Hairdressers and your Hair

[Ally<3]

So I've been contemplating getting a trim at the hairdressers for some months now. My hair really needs one as I'm battling not only splits, but past bleach damage that cannot be revived. I have researched the self-trim thing, but my hair is really layered, and the ends of the layers need to sniped as well as they're not in great shape. Does anyone else cringe at the thoght of the hairdressers putting a hot blowdrier to your hair, and ripping a brush through it?

This may be a bigger concern for me as my hair is very fradgile. Does anyone walk out of the salon with wet hair? Is there any other solution? Or should I just bite the bullet?

[Carolyn]

Yes of course you can walk out with wet hair. Know that the service you are paying for may include the styling part and you will be be charged for it whether your hair is styled or not. Lots of places where I live charge like that. I've walked out many times with no styling. I've gone in with clean freshly washed hair, got my trim and I'm done. When I get high lights I let the stylist blow dry my hair and use a curling iron. I love how it looks and it's such a treat to have heat styled hair. Yes, I know that's LHC blasphemy :p My point is, YOU are the client and you are in charge. You tell them what you want done and don't want done. Speak up and be firm. Be clear about how much is to be trimmed off. Show her. If she starts ripping through your hair say or yell "ouch that hurts!" and tell her you are tender headed or offer to do the detangling yourself. There are a boatload of threads about how to handle stylists and getting trims. Search around and find some of them and you'll get plenty of ideas on how to handle it.

[myrrhmaiden]

So I've been contemplating getting a trim at the hairdressers for some months now. My hair really needs one as I'm battling not only splits, but past bleach damage that cannot be revived. I have researched the self-trim thing, but my hair is really layered, and the ends of the layers need to sniped as well as they're not in great shape. Does anyone else cringe at the thoght of the hairdressers putting a hot blowdrier to your hair, and ripping a brush through it?

This may be a bigger concern for me as my hair is very fradgile. Does anyone walk out of the salon with wet hair? Is there any other solution? Or should I just bite the bullet?

I'm doing the same thing right now, for months actually. I need a trim so badly, but I can't bear the thought of the shampoo, followed by the blow-dry and brush styling...also..my hair feels like it's only started to get long. I don't want to part with the length until I can get a trim and still feel like it's "long" afterwards.

You can definitely walk out with wet hair. It's cheaper too.

[Lisbeth]

Hi,

I always walk out with wet hair, and most of the time walk in with freshly washed hair because I don't like the products my stylist uses. However, I get it shampooed at the salon once every six months or so just so I can have my head massaged :D

Apart from the fact that I don't like blow drying my hair, the salon I go to charges an extra $25 (Australian) for a dry off. And there is no way I'm paying that.

You can pretty much dictate what goes on because you're paying for a service.

I hope it all goes well.

[Elphie]

I used to walk out of the salon with a wet head pre LHC just because I was never fond of how they blew out my hair and I hated paying for something I could do better than they could.

[luluj]

I need a trim so bad right now, but I just keep putting it off. I had a short, short, pixie last December and then I went back this past April for a shape up and ended up almost back to where I started!! I asked her to just shape it up "a touch" because I really wanted to grow it out, yet I ended up almost back to square one. So now I have pretty much NO faith in hairdressers which is too bad because right now my hairstyle (or lack thereof) is starting to resemble the dreaded mullet!

[heatherdazy]

Most high end salons will not discount you for refusing a blowdry.
I usually send my anti-blowdryer clients out with a french braid just because I don't want their hair going everywhere.

[Themyst]

I'd like to get about an inch trimmed off, but I'm afraid a beautician will get carried away so I've been avoiding it. I read through Feye's (spelling?) self-trim method and am too afraid to try it. I guess I'm not much help here.

[kwaniesiam]

I've had a few clients at beauty school who have requested to not have their hair blown dry. While it can be a little frustrating as a student getting credits towards graduation for blow-outs, at a regular salon it shouldn't be an issue as well.

