Can't stop crying over haircut.

[vonink]

Yesterday I wanted to get my hair trimmed. I requested no more than an inch be cut off with slight layering/angling at the very end so that it would fall the way I wanted it to. I also wanted my bangs trimmed just a little so they would fall at the same level as my eyebrows.

My hair is now just below shoulder length in back and barely touching my shoulders in front! :cry: I went from 25 inches to 16 inches in back and 12 inches in front. I was only about 4 inches away from my current goal of waist length.

Words can't even begin to describe how I'm feeling right now. I came here because I knew you would all understand. People keep telling me, "Its just hair it will grow back." Also other things similar to that including, "but it looks nice!". They just don't understand.

All I can do right now is just keep whats left of my hair in a low ponytail so that I can't feel where its falling, I can't even put it in a bun. I'm trying to stay positive over this but I'm finding it very hard to come up with anything positive. I guess my new current goal will be to be able to look in a mirror without crying and just keep taking care of my hair and try to make it grow faster (if that is even possible).

[MajorasMask]

D: Ahh poor girl. This happened to me too. But on my own accord. Waistlength has been a dream to me too. I think about it way too much, and it sounds like you may be doing that too..
But what I've found helped me the most these past few months was putting it up. So I wouldn't look at it and be reminded of how long until waist. Benign neglect is probably one of the best things out there, because before you know it, you'll be at waist in no time :) a year or two isn't that long if you think about it in the long run. That's what I keep telling myself.
So practice sooome form of benign neglect, still take great care for yourself, and do things you enjoy in the meantime. You don't have to cry so much :) you'll be there in the future. There is always hope. That's what LHC has taught me.

[Mutinous]

I'm sorry you had such a negative experience :(

Try to think of it as a lesson learned. There are many tips for trimming your own hair on this site if you no longer feel comfortable going to a stylist (to which I don't blame you, cutting eight inches more than you asked for is unacceptable).

I hope you feel better about it soon :)

[MajorasMask]

Ugh, hairstylists. *shudder*
It's going to be okay though ^__^ no, really. It will. Haha. What's funny is I hate when people say that but I know it's true for you right now, so I must say it :) silly.
Oh, and for faster growth I would recommend trying Natures bounty hair skin and nails. I've grown a whole inch this month. Yaaaaaay!

[CC-Bale]

That's horrible. One time, I asked for it to just touch my shoulder after I had my baby girl. Cause I knew half was going to fall out anyways and I walked out with chin length hair. But that was before I was trying to grow it long. To this day I only trust 2 stylists. It's hard to find a good one but once you do stay with them. I am honestly sorry for your loss.

[Seishin]

Oh dear. This has happened to me many many times, I can empathise as I know others will too. I know whats done is done but I would have had words with the hairdresser:draw::hatchet::boxer:oooh that makes my blood boil. The only thing I can say from experience is that it will grow back eventually and it will be even prettier and healthier because you will baby it even more. Hugs to you x

[vonink]

Thank you for your advice and understanding, it means the world to me right now. I'm sorry anyone else went through something similar to this!

MajorasMask, I did a search for Natures bounty hair skin and nails. I'm seeing a few different formulas for it, mostly just differences in the amount of biotin in it. Which amount does the one you use have in it? Congratulations on your hair growth! I actually started laughing when reading about the product thinking if my nails grow any faster I'm going to need to start buying stock in nail files! lol

I can't say there will be no more crying but I'm going to focus on taking care of my hair that much more now and I will get back to where I was and make it further with healthier hair!

[Shelly]

I'm so sorry. I have experienced the exact same thing. My mom had taken me to a salon any the stylist had gotten a little too scissor happy. I went in with almost TBL length hair and when I came out it was three different lengths in the back. The longest section was about waist and the shortest was about APL. It made me so mad. In the end my hair ended up to be about shoulder length after I got the mess straightened out. I haven't cut my hair since. I look back now and wonder how long it would be if that hadn't happened. All you can do now is take the best care of it you can, increase the growth you can and stay as positive as you can. The stress this experience has put on you will only hinder your growth rate. Just look at it as a lesson learned and don't go back to that stylist if you do go back to a salon at all.

