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View Full Version : After bad hairdresser experiences, I want to trim my own hair ......



Lucy Lilac
November 22nd, 2011, 03:44 PM
I'm new to the LHC and am so pleased to have found this fantastic forum :)

I've been trying to grow my hair for a while and until recently, it was at shoulder length and doing quite nicely. Trouble is, I visited the hairdresser a few days ago for a trim. I just wanted the hemline tidying, but she persuaded me to have layers chopped into my hair and eventually, I stupidly agreed - BIG mistake! My hair is very fine and the hairdresser insisted that layers would make it look thicker, which turned out to be untrue, as I've been left with a horrible, thin wispy mess with really short layers on top - a mullet in fact! What's more, the top layers feel really dry and out of condition. I'm so upset as it will now take me ages to grow the layers out - I just don't know where these hairdressers get their ideas from.

Anyway, as I've had so many hairdresser disasters over the years, I simply don't want to visit one EVER again and wondered if it would be OK to trim my own hair in future (not that it will need a trim for a very long time!). Is there anyone out there with a similar experience who doesn't use a hairdresser and trims their own hair?

Any advice / feedback would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading! :poot:

girlcat36
November 22nd, 2011, 03:47 PM
I have never had a good salon experience. I have very fine, thin, curly hair and hairdressers don't seem to understand how to work with it. I have been self trimming for 7 years.


ETA: Welcome to the LHC!!!

Amber_Maiden
November 22nd, 2011, 03:51 PM
I've never had a very good salon experience either. I think I'll be cutting my own hair in the future, or getting my mom to. It's just easier.

Ps. Your layers will grow out. Breathe. Stay calm! :)

Madora
November 22nd, 2011, 04:01 PM
For the time being, just baby your hair and be gentle with it (no blow frying, hot curlers, straightening, perms, etc).

Once it gets long enough, you might look into Feye's Self Trim method (look in the Articles section).

To encourage growth, daily scalp massages help with circulation (which feeds the hair follicles).

Good luck!

jacqueline101
November 22nd, 2011, 04:01 PM
I'm sorry about your hair cut experience. I've had terrible hair cuts. I would recommend oiling your hair and giving it tlc and allowing it to grow. I'd try monistat for growth I'm using it and have seen growth. I like mane n tail shampoo and condish. I've sworn off heated, stiffening agents, and chemicals. It will help the growth and condition of the hair. I also like to wear it up so I'm not looking at my hair constantly. As far as self trimming goes I only do my bangs but a lady here was talking about a crea clip and using it for self trims.

Nadiner
November 22nd, 2011, 04:07 PM
I cant remember a very bad salon experience. I mean, I went into supercuts for a fringe trim once, and they just cut a straight chunk out of the side of my hair ): That was pretty awful. Last year I found a hairdresser that is very good at cutting and although my hair was short, I do have the confidence that as my hair gets longer she will cut it nicely. I do feel sorry for you having layers D: I hated mine, so I grew them out.

FrozenBritannia
November 22nd, 2011, 04:08 PM
I have had a few good hairdresser experiences, but unfortunately not for a long time. :) I have been self trimming since March and doing ok. It's not long enough (probably about the same length as yours by the sound of it) for any 'method' but I basically just split it down the middle and pull the ends forward as much as I can and trim off VERY little- just to even it up basically, as one side of my head grows hair faster than the other. I don't worry about trimming the layers very much but I will sometimes just hold up different parts and trim the very very tips off to keep them from splitting.

Good luck with it!! I plan on not getting another haircut from a salon for a long time!

Lucy Lilac
November 22nd, 2011, 04:24 PM
Oh - thank you all so much for all your lovely supportive, helpful replies. I'll look up Faye's self trimming method and bear it in mind for the future, as I'm definitely going to be adopting a 'no hairdresser' policy from now on! After all, the worst that can happen is that I'll end up with a wonky hemline, which is no big deal and far, far better than risking another mullet!

Those of you with photos have such beautiful hair and you're an inspiration for me :)

BlazingHeart
November 22nd, 2011, 06:08 PM
Oh layers *sigh* I swear, layers are one of two hair decisions I made in the last 15 years that I really regretted. The sad thing is that my stylist had warned my that I couldn't get the look I wanted with my hair. May your hair grow swiftly and your trimming hand be steady! Btw I don't know if it says this in the instructions, but the most important thing is to get a decent pair of hair scissors and never use them on anything but hair. (and when I say decent scissors, $10-15 at a store like Sally's will do just fine.)

coffinhert
November 22nd, 2011, 06:18 PM
I had a really bad haircut earlier this year and I will never again let a stylist near my hair (unless I have some reason to believe he/she is special). I trimmed my hair for the first time this month and it's awesome. You should look into microtrimming, there are some threads about it.

