That you are good enough to do exactly what a client asks you to. Then they'll keep going back and they will recommend you to their friends and you will make more money. It's the same in art, if someone asks you to draw something for them and you draw something completely different, they won't buy your piece. They could even say you're awful to work with to other people and you won't get many clients. But if you are good enough to draw what they want even if you don't think it's such a great idea and you make a good piece you'll get paid.
Complexity
March 2nd, 2016, 08:40 AM
I've never had a good haircut (it always ended up too short, uneven, layered to death, or a combination of the three). Recently I've decided to start cutting my own. DBF didn't really understand this (and still doesn't), but when he heard my reasoning of Why pay to have someone screw it up when I can do it myself for free? he let it go haha.
I'm only using our kitchen scissors now, but for the time being they're working just fine (My ends definitely feel better than they did and I managed to get the hemline fairly even considering).
Funfact: I apprenticed in a salon for a short while when i was just out of high school (mostly because I wanted to be a colour technician and it was a cheap and easy way to dye my hair a new colour every few days). There's definitely money in short hairstyles, but I always felt bad about 'pushing it' (something my boss had me do on a regular basis) on people that just wanted an inch or two trimmed.
truepeacenik
March 2nd, 2016, 08:51 AM
The key question here is, whose interests are being served by the industry? I maintain that the industry is self-serving more than it is client-serving. The primary objective is to take its clients' money (and leave its clients with less of their beautifying hair). Their attempts to lasso deserters by shaming them into returning? Not empowering of the individuals so rudely targeted!
Do they deserve to make a living? Sure. Just doing something else... of actual value to society.
For the people who can't trim their own hair, don't see the value of longer than shoulder hair, or just like to play with what they see as a renewable resource ("it's just hair") and play with chemical processes, stylists have a value.
To me that value is so very limited, but I'm a tiny segment of the population.
Salons, especially small ones, are often the way a person without a degree, or a recognized as useful degree, can run a business that does have loyal followings.
I live in an area where the majority of self employment is in the beauty industry. Owners and employees are from all walks of like with a strong skew towards high school/equivalent and one year of community college. Often gained after the cosmetology license and including some business/accounting classes.
Each hair salon employs at least two other people regularly. I'm unsure if it's a full time position, but I have learned that full employments doesn't have to be 40 hours a week. It has to pay the necessities and some savings/investment.
Plus it is *hard* to cut longer hair. It truly is. Blunt? Not so much, but a "style" - yes. If it is long, try cutting layers into it the regular way. Hairdressers need to pick up the hair, extend it all the way to where it needs cutting (and for long hair, that's a feat) and then cut the style into it.
It's a tad more difficult to get results on a larger client in my work. Shall I shame the larger client, attempt to upsell with products of questionable use, do a lackluster job? Or, do I change how I approach the task and results?
Hairstylists can use different techniques, see more individuality in clients (think curls, let alone length) have different expected outcomes, and yes, if it takes more time than a standard slot, charge for the time spent.
I think that the vast majority of stylists who work for others as far as timing goes (meaning their book isn't really their own. On my book, 75 minute sessions exist. At the clinic, nope. 60 or 90), are limited by an efficiency model more suited to say, a waxing salon.
Let's not forget G M Salons, whose staff also choose to make a living from hair. The difference is they actually cater for customers with long hair. I'm actually surprised there are not more salons dedicated to long-haired customers because if any of them used this forum they would see that LHC'ers care a lot about their hair and don't mind spending their money on it. I think there is just one salon here in England which follows the G M model. It's in London.
I'm pretty sure that GM salons world wide can be counted on fingers and toes.
As I started to get to above, it's a way of looking at the task, changing the norms and yes, specializing in a subset clientele.
They are the neurosurgeons of hair. Your strip mall shopping center budget cut spot is more akin to a triage nurse.
mermaiden_hair
March 2nd, 2016, 09:18 AM
Welp, I just lost nearly all faith in hair salons now. I guess I'll have to trim and cut my own hair from now on. Of course, it seems that curl-specialty salons are much more open minded and friendlier than traditional hair salons.
lapushka
March 2nd, 2016, 09:28 AM
Welp, I just lost nearly all faith in hair salons now. I guess I'll have to trim and cut my own hair from now on. Of course, it seems that curl-specialty salons are much more open minded and friendlier than traditional hair salons.