[kidari]

The only thing I can say from experience is that it will grow back eventually and it will be even prettier and healthier because you will baby it even more. Hugs to you x

I agree, at least it wasn't cut completely crooked or really horribly that you have to go somewhere else to have it fixed and therefore have more length cut off? This happened to me once, it was not fun. It is what it is and now when it grows back it will be even prettier and healthier ;).

[Sweetie]

This has happened to me too, quite a few times, till I learned to self trim.... come on, I sympathize!

[Diamondbell]

I've been through this - at least 3 times, so I don't visit the hairdressers anymore. Feye's self-trim method is what I use. I am sorry you had this experience.

[Lucky]

Something very similar just happened to me recently, it felt like such a setback. I understand how you feel about wanting to just put it in a ponytail. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror for over a week after my bad haircut. It's been just over a month now for me and I think I've finally sort of digested it, it just takes time to "grieve" the hair loss.
FWIW, I've been having some success with castor oil, there's a great thread on it over in the recipes, henna and herbal haircare forum.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=18265
A good vitamin, regular exercise, drinking water, scalp massage, etc. make me feel "pro active" about getting my hair back to the length I want. Maybe you could experiment with some of those. At the same time, I try to practice benign neglect, I've been bunning as much as possible just to try not to think about it every second of the day!
Good luck, I really do know how you feel, and you can always find support on this wonderful forum!

[Mesmerise]

I am so sorry this happened to you! HUGE HUGS!! I know there are some great stylists out there... but this is a big reason why so many on LHC now self trim. Some hairdressers can be soooo disrespectful and just don't LISTEN to what you want!!! I am mostly fortunate in my dealings with hairdressers, although I've had a couple of disasters in my time.

Look up Feye's self trim method and learn how to trim your own hair! If you feel you can't get the style right, then never go to a hairdresser without taking a trusted friend with you who will watch the stylist like a HAWK!!

[Bambi]

Oh no! HUG! This has happened to me aswell...you will end up with gorgeous new healthier hair in no time:)
Hang in there!

[Nae]

I'm so sorry to hear that. It will grow back but that doesn't exactly help you now. We understand, we really do. Try to be patient and I am thinking you some big hugs right now.

[knoxkatie]

Oh my gosh what a nightmare. I'm so sorry :grouphug:

I've been doing the rooibos tea spray every evening and it's been helping my growth rate a lot. Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=71576) is the thread.

[joesgirl2011]

I'm so sorry this happened to you! It makes me so mad! This happened to me too..as you can see from the short hair in my avatar. I won't EVER be going to a stylist again. I will be self trimming as well.

Take it easy on yourself, hair on a woman is very important. When i feel like crying about my current hair dilema i browse pics of women trying to grow out pixies which looks like its incredibly tuff to do. I feel for them. Again I'm sooo sorry! :(

[Isidith]

This happened to me a few times and I freaked out on the poor hair dresser(s). One told me they did it because they decided it looked better and that made it even worse as it wasn't their decision. I also had this done with highlights one. I asked for a few blond highlights and I came out with red ones. I was soo angry. So I totally sympathize with you!

After having that experience several times I started lecturing hairdressers on how it must be an inch or less, lol.

I know those people try to be nice when they say, 'oh it looks great, it will grow back, etc' but i understand it's not very comforting. The worse is "it's just hair", lol.

Thankfully, I found a hair dresser now that understands my long-hair obsession and sympathized with me when I had to cut over 3" off recently that was just so unhealthy, fried and couldn't be saved.

Anyway, good luck growing it back out, and next time be demanding and very clear- every if it makes you seem kind of crazy! Or you could try doing-self trims. I personally haven't braved up enough to do it myself.

[jennepea]

I'm so sorry!!! This really sucks :(

I really don't understand these hairstylists! How can they cut like 9 inches when you asked for not more than 1? Are they stupid?