dulce
November 22nd, 2011, 06:57 PM
Check out the CREA CLIP-check it out on utube .I have a friend that has one.It enables you to cut your hair many ways at home. There is a dvd showing you the many different ways you can use it.Some are on utube.Also google for more info.It beats the disappointment of bad salon cuts!My hair has a blunt hem plus I have had my share of bad cuts so I cut it at home,haven't been to a hairdresser in over 2 1/2 years and have no plans to go back.Good luck! It always astounds me on the number of people on this forum who have had bad salon hair cuts!Scary.

dulce
November 22nd, 2011, 07:16 PM
Their website is CREA CLIP.COM

going gray
November 22nd, 2011, 07:30 PM
Oh, here, here. I too have to join this thread with you ladies. My biggest hair issues stem from going to the salon, if I would just have left my hair alone my goal would have meant years ago.

I could go on & on with bad experiences, but I'll end here.

ashleyrox
November 22nd, 2011, 07:51 PM
Good luck to you, I would love to be able to cut my own hair, I will have to check out the CREA clip!

Lucy Lilac
November 23rd, 2011, 04:16 AM
The Crea Clip sounds awesome and I will get ordering. Thanks for the top tip!

I just don't know why it is that hairdressers seem to love cutting layers (and usually very short ones at that), regardless of their client's hair type. Don't get me wrong, I think that LONG layers can look lovely on thick/curly hair, but they look completely wrong on fine hair like mine, as they make it so thin and stringy.

Oh well - hopefully this time next year, I'll be happy with my (self trimmed) hair. Thanks for the support! :)

freckles
November 23rd, 2011, 04:34 AM
I last went to a hairdresser's about 2 years ago (and before that I hadn't been in about 2 years, either). I've self trimmed a few times since then (with Feye's method), and had my boyfriend trim once. It's totally possible to avoid the salon, a lot of people here do it.

Welcome to LHC, and good luck!

pinupdancer
November 23rd, 2011, 08:16 AM
I went to a salon for the first time in ages about 2 years ago, and well, never again. I agree that you should just microtrim your own hair from now on as well as doing oil treatments. Best of luck. :)

morrigan*
November 23rd, 2011, 11:39 AM
I'm sorry for your bad experience :(.
I heard so much about bad experiences at hairdressers, that i will probably never go near them :D. I was only once in salon, it was for colour hair in orange, and she failed it as i got 5 diffrent colors on my straw like hair. Never again :o.

dulce
November 23rd, 2011, 12:08 PM
OOPS-It should be CREACLIP.COM.

dulce
November 23rd, 2011, 12:14 PM
Now that I'm growing out my many layers cut previously by a hair dresser,when I wear a half up I can see she cut very long layers on my right and much shorter layers on my left.This was supposed to be a professional. It's very uneven looking at it from the back.

Lightningfury
November 23rd, 2011, 12:16 PM
I had one barber (he's a 6'4", ex-linebacker, with BSL hair; I can't call him a hairdresser with a straight face)that I liked, that supported my long hair goals but recently (March) I reached a length that I think he just couldn't deal with. He washed then did the very minimum trim that he always does then quite suddenly realized that he didn't quite know what to do from there. Normally I let him play cause he loved playing with it so much. But after ripping a plastic brush through it and exclaiming about my senstive scalp he realized that anything he wanted to do would take hours and hours of work. He finally let me go get my own brush and take care it while he moved on to another customer.

Can't I just do S&D and forget trimming altogether?

dulce
November 23rd, 2011, 12:18 PM
It also makes my shorter layered side look much thinner in a half up,You won't catch me ever going to a hair salon again,not unless it is a long hair salon,but we have none of those here.

xoxophelia
November 23rd, 2011, 12:22 PM
I have actually only ever had one bad experience. It was the first time I tried to get a layered haircut and she just hacked random sections out. Nobody thought it looked even remotely OK :o

Other than that though, I have had no problems. I usually just go to cheaper places though and ask for a cut that is basically just straight across. It is hard to mess that up.

I do self trim now though. I am growing out layers and since I want a very specific length cut off, I figured it would even be easier to do it myself for the time being. It isn't very difficult but it depends on your hair and hemline. If your hair is shorter it is more difficult. If you have a thicker hemline, it is more difficult. You can always try out cutting off only half an inch and if it doesn't work out, go to get it corrected.

Becky9679
November 23rd, 2011, 12:34 PM
Can't I just do S&D and forget trimming altogether?

There are certainly those of us that do that, check out the non-trimmers thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=132). I personally find that if I have regular trims I never seem to gain any length. I may trim it again at some point to get rid of remaining layers and even things up but I really don't feel any pressing need to. If and when I do no-one goes near my head with scissors except me!

moon2dove
November 23rd, 2011, 02:52 PM
Oh yes! I know the feeling of a bad hair dresser experience. I am the only one who cuts/trims/touches my hair :)

If you 'do it yourself, at least you are in control of how much to trim off.:)