Like heatherdazy, I've offered braids/french braids to long haired clients who chose not to have their hair dried.

[Brat]

I do it all the time. I even brush it for them so they don't have to fight with it (and cause damage, cause they do!). I went in few days ago for just a style, and went in with freshly washed and air dried hair. She didn't discount me for the wash or head massage, I paid a full (and hefty, I might add) price.

It's your hair, you have to live with it, so you get to dictate what they do when they touch it. You are paying for a service, after all and should be happy when you walk out. Not feeling bad about letting them do something you were too shy to speak up about. But that's just me!

[Autumnberry]

I never pay to get my hair blow dried. You don't need to pay for something that you don't want. I've found that the best salons are very low key places. It's a matter of finding the right place that doesn't pressure you but instead listens to you.

[Flynn]

Forget the salon, go to the barber's first. I don't know how they handle layers (never asked), so do ask them first, and explain exactly what you need done.

My experience with hairdressers versus barbers is that most hairdressers practice and art, while most barbers practice a craft. I think many longhairs are more after the latter.

I went to a hairdresser this week, because I really wasn't sure about asking my barber for layers. (Having seen how it's done, I now think I will just go to L. next time. There's no way she would be unable to do that. She's great.) It was a Korean salon, in fact, and while he did precisely what I asked for, (well, a little more subtle than I intended, but that's more than fine by me!) he had so much trouble handling my hair that he straightened it. Heck, once can't hurt too much, right? >_o

(If you saw the steam coming off my hair as he did it... you'd probably disagree.)

[Ally<3]

Yes of course you can walk out with wet hair. Know that the service you are paying for may include the styling part and you will be be charged for it whether your hair is styled or not. Lots of places where I live charge like that. I've walked out many times with no styling. I've gone in with clean freshly washed hair, got my trim and I'm done. When I get high lights I let the stylist blow dry my hair and use a curling iron. I love how it looks and it's such a treat to have heat styled hair. Yes, I know that's LHC blasphemy :p My point is, YOU are the client and you are in charge. You tell them what you want done and don't want done. Speak up and be firm. Be clear about how much is to be trimmed off. Show her. If she starts ripping through your hair say or yell "ouch that hurts!" and tell her you are tender headed or offer to do the detangling yourself. There are a boatload of threads about how to handle stylists and getting trims. Search around and find some of them and you'll get plenty of ideas on how to handle it.


Hi,

I always walk out with wet hair, and most of the time walk in with freshly washed hair because I don't like the products my stylist uses. However, I get it shampooed at the salon once every six months or so just so I can have my head massaged :D

Apart from the fact that I don't like blow drying my hair, the salon I go to charges an extra $25 (Australian) for a dry off. And there is no way I'm paying that.

You can pretty much dictate what goes on because you're paying for a service.

I hope it all goes well.

Hmm I think my salon would charge at minimum amount for a cut and that's it. However they do tend to charge more for little add on things like treatment or when I was going from blonde back to dark, a Filler. You would hope it would work both ways wouldn't you?

If I could step out side my body and do it to my own head I would. I mean we're talking 5-10 minutes and a small amount off.I'd be interested to see how much that's worth. ;)

[Ally<3]

I'm doing the same thing right now, for months actually. I need a trim so badly, but I can't bear the thought of the shampoo, followed by the blow-dry and brush styling...also..my hair feels like it's only started to get long. I don't want to part with the length until I can get a trim and still feel like it's "long" afterwards.

You can definitely walk out with wet hair. It's cheaper too.

This is an ongoing struggle for me too. I think "I'll get a trim when I reach APL", then I think "but then I would be at APL anymore! I'll get a trim an inch past APL", "But my hair really needs it, I'll get a trim then I can go to APL from there." It never ends I tell you!