Fortunately it is easy to cut your own hair, esp. if you want it all blunt-cut (Feye's self-trimming method). They if you want it layered, there's the compact cut method, as written about in the book, "Haircutting for dummies". It is easily explained, though. It just consists of making a ponytail on the top of your head or your forehead and snipping a bit off, depending on the kind of layering you want.
chen bao jun
March 2nd, 2016, 11:04 AM
Honestly, besides short hair being quicker to style, I think some stylists are actually prone to jealousy. Which is one reason some of them love to hack off way more hair than they were supposed to.
I don't know if this is a problem in mainstream culture much, but it can definitely be an issue when you go to certain African American hairdressers. I had more problems throughout my life with the general lack of knowledge of how to do anything but relax and unwillingness to deal with natural hair (well nowadays there is braiding and hairweaves), but I had dealings with a couple (it wasn't all of them) who were definitely envious if you had anything more than ear length, fried hair and not ashamed to let you know it. I didn't let them near me with scissors but there was a lot of deliberate hair pulling, eye rolling, muttering, general 'attitude' and a couple of times some extremely rude remarks to my face. One lady threatened to beat me up once while swearing at me like a sailor (because I dared to insist that she wash out the relaxer that was burning my scalp IMMEDIATELY. She did wash it out though.)
They were nasty about my 'long' hair, but they were worse to my mother and insulted her texture and told her her hair was 'unmanageable' (though they had the exact same 4b or 4c hair that she does).
These ladies hadn't been to cosmetology school and weren't licensed though and I don't think that they were representative of anything about the industry in general.
They were very anxious that their clients should think that it was impossible to go to non AA salons (as in 'they' can't do 'our' hair) and sadly, I think many believed them. The internet has broken this particular monopoly though. I haven't been to any hairdresser in a long, long time (except for the last two flat ironings) and the last one I had was Korean. She was big on insisting on 'little trims' and 'tidying up your ends' which is why I'm not going back there, but she did understand coarse hair texture and was really good at relaxing. She had really good manners and a gentle demeanor, and there was no question of her being envious of hair that grows long!!
One of the things that made me bite the bullet and go natural was being in her salon one day and having her explain to me that I 'must straighten' while looking at her head of frizzy very permed tight curls. I just remember thinking, so I 'must straighten' and she 'must curl', so that we both end up with the opposite texture to what we naturally have, very hard to maintain. It just seemed there was something seriously wrong.
pinutzz
March 2nd, 2016, 12:41 PM
When I was a little girl my hairdresser would always try to refuse to cut my hair short - while my mom insisted on short hair for reasons of practicality. With my short hair I looked like a boy and got kicked out of women's public bathrooms on several occasions because people didn't believe I was a girl. So I guess when a hairdresser can see that short hair just doesn't suit their client at all they do forego income for craftsmanship and sense of style every once in a while.
What surprises me is that there are no hairdressers that specialize in long haired folk and charge by the hour instead of by service. Would make so much more sense. Maybe it is because people with long hair are much more fickle about their prescious locks.
meteor
March 2nd, 2016, 01:39 PM
I have NEVER experienced any pressure from any stylist to cut short - in fact, when I went to my current one she told med that she would not cut short even if I wanted, she would cut shorter and then let me continue the appointment and cut even shorter after a week or so.
I find this interesting, because I experienced this a few times, too, but *only* when my hair was already long and the hairdresser or barber wasn't used to dealing with very long hair.
I'd go as far as say that I got "special treatment" a few times when my hair was "out of the norm" for the salon (in terms of length): I easily managed to convince them to cut my hair dry, I was allowed to stand and my instructions were followed pretty well (though I did end up with 5-6'' off, instead of the promised 1-2''), and I was allowed to comb my own hair and I even convinced them to use my wide-tooth rake that I brought with me instead of some dense styling brushes that they used normally. But when my hair was shorter (SL/APL/BSL), I couldn't get away with any of that - I couldn't even get them to stop the blow-drying (I even had my scalp burnt!) or pulling hair with those super-dense brushes that simply aren't meant for detangling very thick hair. Generally, I found that it's pretty easy to end up with more length cut off than planned: I remember a few times hairdresser went in to "even out" both sides of her cut, because they weren't balanced, thus cutting more and more length.
Let's not forget G M Salons, whose staff also choose to make a living from hair. The difference is they actually cater for customers with long hair. I'm actually surprised there are not more salons dedicated to long-haired customers because if any of them used this forum they would see that LHC'ers care a lot about their hair and don't mind spending their money on it. I think there is just one salon here in England which follows the G M model. It's in London.
What surprises me is that there are no hairdressers that specialize in long haired folk and charge by the hour instead of by service. Would make so much more sense. Maybe it is because people with long hair are much more fickle about their prescious locks.
I wondered about the same thing. :hmm: I wonder if it's just because, by the time one finally figures out how to grow very long hair, it becomes pretty obvious that it shouldn't cost a ton of money and lots of complex chemical treatments - in fact, generally speaking, the less you do, the easier it is to grow out and keep it long. Hence, less need for frequent salon visits -> less demand for long-hair salons.
One of the things I noticed as soon as I joined TLHC was how extremely popular self-trimming methods and trimming by family members are here - many folks avoid salons altogether, but it's not as common irl, IMHO. I think, outside TLHC, salon visits are seen as a regular and necessary part of grooming, but over here, the idea of trimming only when ends are damaged or only when you *want* to change hair length/style is often mentioned.
I suspect that if we did a poll asking how often you visit salons vs. current length and then mapped results (x axis representing number of salon visits per year, say, = [0, 12], y axis representing length in cm, say, = [0, 200+], we'd get answers that may generally map out a bit like inverse proportion graph (http://ghsphysics1.pbworks.com/f/1253926708/hyperbola.jpg), at least after a certain length (maybe after TBL or classic or something, it's hard to tell - but I'm pretty sure there is a length after which visiting salons frequently becomes both unnecessary and a bit problematic for some reasons - considering even washing and combing alone). :hmm: I think there's a correlation there...
One of the things that made me bite the bullet and go natural was being in her salon one day and having her explain to me that I 'must straighten' while looking at her head of frizzy very permed tight curls. I just remember thinking, so I 'must straighten' and she 'must curl', so that we both end up with the opposite texture to what we naturally have, very hard to maintain. It just seemed there was something seriously wrong.
I think I had moments like that, too. :) Especially seeing how many blondes were getting black dye jobs and brunettes were going blonde, sitting in chairs right next to each other. :) I also remember, when I was a teenager, I would get wonderful compliments on hair when I *entered* salon, but not so much when I exited it, and strangely, it never occurred to me back then that maybe the visits didn't go that well for my hair? :doh: I didn't particularly love the cuts I got, I just thought it had to be done, I don't even know why - simple habit or society's expectations, maybe? :lol:
sugar&nutmeg
March 2nd, 2016, 02:06 PM
I'd say it's fairly obvious why short hairstyles would be preferred by (many) folks whose livelihood it is...to cut and style hair.
Hair is their 'raw material'. Naturally, their mindset will (often) be quite different from that of people (here) who treasure every strand and lose even a few mm with pain and sadness.
I've had my share of bad haircuts, and I've smiled and paid and cried. But I bear some of the responsibility for those bad cuts, because I didn't make my instructions crystal clear, or make sure the stylist understood those instructions (not just what I wanted, but also what I did. not. want). And I didn't keep checking on what the stylist was doing as s/he cut 'back there'.
Something else to consider: not all stylists are equally good at their job, yet they are still employed doing that job. It's like the old joke: What do you call someone who graduated last in their class in Medical School? "Doctor." Same goes for stylists.
I'm growing out a pixie now. I'll get it blunt cut ("NO layers, under any circumstances. None. Please tell me you understand what I just said.") as soon as I can. Then I'll let it grow until it needs a trim, whenever that might be, and I'll use Feye's self-trim method from then on. Save money, and be responsible for my own haircut: win-win.
Kimberly
March 2nd, 2016, 05:59 PM
I've had horrendous haircuts, a couple so awful I hated leaving the house and being seen. One stylist even pressured me into getting a perm by convincing my then-husband, who was with me, of how great I would look in this cut that I liked, but that I had to get a perm for body. Y'all can see my hair type there on the left ... why on earth would I need a perm?
But ... I have had a few stylists who were amazing, especially Janel, who moved away. She told me she would kick my butt if I ever cut my hair, and she knew how to treat a longhair, even a curly, and for only ten or fifteen bucks (you can bet I added all of the optional extras I could and laid on a fat tip). She didn't ever suggest lopping off my fairytales, and only kept things in a rough u-shape, and she had this magical way of adding a tiny little layer at the very end that made my ends curl up like froth. Oh, I miss you, Janel!! If you ever see a sign for a stylist named Janel up around, I think Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho, and she has long blond hair herself, let me know -- wouldn't be the first time I traveled to get a trim from her. :-)
laceyfairy
March 2nd, 2016, 06:10 PM
there's nothing wrong with wanting to make a decent living
wise words.
I guess it might be less fun because clients with long hair might just want a u hem and no use of new techniques. I'll have to ask my friend some time. Once I remember she said long hair is intimidating because you know the client has been growing it for a while
Kimberly
March 2nd, 2016, 06:24 PM
wise words.
I guess it might be less fun because clients with long hair might just want a u hem and no use of new techniques. I'll have to ask my friend some time. Once I remember she said long hair is intimidating because you know the client has been growing it for a while
I think it depends on the stylist. Janel always said she loved to play with my hair, and she would, too, if I let her, even sometimes offering not to charge for extra services. My hair had a u-hem because Janel asked me what I wanted and I didn't know -- she decided on my hem, my little end-layers, that I really wouldn't look bad if I gave up the bangs. She taught me how to be a longhair. If not for her, I might not be posting on LHC today.
turtlelover
March 2nd, 2016, 07:18 PM
I've had some great hairdressers that did exactly what I've wanted, but they always seem to move away! I've never had anyone cut off way more hair than I asked for, though I ended up with lopsided hair more than once. Blunt cuts go rather well, generally. Layers ARE more tricky, and I've ended up not thrilled with them a number of times. I can trim a blunt cut myself with little trouble, but once my hair gets to a certain length, it is hard to do your own layers, so I really do need a good stylist for that. (Ponytail method doesn't work if you want more subtle, blended layering with less elevation, and that is VERY hard to do yourself).
chen bao jun
March 2nd, 2016, 07:47 PM
I really am not a do it yourselfer by nature. I don't want to trim my own hair. On the rare occasions that I get my hair flat ironed, I don't want to flat iron my own hair. If I was to decide to dye my grey (can't see that happening), I would run, not walk to a salon and definitely if I ever decided to get relaxed again (I can see that happening even less), I would NEVER do that myself, not with all those strong chemicals.
So I was a potential customer for hairdressers.
It is their loss that I could never get any of them to LISTEN to me, not even the best ones (I've been to little store front salons in black neighborhoods and I have also paid $$$S to fancy 'stylists' in New York City. And I've also been to hairdressers in Paris, France and in Asia). There is a pattern to it. When I say I don't want a trim, they insist I have to have one (and cut off way more than 1/2 an inch) and when I say I do want a trim, they give me a 'style', usually involving layers, and cut off even more. It's like someone said earlier, they don't see a person attached to the hair. They see the hair and decide how it 'ought' to look, and they just do. not. hear. me. and then, to top it off, they expect me to be grateful !!! Every single time I have been really jacked up, the hairdresser has turned the chair around proudly, expecting that I will be so thrilled to have had this stuff done to me that I told them I didn't want.
This latest person is working out so well and I have my fingers crossed. She has listened to me the last two times. But I don't want her near me with scissors, I really truly don't. I know I will keep going to a barber for trims. Barbers seem to know what 1/2 an inch means--the one I go to will actually trim only 1/4 inch and when I say I don't mind if its uneven, he says he does mind, and that it bothers him not to even it out. But he still doesn't do it. Just because I told him I didn't want it--and I'm the customer.
Kimberly
March 4th, 2016, 01:22 PM
I've had some great hairdressers that did exactly what I've wanted, but they always seem to move away! I've never had anyone cut off way more hair than I asked for, though I ended up with lopsided hair more than once. Blunt cuts go rather well, generally. Layers ARE more tricky, and I've ended up not thrilled with them a number of times. I can trim a blunt cut myself with little trouble, but once my hair gets to a certain length, it is hard to do your own layers, so I really do need a good stylist for that. (Ponytail method doesn't work if you want more subtle, blended layering with less elevation, and that is VERY hard to do yourself).
Layers are beyond my self-trimming ability, too!
I know why my wonderful stylist moved away ... At ten or fifteen bucks a pop, she couldn't afford the increasing cost of living in my area. She was worth more and should have charged it.
Chen, I'm glad your barber works out for you! Just from my own casual observation, it does seem barbers listen better.
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