I've been to the same hairstylist for years, and he knows that when I say no more than 1 or 2 inch, he better not try to cut 3 inches or more...

[arseen33]

The best advice I can give as someone interested in hairdressing:
If ever you decide to go to a hairdresser again, ask if there's an empty chair you can sit in near a stylist who's working so you can watch without disturbing the other customer. Watch him/her do their conciliation with their client. The quickest sign that you have a good stylist is that he/she will be able to get every important piece of information they need to give you a good haircut solely by asking questions. You shouldn't have to add anything extra or mention anything they missed, and you should both know exactly what's going to happen to your hair before they even touch their scissors. If this doesn't happen between the hair dresser and client you're watching, tell the front desk you're not interested and leave.
If you never want to see a hair salon again, check out Lopsie on youtube. She'll show you a few very easy ways to cut your hair yourself.
I hope this helped, and I hope you find some way to enjoy your new haircut until it grows back into a length you're happy with. :)

[racrane]

Oh honey, I understand. I went from waist to shorter than BSL in a matter of one "trim". Lesson learned: never follow my mom's orders of only getting trims from cheap places. I really did my research to find someone I liked next time. I interrogated her like crazy but she was ok with it. I refuse to go to anyone else now. What I'm trying to say it, there's lots of options here and one is right for you.

Right now, put pretty things in your hair (like flower or pretty barrettes) and try to forget about your hair. It helped me alot.

[archel]

I have a hair cut tomorrow and I'm sorta freaking out now! I am going to emphasize very clearly that I just mean a dusting, no more than a cm, and that I will spaz on them if they cut more! I'm getting bangs, too, so this is a little nerve-wracking....

[Cowgirl16]

I am so sorry this happened to you. I think all of us longhairs have had this happen at some point in our lives (I've had it happen several times :()

You can't get it back but...you can baby the hair you have left and NEVER EVER vitsit that hairstylist again :D

[embee]

I am sorry this happened and I wish you the best speedy growing this autumn and winter!

Study self trimming instructions and then you have only yourself to blame if it goes wrong... which it probably won't as you'll be so extra special careful!

[MiamiPineapple]

I have been there I am really sorry to hear that :( I don't understand why people can't just listen...

[swearnsue]

I'm so sorry you had this happen to you. If this was a woman's world you would be able to sue her for assault.

[MsPretty31]

Ugggggg! Im so sorry!:(
I too have had some awful hair cuts.. where only an inch turns into much much more.
Why should they be allowed to do this and get PAID for it? :mad:
I hope your hair grows back quickly and before you know it your at your goal! :sun:

[luvlaughlin]

I am sorry this happened to you. Was she your "regular" hairdresser? Sometimes they chit chat too much and don't pay attention to how much they are cutting.

I take Twin Lab Women's Ultra Daily which has a hair, skin, nail formula in it. It has 2500 mcg biotin. I have been taking it well over a year and my hair is growing at 0.75" per month. My nails are rock hard too.

Just try to remember that we've all been there and it will grow back!

[Anje]

Ugh. I'm sorry. I hope you didn't pay the stylist for forgetting that s/he's supposed to do what you, the customer, want rather than whatever the h3ll s/he felt like.

[Signe]

I sympathise....this happened to me in November, which, in addition to WO, is why I came to the LHC. I went from almost waist to just above apl after asking for a tiny trim and talking about how I was trying to grow my hair ultra long the WHOLE TIME!!! This has happened to me so many times before and I know how bad it feels and how all you can do when you see yourself is cry.

My advice: Learn awesome hairstyles that you can do at this length that are impossible for longer lengths and rock them until you can't anymore, by which time you will be where you want again!
This woman has a great channel of hairstyles that sound like the length you are at right now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIPrzATuBec&feature=relmfu

Also, challenge yourself to keep your hair in protective do's as often as possible so when you are finally at your goal again, your hair will be in better condition than it ever was!

[McFearless]

I'm sorry :( We understand. Are you willing to do self-trims from now on?

[Susana]

This happened to me when I had waist length hair. I will share my experience, since I had been meaning too but i felt too terrible about it to post when it happened.
:rant:

Like I said, my hair had reached waist and I was thrilled. My ends were looking blonde (my hair is brown) and I was told that it didn't look right because of the color change - I actually liked it, it's on my album. Soooo, I went in for a trim.

Terrible experience. My salon didn't have appointments and I wanted it done right then on a whim while my husband was at work (he had said that he loved the blond ends and that they did not look damaged and I should not cut them- instead I listened to the other person). So I went to the mall, and went into the first salon I saw, which was empty, now I see why.[/FONT]

The chick had a bleach pixie and quoted me like $45 for a hair cut. When I sat on the chair and I let my waist length hair down she looked scared at the length. I stupidly said that I had not gotten a cut in a while, so she proceeded to say that I needed a trim every month so that it would grow. She then said she had to take off a whole bunch because it was damaged and I should not have gone so long without trims. I was kinda scared at how apparently damaged my hair was. So I agreed to let her cut what she thought was damaged. She then mentioned that the price would be $75 for a trim because my hair was so long.[/FONT]

It was a painful experience. She piled the hair on my head to wash it. She then ripped through it with a comb while wet and kept throwing the brushed part to the sides making them tangle again. At one point i politely offered to detangle it my self (I have never been in that much pain detangling my hair). She ignored me. Flat out did not respond and kept ripping through the hair. When she was done she said that she was afraid that I would lose my patience and just try to detangle it roughly (I wish I had just stepped off the chair, but I didn't because I am a pushover :mad:)

Blowdrying it was worse as she did the same thing of flipping the wet and dried hair all over the place without dividing the sections and all in all I think I lost about 4 months loss of hair shedding in one sitting. Plus she took me to just above BSL.

I felt so stupid that I disappeared from the forum for a while. I have come back now that I am at waist again (thank God:cheese:)


It blows for a bit, but there is hope at the end of the tunnel. I hope I have learned a lesson but only time will tell.

My hair before the ripping and cutting
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3709&pictureid=47734[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]

[AnnaJamila]

If I were you, I would bring a measuring tape with me and say, "This is how long it is. This is the very most you can cut off. If you cut off more I will consider it a breach in verbal contract and will not pay you."

Lol, it's amazing how well they listen when you say something like that! ;) Some will say they won't cut it at all, but if they are a good hairdresser that shouldn't be an issue as long as you aren't rude when you say it.

[AnnaJamila]

I'm so sorry you had this happen to you. If this was a woman's world you would be able to sue her for assault.

Nice! Oh my goodness, this is SO funny! :lol:

[Yame]

I'm sorry this happened. It has got to be incredibly frustrating to lose length that took so many years to achieve. I would be very sad for a very long time if I was in your situation.

But if I had a cent for every thread just like this one that pops up here, I'd be a rich woman, and I haven't even been on LHC that long. I've been meaning to post a separate thread about this, and maybe I will, but for now I'll post this here:

PLEASE trim your own hair from now on. If you haven't already been going to a hairdresser that you know and trust, and if you don't know anyone with LONG HAIR that can refer you to a hairdresser that listens to what they want, then you shouldn't go to a hairdresser for trims.

I know this sounds extreme, and it sounds like I am saying all hairdressers are bad or something like that. This is actually not what I am saying. My mom is a hairdresser, so I actually have a pretty good reason for saying something that goes so against a profession that helped support me for most of my life.

Hairdressers have their purpose. They are great for people who like to change up their hairstyle, great for special occasions, and great for certain kinds of maintenance. They are generally not so great for long hair maintenance.

Why not? Because it isn't what the market generally demands and it also isn't what they learn. Long hair requires different treatment and different routines than shorter, "fashionable" hair, and it's the latter that dominate their market. This doesn't mean there aren't hairdressers out there who know how to just give a longhair a simple trim. But this does mean that the time to find out whether or not your potential hairdresser is that kind of hairdresser is NOT! after years of growing your hair!

Personally, I would not dream of letting someone I don't know touch my hair which has taken so many years to get to this length with a pair of scissors.

After a certain length, it's extremely easy to trim your hair yourself. You have nothing to lose by doing that. It might come out a little crooked, but there is no chance you will come out with a surprise haircut with years' worth of loss of length. It'll save you the hassle of finding a good hairdresser, it'll save you the money, it'll save you the stress, and it'll spare you a potential mental breakdown.

Now, for those who already have a good hairdresser, I say by all means stick with them! It's a HARD job!

[emelnd]

Aw...:grouphug:

This happened to me too many times... I don't like hairdressers...

Some are cool though. The weird thing is I had hair dressers refusing to cut my hair twice, after I grew it to waist length. I had to argue with them that I am going someplace I won't be able to take care of it well, which was true.

[utdesertrunner]

Oh no! That is just awful! I'm so sorry!

[sally_neuf]

Oh my.. that's horrible :blossom:
However this thread reminds me why I'm browsing LHC instead of being with my mom and sister with our friend the stylist who comes to fix their hair :shudder:

[Wanderer09]

Susana: $75 for a trim?! Good grief!

To the OP: so sorry to hear about your bad experience. :(

[dulce]

Check out the CREACLIP for cutting your own hair at home.

[Susana]

Wanderer09 Yeah, I felt stupid afterward. Apparently it was because of the length which would have made sense if she had to dye it, not trim it. I took a break from here because I felt so stupid from that experience.....the shame lol

[Henrietta]

You will stop crying in a few days probably, because you'll get used to this new look BUT it's all not needed. If only hairdressers listened to us, we wouldn't have to do such things... As a victim of a bad salon I am very angry now. Did you pay them? They've done something you didn't want. Did you say anything to the hairdresser?
:grouphug:

[lapelosa]

Wanderer09 Yeah, I felt stupid afterward. Apparently it was because of the length which would have made sense if she had to dye it, not trim it. I took a break from here because I felt so stupid from that experience.....the shame lol
I think I would have reacted the same way -- traumatized not only from the hair loss itself, but also the shame of going along/knowing better/not listening to my own judgment. I've been in that boat myself.

I _have_ noticed how most hair dressers always seem to want to cut hair short. They do seem very anti-long hair.

[Signe]

I'm sorry this happened. It has got to be incredibly frustrating to lose length that took so many years to achieve. I would be very sad for a very long time if I was in your situation.

But if I had a cent for every thread just like this one that pops up here, I'd be a rich woman, and I haven't even been on LHC that long. I've been meaning to post a separate thread about this, and maybe I will, but for now I'll post this here:

PLEASE trim your own hair from now on. If you haven't already been going to a hairdresser that you know and trust, and if you don't know anyone with LONG HAIR that can refer you to a hairdresser that listens to what they want, then you shouldn't go to a hairdresser for trims.

I know this sounds extreme, and it sounds like I am saying all hairdressers are bad or something like that. This is actually not what I am saying. My mom is a hairdresser, so I actually have a pretty good reason for saying something that goes so against a profession that helped support me for most of my life.

Hairdressers have their purpose. They are great for people who like to change up their hairstyle, great for special occasions, and great for certain kinds of maintenance. They are generally not so great for long hair maintenance.

Why not? Because it isn't what the market generally demands and it also isn't what they learn. Long hair requires different treatment and different routines than shorter, "fashionable" hair, and it's the latter that dominate their market. This doesn't mean there aren't hairdressers out there who know how to just give a longhair a simple trim. But this does mean that the time to find out whether or not your potential hairdresser is that kind of hairdresser is NOT! after years of growing your hair!

Personally, I would not dream of letting someone I don't know touch my hair which has taken so many years to get to this length with a pair of scissors.

After a certain length, it's extremely easy to trim your hair yourself. You have nothing to lose by doing that. It might come out a little crooked, but there is no chance you will come out with a surprise haircut with years' worth of loss of length. It'll save you the hassle of finding a good hairdresser, it'll save you the money, it'll save you the stress, and it'll spare you a potential mental breakdown.

Now, for those who already have a good hairdresser, I say by all means stick with them! It's a HARD job!

I have been wanting to post a new thread like this for ages!!! Please do it, Yame, you have stated it far more eloquently than I could have!

It is time everyone got a pair of hair scissors and self-trimmed after a certain length. You are right, it may be crooked, but if you only take off 1/8th of an inch to start, you can even things up the way you want without losing length.

[swetiepeti]

I once had a hair dresser move three hours away from me. She thought I was crazy when three times a year I drove to see her. But she always cut my hair EXACTLY like I asked, she'd even trim, ask if it was enough, then retrim if I wanted a bit more. Now I never asked for layers except for a bit of layered bangs, but even with just a blunt cut I've had other hair dressers cut way way more than asked. She was also the only one who did not keep adding more and more hair to my bangs to cut.

[Rusticular]

Ahh, babe, I know the feeling. I was at hip-length, went in for layers, and the hair dresser decided 'long hair isn't nice, it looks bad' and chopped it off to APL. -Tacklehug-

You have every right to complain to the manager, and I vote you do. The customer is always right. Cry all you need to; hair becomes such a big part of you, and when someone comes along and essentially 'robs' you of it, it can be extremely upsetting.

However, look at it this way; the journey is much more than the destination. When you reach your next goal length, you get to feel the excitement all over again! It may be a slow process, and a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun!

Invest in a good pair of scissors and take charge of your hair! :}

[Dogbones]

i asked for an inch off and got hair that was 2 inches long all over my head, from having an 8-9 inch long hairs all over....Personally I just bought the creaclip and a pair of gear shears, do it yourself infront of multiple mirrors, trust me its a lot better then all that hassle. The time it takes you to cut it yourself is less then the time it takes you to grow all of that hair back. good luck

[Little_Bird]

I can't tell how you feel because this has never happened to me... I just think you have to keep calm and just keep taking good care of your hair. That's what actually makes it grow as fast as it can :) I think you should also consider learning how to trim it yourself so next time it's done right.

I hope you feel better :flower:

[InTheCity]

I went from 25 inches to 16 inches in back and 12 inches in front. I was only about 4 inches away from my current goal of waist length.

Vonink, I am so sorry to hear.:( I had the exact same situation (same starting and ending lengths!) in June. So I definitely know what you are going through. I tried to tell myself "at least its a good cut" because my (ex) stylist is really talented, even if he doesn't listen well. But I realized it's not even that great a cut! The layers are weird and nothing falls right.
Since 2 months have passed I've largely gotten over the initial end-of-the-world feeling but 2 nights ago I got really bummy when I couldn't get it to look good.

As others have said, just wear it up. Pin it back. Ponytale it. Whatever you can do to forget about it. Challenge yourself to a month of strictly wearing it up, maybe longer, and it'll start to gain length in no time.

[Kelikea]

OMG--that's exactly what happened to me! 2 Octobers ago, I asked for bangs and a U-shaped trim, 1/2 and inch off the length, which was waist at the time. I vowed not to cry about it, but HB was so shocked when I got home, I lost my resolve. However, it is a learning experience, and last Dec was my last trim. My avatar pic is from June 2011, and October 2011 will be 2 yrs since that horrible cut. Your hair will grow and hopefully be even more beautiful than before. Mine is almost tailbone in back!!

[LaurelSpring]

Yes, I had this happen so many times. Its so frustrating and no one understands. This is why I self trim now.

[kidari]

Oops I resonded to the wrong thread, sorry! I recommend self trims. Sometimes I seriously only trim one millimeter off the ends, just the tiniest bits of the longest hairs and it's enough for me. This helps to ensure my self-trim is straight because sometimes when I do significant trims it ends up crooked and I need to trim more to fix it. At least it's just me and I know how much I'm going to cut.

[vonink]

Thank you all so so much! I've stopped crying thank goodness! I'm still sad but at least I don't feel like my hair is ugly anymore.

Its weird trying to take care of my hair now... all the routines I had don't work! lol (CWC, Long Braid to sleep etc.) I'm using this as a learning experience.. being that I have no idea what to do with my hair at this length I can pretty much count on that I didn't take care of it very well at this length before.

I'm so doing my own trims from now on.. the only way I will let someone else even THINK about coming near my hair again with a pair of sheers is if their hair is longer than mine and looks nice!

This really was a dumb mistake on my part.. I knew better than to let this person cut my hair, they are licensed but it was a friend. We are no longer friends (although this wasn't the only reason behind it). Oh well.. live and learn! ALWAYS listen to your inner voice when its telling you not to do something!

Again... Thank you all so much. I'm so glad I've found LHC.. This would have been so much harder to go through without all of your supportive replies!

[wishywashy]

So sorry!!
I am dreading having to get my hair trimmed by a stylist for this reason....it's still too short to do it myself. I am thinking about not even trimming my hair until I can do it myself. I just think about someone taking scissors to my hair and it makes me really anxious.

[NotInPortland]

Sorry this happened to you. I can sympathize because I've often had stylists trim off way more than I asked for and before I realise what they're doing it's too late and they have to keep going :( I actually nearly have a fear of going into hairdressers these days because every single one I've ever been into is always suggesting cut this much off, do this, do that, get highlights bla bla bla. It's a struggle to ever get done what I actually want (not saying all stylists are like this I guess I'm just unlucky). I really need to buy some scissors and just learn to trim myself to save myself the stress.

[chachagrace]

Seriously, how does this happen! There is a reason for a standard measuring system. It's good that you have taken a zen attitude about it. Growing your hair is fun.

[Quetiepi]

You know, this is why I came to LHC. A very, very, very bad haircut. Actually, it was more of an ambush. My sister came for a visit, took one look at my almost waist length hair and said I looked like an Amish woman and should get it cut. My hair was damaged and felt like plastic Barbie hair, and I had been thinking about getting a few inches cut off, anyway. We went to the salon, and the owner rushed up & started talking about Locks for Love, and my sister thought it was a really good idea. I let myself get talked into getting over 12 inches of hair cut off. It was beyond awful, layers everywhere, even tho I told her I was a one layer kind of person. It has taken three years to get it back to waist length. I stll have one little part that is shorter than the rest, and I have been getting a 1 inch trim once a year, telling the stylist to ignore that shorter part. The only good thing was that I got rid of alot of damaged hair. I used to use a blowdryer and cheap hair color. I still have a couple of damaged inches on the bottom, but I will just deal with the velcro until my one inch trims take care of the problem. It took me many months to get over being angry about that haircut. I sympathize with your current situation. Take care of yourself!

[catamonica]

I have had two terrible haircuts long ago. I trim my own waist length hair myself. I have read
stories online of women getting cuts, and they always take to much off. I cut one centimeter
about once a year. Its not hard to trim. I havent been to a hair salon for thirty years. But if
you can afford it and can find a good salon to each their own.

[spidermom]

I am really sad for you, but I don't understand how this could happen. Didn't you see what the stylist was doing? It's all right to stop them if they're doing something you don't like. For example, if you want a trim, the stylist should be combing your hair straight down and only cutting the bottom. If the stylist is pulling your hair out at an angle, that's layers. Say "no!"

[bluesnowflake]

Oh, I'm so sorry.:grouphug: I hope it grows back quickly.

[catamonica]

Im so sorry this happened to you. Bu..y some horse shampoo at wall mart. That miracle shampoo made my hair gow fourteen inches. To one inch past my waist. And I have no split
ends. I hope it works!

[Demetrue]

It happened to me because I am legally blind without my glasses and almost completely blind in one eye. I couldn't see what the stylist was doing until it was too late. Nowadays I take someone with me when I go for a trim.

[MissMB]

I'm very sorry this happened to you; it's just wrong..

But I can give you some advice. Think of it as a fresh start to make your new ends and roots perfect. If you take care of it and treat it like fine lace you'll be even happier than before when it gets closer and closer to your goal!

Hope it helps, that was always my perspective. :)

[amyhenna]

I wish there were a way to put people like that hairdresser in jail. I liken it to going in for surgery, agreeing to have on procedure done, and coming out without toes. That doctor would be liable! Why aren't hairdressers???

I know you can get through this. Here are some positives:
*It is a chance to grow your hair in very strong. You will take excellent care of it, I know, and it may be even better than before when it gets back to the length that it was.
*Hair growth time always flies by when we look back at it. Some day soon, the length you have now will seem like a long time ago.
*Appreciate the thickness and bounce that comes with a shorter (but not short! because it isn't!!!) length. Appreciate it now because soon you will have much longer hair, and you might wish you'd appreciated some of the upsides back when you couldn't see them...
*Try to think of it as your last chance to "live it up" with this length. There may be certain styles that look cuter at this length than they will when you grow it to the length you really want. Consider this your hair's "last hurrah". Live every day like it is your hair's bachelorette party: cute MaryAnn from Gilligan's Island braids on each side of your head, etc.

You're going to get through this. It always passes so much faster than we think it will. You still have great hair. You didn't fry it to the roots (I did once, and waking up every morning was like, "Was it for real or just a dream?" Unfortunately...it was for real). You've got a few feet of awesome hair. All you're looking to do is add another couple of feet onto that. You can do it, you will do it, and it will happen sooner than you think.

Any time you need to talk, you know we're all here.

[amyhenna]

And one more thing...

You can operate in stealth mode. YOU might consider your hair to not be what you want, but to others, it is beautiful!!! So any "gap" you see between what it is and what you want, is a gap that is seen only by you.

Nobody else is (unless you tell them) seeing any "lack" of hair on you. They see the hair that you have...which is beautiful :-)

So you can operate completely in stealth mode while you grow it out. Nobody has to know you're growing it. All they see is lush, beautiful hair, and you will surely be receiving compliments along your hair journey, regardless of whether or not you're to your goal.

I'm not saying you are growing you hair to please others, but it helps me at times to realize and remember that the "gaps" I see on myself are private. Nobody else lives in Amy World :-) So if my hair isn't how I want it, it bothers me to look at it, but it helps a little to try to realize that others aren't seeing what I see. They're just accepting (and appreciating!) what's there. So I can woe in private.

My personal hair trauma right now is about color: it's red at the top five or six inches from henna, and other various colors banded on down my head. I don't know how to get it all one color. To me, it is glaring. Others don't seem to think so. I feel anxious to get it "fixed" almost every day, but don't know how to fix it. I just have to wait for it to grow, I guess. It's going faster than I thought it would when I started using straight henna on the roots on November 15 of last year. I've lived through other color trauma. I can get through this.

I know you can do it too.

[Darian Moone]

Oh dear! I'm so sorry that you had such a negative experience. Hopefully your hair will grow back quickly even more healthy than it was before.

I just went to the salon for a cut today (getting rid of bleached ends that are like Velcro). My stylist was just fabulous. I have so much damage, but she knows I'm trying to grow. Instead of just lopping it all off she took off the worst of it but left me with more length than I suggested and I am soooo glad I listened to her and took her advice not to go too short! We decided to take 1/2 of what I thought needed to be cut off today, and if I still want it shorter in 6 weeks I'll get the rest cut off then.

In the meantime, she suggested nice and healthy things such as scalp massages to help it grow, advised me not to use a blow dryer, hot iron, etc. Even advised against cones! All things we learned here at the LHC! She even suggested using a bit of coconut oil to help with flyaways. And she's at a regular mainstream salon! I was extremely pleased and impressed.

There truly are good hairstylists out there that listen, care and give good cuts and advice. I hope that you're feeling better about your cut soon and are able to find a stylist that you like. :flower: