Hair salon and the same old fear of losing length

[valkyrie90]

I'm bored with my plain straight Asian hair and want to get mermaid/beach perm for a change. I discussed with the hairdresser and he said he's going to do some trimming to set the form of the style and keep the most of my length. I assume he's gonna give me layers which I'm not a fan of. Also I'm not sure the most of my length is my hair minus 3-5cm of the end or all the way back to waist. I don't put much trust on hairdressers ever since the incident with one that took away 15cm of my length. But I do miss the feeling in hair salon, relax and chat the time away with a nice hairdresser. I just don't know if it's worth the risk of losing my length. What's your experience with hair dressers? It's supposed to be some nice thing I do to enjoy myself. Now I'm just so nervous 😓

[Obsidian]

You need to ask him how much he intends to trim and if layers are part of it.
You have to tell your stylist how much you are willing to cut off, often your idea of a trim and theirs is quite different.

As far as layers, if you don't want them, tell him no. Though I will say that wavy hair falls better with some layers.

While I don't have long hair, I have been going to stylists for years. You never let them do what they want, or just trim the ends. You have to be very hands on, tell them exactly what you want and what you don't.

Also, ask to face the mirror so you can watch what they are doing. Often they won't mention if they are going to use thinning shear, razors or do point in cuts.

In the end, if your stylist won't follow your instructions, find a different one.

[akurah]

Wavy hair behaves better with layers, but if that's something you are dead set against, make it clear to him. He may resist because he's going to know that, and he's worried you're gonna be mad when it doesn't look good. but at the end of the day it's your money and your hair.

[illicitlizard]

You need to ask him how much he intends to trim and if layers are part of it.
You have to tell your stylist how much you are willing to cut off, often your idea of a trim and theirs is quite different.

As far as layers, if you don't want them, tell him no. Though I will say that wavy hair falls better with some layers.

While I don't have long hair, I have been going to stylists for years. You never let them do what they want, or just trim the ends. You have to be very hands on, tell them exactly what you want and what you don't.

Also, ask to face the mirror so you can watch what they are doing. Often they won't mention if they are going to use thinning shear, razors or do point in cuts.

In the end, if your stylist won't follow your instructions, find a different one.

^^Yep literally this. If you don't have any idea what your stylist is thinking and they don't know what you want how on earth can you expect to leave the salon satisfied?

I always discuss exactly how much I want off, get them to show me on my hair, let them know I'd rather have length than "perfect" ends. I also specify no layers (though I understand them wanting to add layers to add "movement" to the waves). That aside, if you don't want layers, let them know. Stylists are not mind readers and their goals are often not aligned with those of growing long hair.

You especially need to make sure you're on the same page regarding keeping length. There may be anticipated damage from the perm that would necessitate a bigger trim than what you're expecting, definitely ask about this and agree on how much length is an acceptable and reasonable loss.

Even with how direct my communication has become, I'm still hesitant to trust a professional near my hair with scissors, so I understand. But direct communication massively increases the likelihood of a positive salon experience!

[valkyrie90]

I'm not a fan of layers on straight hair but I'd give it a shot of it makes wavy hair look better. I just don't want to pay for the length be taken away against my will. I'm afraid he's gonna say Oh I'm just gonna trim a bit then chop off my hair. It happened to me once and it wasn't a good feelings. It seems to them as long as it looks good, length doesn't matter. I gotta make myself clear about how much length I'm willing to cut off. Just the fear still creeps in but I guess I gotta get over it

[akurah]

A possible alternative to layers here could be a u or even v shaped hemline. That also looks good with waves, especially for people who are layer averse.

Also if you're not comfortable with this guy or the prospect of him cutting your hair for fears of him taking too much, it's possible he's not the person who should cut your hair. You may want to meet another stylist or two, and pick the one you'd be most comfortable with.

[spidermom]

You could get the perm but not the cut. Later, you can trim it yourself. It's not hard. Look up the beard method on YouTube. That's my preferred method.

[Glitch]

I find that visual confirmation helps a lot! So for example, wearing a shirt with a design on the back, and pointing out, "I don't want my hair any shorter than the pink rose" or "I want my hair long enough to still be able to cover the soccer ball". That way, there's no room for misunderstanding or interpretation issues. :)

[Dark40]

I'm bored with my plain straight Asian hair and want to get mermaid/beach perm for a change. I discussed with the hairdresser and he said he's going to do some trimming to set the form of the style and keep the most of my length. I assume he's gonna give me layers which I'm not a fan of. Also I'm not sure the most of my length is my hair minus 3-5cm of the end or all the way back to waist. I don't put much trust on hairdressers ever since the incident with one that took away 15cm of my length. But I do miss the feeling in hair salon, relax and chat the time away with a nice hairdresser. I just don't know if it's worth the risk of losing my length. What's your experience with hair dressers? It's supposed to be some nice thing I do to enjoy myself. Now I'm just so nervous ��

I agree with Osidian and spidermom. Especially, when spidermom says you can get the perm but don' t get the cut. I also always love the feel of going to the salon too but as of these days they are always nothing but scissor-happy and always wanting to cut on your nice long hair. As I was going to beauty school my instructor told me that she would like to do my hair, and all I needed was some color and a trim. Now, I did get a shampoo and conditioning, blow drying, flat-ironing, and a trim but I really think that the instructor that trimmed my hair trimmed off more than I exspected! She took off an inch of hair! And, my hair was not split or damaged! So, I've decided not to go back to them anymore, and if I ever decide to go to a salon or them it will only be for a treat, and I will specifically tell them..."No, trimming or cutting!" "I am trying to let my hair grow out!" But as of these days and ever since I was 9 years old I've been always doing my own hair.