[ravenreed]

I never get my hair blow dried after a cut. I get rashy from the little cut hairs that are left after a trim and always run home and shower right away. There is no point in sitting through a blow dry and product if I am just going to shower anyway. They don't say anything about it.

[Laululintu]

Forget the salon, go to the barber's first. I don't know how they handle layers (never asked), so do ask them first, and explain exactly what you need done.

My experience with hairdressers versus barbers is that most hairdressers practice and art, while most barbers practice a craft. I think many longhairs are more after the latter.

I went to a hairdresser this week, because I really wasn't sure about asking my barber for layers. (Having seen how it's done, I now think I will just go to L. next time. There's no way she would be unable to do that. She's great.) It was a Korean salon, in fact, and while he did precisely what I asked for, (well, a little more subtle than I intended, but that's more than fine by me!) he had so much trouble handling my hair that he straightened it. Heck, once can't hurt too much, right? >_o

(If you saw the steam coming off my hair as he did it... you'd probably disagree.)


I don't blowdry my own hair, so I don't usually make a fuss about it on the rare occasions I have my hair done at a salon. I'm more likely to ask them to be gentle while detangling, as my hair loves to get tangled, and eats fine-toothed combs for breakfast when wet ;)

[morguebabe]

I always walk out of salons with wet hair.

[Clarisse]

I haven't been able to find a reliable hair dresser yet. They will always tell me to get layers cut, have it dyed, cut of more than I asked them to, flatiron my hair and so on...
Especially, danish hair dressers seems to be in looooove with blowdryers and flat irons. One hair dresser was especially irritating. I told him NOT to flat iron my hair. He just said "You will love it afterwards" and started ironing it without my permission! I got so mad!

Feye's self-trim is really easy. If you want to trim layers or cut in layers, make a high pony or bend forwards with hair upside-down. If you cut the length more often than the layers (I trim my layers every 1&#189; year and my ends every 3rd month), the layers will slowly get to the same point as the rest of the hair.

Hope I was any help :)

[wendyg]

Why don't you guys try going to a barber instead of a hair salon? Barbers are used to doing what they're asked for - if you say a half-inch to a barber seems to me what you'll get is a half-inch. Seems to me they'd be much less likely to improvise, blow-dry, or do anything else damaging. Men go in for "just a trim" all the time - and get it.

wg

[CavyQueen]

I always walk out with wet hair as well. Also, hair dressers are not always savvy on hair products or even hair itself (like I used to think). Last time I had a trim the hair dresser wanted to sell me a deep conditioner. When I asked her if it was silicone free she asked me what that meant. She also told me that trimming the ends sends a message up to the roots to make the hair grow faster. So, just take everything the hair dresser says with a grain of salt. Happy trimming :)

[Themyst]

I always walk out with wet hair as well. Also, hair dressers are not always savvy on hair products or even hair itself (like I used to think). Last time I had a trim the hair dresser wanted to sell me a deep conditioner. When I asked her if it was silicone free she asked me what that meant. She also told me that trimming the ends sends a message up to the roots to make the hair grow faster. So, just take everything the hair dresser says with a grain of salt. Happy trimming :)

Aww, goofy comments like that must just make the knowledgeable hairdressers on LHC cringe! I guess there are idiots in every profession. :crazyq:

[CrisDee]

The salon where I get my trims has two prices, one for just a cut, and a higher price for a cut with blow-out. I always get just the cut - (1) cos I'm too cheap to pay the extra, and (2) cos the first thing I'm gonna do when I get home is jump in the shower and get all those little snips of hair off me! My stylist doesn't seem offended in the least by my not wanting it blown out, perhaps if you're concerned about this you could just say you're going to shower immediately after returning home :-)

[az_sweetie01]

Most high end salons will not discount you for refusing a blowdry.
I usually send my anti-blowdryer clients out with a french braid just because I don't want their hair going everywhere.


That's a great idea! I usually don't mind the blow out but, sometimes it's just not necessary; I never thought to ask for a braid. :blossom: