Hairdressers telling you that you have hair problems...

[Heian Beauty]

I very rarely visit the hairdressers, so might they have something against me?! :p

In theory, I'm a non-trimmer for now, but in practice I get a tiny trim every so often to help grow out my bleached and dyed ends. Apart from those ends (about an inch or so now) which can be a little dry, the rest of my hair is soft, shiny, detangles with relative ease, and is more prone to grease than dryness. Yes, I've got some "baby hairs" that stick up but who hasn't?

So, I think that my hair's pretty healthy. But the hairdresser doesn't. When I get my little trim, I'm either told that I need more cut off because it's damaged (varies from the understandable inch to three or four inches depending on the hairdresser) or that it's dry and I need to use this treatment or serum. They always say that I need to come back more often.

What I want to know is, is this common for the long-haired who visit hairdressers irregularly? Is it a marketing thing?
Is a hairdresser's concept of "healthy hair" different from "feels soft, detangles easily, looks shiny"? Or do they know something that I don't? :bigeyes:

EDIT:
I'm sorry if my post came across as being negative towards ALL hairdressers and the concept of professional haircare in general, as that wasn't what I intended. Any negativity was directed towards a few hairdressers that I've met and scared me a little by saying something that sounded to me like "your hair won't grow", and I'm aware that they meant it with my benefit in mind.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1976776#post1976776

[LittleOrca]

In general, yes, this is a marketing ploy. I have had them tell me, years ago when I used to go, that my hair was in terrible shape and it was due to the conditioner and products I used. They said the same thing to the woman they had seen before me and I know now that they were just trying to push their products on me.

Also, the more you come in the more money you have to spend. Where I live, even a trim will cost me the same as a regular cut ($15)! I save that money by trimming my own hair when I do.

Not all hairdressers are "evil" or "bad" though. It just takes a lot to wade through the ones that give the rest bad names until you find the right one.

[Allychan]

Hairdressing has diversified to include not just the cutting of hair. Upselling treatments and colours is very likely common practise in major franchise chains, because there is money to be made. I stopped going to a local chain solely on the fact they were constanly trying to sell me some 'new bewt' hair serum, conditioner etc
I also understand some hairdressers actually care about your hair and suggest stuff without the hardsell. These are the hairdressers that have clients that keep coming back.

[Diamond.Eyes]

I've never experienced any hairdressers doing this to me. 99% of the time hairdressers actually ask me what I've been doing to keep my hair so healthy :shrug:. I think there is a very common misconception that hairdressers are evil and will continue to damage your hair so you keep coming back, and that is simply not the case. I'm not sure what condition your hair is currently in, but maybe they were just trying to make a friendly suggestion on what to do to your bleached ends?

[tokidokichi]

I think she was probably just trying to help you out. If someone is in my chair and I notice that they have damage, I say something like "this is how much damage you have" and show them. It usually goes 1 of 2 ways. I'll offer to take the very least amount and recommend that they come back in 6-8 weeks for another very small trim. Or they bite the bullet and have me take all of it off right then, but I don't pressure them to take off more hair than they want to loose. I always offer a deep conditioning treatment whenever it is needed, and only offer products that I know a person can benefit from. I'm not pushy about it at all. Most stylist work on booth rent, that is we pay a certain amount per month to work at a salon. So of course we want you to come in as often as you can and pre-book your next appointments so we can plan better for ourselves financially. I hope this helps people see it from another perspective. I hate that some hairstylists are seen as "evil".

[jacqueline101]

I think it depends on the stylist. Some try to make money off of you by pushing products others care.

[Mesmerise]

Well I'vfe had mixed responses from hairdressers. I actually prefer NOT to go to them if I can help it :rolleyes:.

Usually now I just go to one that cuts only, and they're generally happy not to blowdry. They also don't offer treatments etc. as they're... cuts only!

It is annoying when they tell you how damaged your hair is though... *sigh*. I have a friend who is a hairdresser and she is VERY disapproving of henna (doesn't understand henna... thinks the metallic salts are bad, and when I told her my henna doesn't have metallic salts she was skeptical to say the least... in fact, I don't think she believed me) and she thought my regrowth was breakage... which it is not. It is regrowth after serious shedding.

So umm... yeah I prefer just trimming my own hair.

[tigereye]

I think it depends on who you go to. If your hairdressers are constantly telling you "you need to cut *insert number of inches here* off" because it is "dry" or "damaged", yes, it's probably to make a sale and get you to come back more.
Also, I think a lot can be ignorant about a lot of the routines we have here on the LHC. A lot of the time, they think CO cannot clean the hair properly, and don't understand that cones can actually dry hair out more (at least, thats what they do to my hair) because they trap moisture out. Mesmerise already mentioned the henna issue. I'm invariably going to have to sit through a lecture from my well-meaning hair dresser next time I visit (which may not be for a while, as I'm currently S+D ing and microtrimming myself). The difference is, that with the henna issue, I know she means well, and in most other areas she will do what I ask.

The thing is, with us longhairs, stylists are often not used to the kind of treatment we give our hair. They are used to seeing people with pixie-BSL length hair, who use blowdryers, straighteners, curlers, cones, harsh shampoos, etc. They are not used to people attempting to grow to the lengths we aim for, or using the washing methods we do, or using henna, or living with their hair up all the time, etc etc.

I am very lucky to have a stylist who understands and admires my determination to grow my hair.

[Celtic Morla]

Not a hair dresser of people but will tell a tale of my experience with Cones. A few years back there was a horse product that was a biug hit in the dog show realm because it gave great shine, sleek coat etc. A lot of people were using it so a client of mine said Do IT, so I did . A few months later the dogs coat was in horrid shape,very dry and damamged and she asked me what it cu=ould be so I did some research(back then the label didnt have to have ingredients.
) I came to the conclusion that the cones had coated th hair so the natural oils could not work their way down the hair shaft and thus all the issues. Told the clint it was the worst thing so we stopped using it. The breeder was PO'd when th e coat started coming back on the dog because gosh gee whiz he started winning again over her personal dogs.....

[ktani]

The beauty business is no different than any other business. There are good and bad stylists, dentists, lawyers, mechanics, you name it. It is a service industry.

My last hair stylist is a friend (I now cut my own hair). He has no interest in hair products and actually believes most are the same. To a point, he is right, lol generally speaking. He knows I take care of my hair and would back then, order or pick up a professional product I wanted, and I paid the price he paid for it only, at his insistence.

[Pema]

I think a lot of hairdressers are misinformed. I used to be one of those! I see hairdressers the way I see doctors- they want to fix a "problem" with the only methods they have been taught how to. Unfortunately, most salons are packed with hair processes and products full of sulfates and other chemicals that take the life out of your body instead of "conditioning" or "revitalizing". If your hair doesn't look the way that particular hairdresser defines healthy hair, then you're probably in for getting a hair cut, some kind of treatment, or a big change in style or color suggested. I opt for only cutting my ends once a season (my mom is my hairdresser so she does listen to me when I tell her how much I want to cut) and using only all natural products for my hair. That's the way I keep it healthy!

[mktmgt]

Some of you guys are acting like hair dressers are stupid and know nothing about hair, they are trained and go to school to learn solely about hair. I don't understand where all of this dislike for them comes from. My mother is a hair dresser and gives nothing but beneficial advice to her clients. Your hair dresser is right though, if you have damage it needs to be cut out eventually.

[ellen732]

Another thread bashing the hairstylist. If you had your hair cut infrequently, along with already having damage on the ends, then yes, a hairstylist it going to want to cut it off. Not every stylist has customers who cut their hair infrequently, most of the clients are NOT growing their hair long and come in every 4 to 6 weeks to keep up with their current style, so getting you to come back sooner is not some marketing scheme, it is actually because we believe that getting your damaged hair cut infrequently is leading to unhealthy hair. As far as selling you products, these are professional products that we recommend to you to suit your hair needs, again, not a marketing ploy. You like store bought products fine, but the salon your using is representing a professional company and we use these products in the salon and are educated enough to recommend them to you. The commission earned by the stylist on these products is next to nothing, trust me. If you don't want them just say no thank-you.

[Amber_Maiden]

I've never had that happen to me. Most hairdressers ask me how I keep my hair so healthy and comment on how it's the thickest hair they have every seen, etc. I get complimented on the colour and how long it is.

I go to Aveda more often than not, and have had them say I should try the line, but I always say I'm allergic to the ingredients- because I am- and they leave me alone.

[Diamond.Eyes]

Another thread bashing the hairstylist. If you had your hair cut infrequently, along with already having damage on the ends, then yes, a hairstylist it going to want to cut it off. Not every stylist has customers who cut their hair infrequently, most of the clients are NOT growing their hair long and come in every 4 to 6 weeks to keep up with their current style, so getting you to come back sooner is not some marketing scheme, it is actually because we believe that getting your damaged hair cut infrequently is leading to unhealthy hair. As far as selling you products, these are professional products that we recommend to you to suit your hair needs, again, not a marketing ploy. You like store bought products fine, but the salon your using is representing a professional company and we use these products in the salon and are educated enough to recommend them to you. The commission earned by the stylist on these products is next to nothing, trust me. If you don't want them just say no thank-you.

This ^. I'm currently going to school to be a hair dresser and what a lot of people don't understand is that not all hair regimens work the same for everyone. Maybe some people like cones? If you were specific and told your hair dresser that you wanted to grow out your hair, then I would imagine that she would give you advice on how to do so. And yes, cutting off damage can be the first step in this process. I hate seeing posts bashing hair dressers on this site. Stylists I've experienced have been nothing but helpful to me on my hair journey.

[MissHair]

They always say that I need to come back more often.

I figured out just recently that it's because they make a profit out of us. Stupid as I was, I didn't get it sooner. When I was a child my mum always trimmed me, til the age of 13 and my hair was long, shiny and thick. Ever since I started going to the hairdressers thats when I began to get disappointed with my hair. They always cut too much off or told me to go back once every month.

I don't believe all hairdressers are bad, but the ones I've seen have been my hairs worst nightmare. Cutting hair shorter without asking permission, using those razors and being generally rude and talking on the phone whilst cutting my hair and not paying attention to how much lenght is being cut off. Not to mention the time when a hairdresser forgot I had more hair under my cape, so when the haircut was 'finished' and she took my cape off, she discovered there was alot of hair that was uncut and she had to do it all over again.

[MonaLisa]

It isn't bashing..
Not everyone here was/is lucky to have a good stylist.

I really wish I found one..trust me, would be a lot easier.
There are some ' horror' stories, and they are real...

Not all hairdressers are angels, you know..
And I'd rather not risk it with random ones anymore, I really love my hair.

[candycandace]

Sounds like bashing to me. Just because once upon a time you had a bad experience with a hair dresser, doesn't mean you should hold it against everyone in the trade. There are a lot of really awesome hair stylists out there. You just have to ask questions and be specific as to what you want. They can't read your mind and automatically know that you don't use heat, cones, and are growing out your hair. You have to tell them!

[sarelis]

It isn't bashing..
Not everyone here was/is lucky to have a good stylist.



I agree, granted there are those who are great, sadly I've never found one, and after my last salon experience I will never be seeing a hairdresser again. In all my years of home colouring with dodgy box dyes I have never managed to utterly trash my hair the way the last stylist I used did doing a root touch up on my highlights. Before I saw that stylist I used to see the senior stylist at another salon, I swear I used to come out of there with about a third of my hair ripped out or snapped off every time. So, for me, it's not worth it, I will trim my own hair, do my own colour, & wash & detangle my own hair without destroying it!

[Henrietta]

It isn't bashing..
Not everyone here was/is lucky to have a good stylist.

I really wish I found one..trust me, would be a lot easier.
There are some ' horror' stories, and they are real...

Not all hairdressers are angels, you know..
And I'd rather not risk it with random ones anymore, I really love my hair.

Exactly.
The biggest problem is lack of understanding. If a person goes and asks for an inch trim they should receive an inch trim even if it means 3 inches of damage left. I do not care what a stylist thinks, I do not care that she thinks that the best thing for my hair is to cut it all at once. Maybe I have decided to cut little at a time. And why when I look back in the mirror I see 3 inches off and hear "that's the best"? In whose opinion?
Why, if someone decides not to blowdry, not to use cones, plastic brushes and straightener they have to cope up with it if they go just for a trim or an updo? This is the worst thing. Professionals know one way and they do not want to hear that someone has a different one. At least those whom I have met.
For a person who cuts their ends once a month to maintain a bob, straightening, plastic brush and blowdryer is like "whatever, I will cut it anyway". But for someone who grows their hair it can cause half an inch of damage to vulnerable ends in half an hour. That exactly happened to me.

[ladyshep]

I was a hairdresser for a few years 10 years ago. In beauty school, they really pounded into our heads that the store products we were using caused a waxy coating and that salon products should only be used. Well, they taught us that right from the start because that is what they wanted us to tell our clients because products were a big part of salon business.

After reading consumer reports that all shampoo and conditioner are basically made out of the same basic ingredients, I switched to store products and don't notice a difference. Salon products are made for people that chemically treat their hair that has damage. Some stylists would cringe if they found out that I now use Vo5 that costs 89 cents and a little baby oil. Yet I have stylist tell me I have "such healthy looking hair and it is so long!" and I haven't cut it in 10 years.

In my salon days, I never pushed products on my clients, even though my manager and the regional manager got so mad at me.

You will never see me sitting in a salon chair! (No offense) I have seen girls come into the salon in my salon days with real long hair saying they only wanted a trim. Well, some stylists would chop 4 inches off instead and say "well you needed it" while the girl in the chair is crying because she notices the difference in length. SOme stylists would be very careful. You just need to find the right stylist.

[HappyHair87]

I was a hairdresser for a few years 10 years ago. In beauty school, they really pounded into our heads that the store products we were using caused a waxy coating and that salon products should only be used. Well, they taught us that right from the start because that is what they wanted us to tell our clients because products were a big part of salon business.

I don't believe it any longer. It took me a while to get that brain washing out of my mind until I read consumer reports that all shampoo and conditioner is basically made out of the same basic ingredients. Salon products are made for people that chemically treat their hair that has damage. So, I tried it for myself and I see no difference what so ever. A lot of stylists would cringe if they found out that I now use Vo5 that costs 89 cents and a little baby oil. Yet I have stylist tell me I have "such healthy looking hair and it is so long!" and I haven't cut it in 10 years.

You will never see me sitting in a salon chair! I have seen girls come into the salon in my salon days with real long hair saying they only wanted a trim. Well, some stylists would chop 4 inches off instead and say "well you needed it" while the girl in the chair is crying because she notices the difference in length.

So, yes some stylists are good and bad. I never pushed products on my clients, but the managers got so mad at me when I didn't back then.

This is ONE of the many hairderessing nightmares that happened to me! I also had a hairdresser when i was in high school...assure me that she could relax my hair right after i told her i had just washed my hair the night before....my hair, all of my hair at my nape fell out!

So, im just SUPER weary of going back. I've had too many bad experiences. I do want to eventually get a Ouidad cut but, i'm seriously afraid they will screw up my hair!

If i ASK for a trim GIVE ME A 1 INCH TRIM! Then i'll come back to you because you actually listened to me! And now...im surprised she didn't know any better to not relax my hair a day after me washing it...and then had my hair bleached to go blonde...and then immediately had it dyed deep red bc the orange was just AWFUL!

It's been 4 years since i've been to a salon and my hair is the healthiest it's ever been!

[Diamond.Eyes]

Like others have said before, it all comes down to specification. Most of the clients that go to salons don't go there for 1/8" micro-trims once a year. The majority of the people who go to salons are there to get a new style or to maintain their current one. If you don't tell the hairdresser that you aren't there for a new style or that you use all natural products or don't use plastic combs...how in the heck are they supposed to know??

I obviously know how to take care of my hair, and I am an aspiring hair stylist. It isn't a one way road where hair stylists only practice hair care a certain way. It's pretty ridiculous to generalize all stylists this way...

[candycandace]

Like others have said before, it all comes down to specification. Most of the clients that go to salons don't go there for 1/8" micro-trims once a year. The majority of the people who go to salons are there to get a new style or to maintain their current one. If you don't tell the hairdresser that you aren't their for a new style or that you use all natural products or don't use plastic combs...how in the heck are they supposed to know??

I obviously know how to take care of my hair, and I am an aspiring hair stylist. It isn't a one way road where hair stylists only practice hair care a certain way. It's pretty ridiculous to generalize all stylists this way... Someone is mad...:laugh:

[Diamond.Eyes]

Someone is mad...:laugh:
Well that was immature.
I'm not mad at all. I just want to let people know that not all hair stylists are bad. There is nothing wrong with sharing what I think? What is your problem?

[ladyshep]

This is a very touchy subject. I know I have screwed up people's hair in the business by accident. It is just a practice just like other professions. Everyone's hair is different and sometimes it is hard to judge how much to cut off. I know I have cut some people's hair way to short and felt aweful when they told me so. As the years went on, I got better and had better judgment from all of the practice and listening to the client's wants. It took a lot of screwups to learn how to do someone's hair the right way.

So if you plan to go to a stylist, I would suggest spending more money going to someone who is a master if you want something next to perfect.

[Dorothy]

What I think is, Hairdressers aren't angels and angels aren't angels either. I can only compare this to my own industry - mental health. Hairdressers learn about hair and hair products from hair school and salon or product sponsored educational seminars. I'm sure they believe what they're taught, and they aren't trying to hurt your hair. However, the claims of beauty and hair products aren't generally evaluated by a neutral party - say the Federal Drug Administration - until people are getting seriously hurt. Hairdressers want and need regular income - of course they want you to come back.

Psychiatrists get their information about how to treat mental illnesses from what they learn in school and afterwards, often from free seminars by drug companies. Research clearly shows that psychiatrists are influenced by these drug company seminars. Research also shows that taking fish oil daily is about as effective for moderate depression as prozac - some psychiatrists are attentive to this kind of research that doesn't get presented at fancy drug company seminars, and some aren't.

Social workers and other types of therapists may do treatments that they believe in, but that haven't been shown to work in research studies. Social workers and therapists in private practice need regular income, and want you to come back, unless they have so many clients they're neutral about it or have good ethics. I wouldn't do treatment with clients that hasn't been show to be effective, and I wouldn't accept treatment that hasn't been shown to be effective in studies, either - on my hair or my mental health. I work at a nonprofit, where the supply of therapy candidates is endless and if a treatment isn't working, I can tell my client that. My income is not dependent on getting that person to come back. I feel I have good ethics, but no one is completely immune to influence. If I were in private practice, and struggling, I think sticking to my good ethics would be more difficult, and I might even become confused about what using good ethics meant.

Disclaimer - I know extremely good, ethical therapists in private practice, and I also know really crappy therapists who work for nonprofits.

I think it's about you as the customer being educated about what the research is on hair or mental health, asking questions, refusing to accept mental health or hair treatments that are damaging or unhelpful.

[mktmgt]

This is getting stupid. It makes no sense to generalize all hair stylists as bad people who don't listen to what you want and want to lie and sell you expensive things to make a quick buck. I don't know what kind of hair stylists you guys are dealing with, but I can definitely assume that they aren't all this way and it's rather immature and ignorant to think that every single person within one profession is bad.

[ktani]

I worked in the beauty business for a few years and the cosmetic company reps market their products as being superior to drugstore ones. In some cases that is true and in many others, not true.

Hair stylists are trained professionals. However, bottom line they are people and while some are better trained and educated than others and continue to educate themselves, there will be a variance like in any other business, of professional performance on all levels.

There are in my opinion, and in my experience of having dealt with many hair stylists during those years of selling them professional products, far more intelligent, thoughtful, caring hair stylists, than the careless, uninformed, unprofessional behaving ones that are singled out here.

ETA: I dealt with the cosmetic company reps, who educated me on the products, so I could pass the needed information along to the hair stylists on how they worked and their benefits.

[Najade]

In my opinion a hairdresser should allways ask the client what he/she wants to be done with his/her hair, so a hairdresser is informed this way. A lot of hairdressers dont work this way though, and instead of listening to their clients they follow their own visions about what might work for the hair. That is my experience though.
Whenn I was younger I had a hairstylist who was very kind, but unfortunatly didnt do with my hair what I wanted him to with it. He told me my hair would never grow longer than shoulder length and after a haircut he took a blow dryer to make my curls get even more curly. In the hairsalon the people liked my hair afterwards, especially the older ladies from an age of 50 and up. I completly disliked it. My hair is naturally very dry and breakable and because he used the blow dryer after the cut, the next day I allready had damaged ends. Dry and splitted. So offcourse, my hair wont grow longer than..

My worst experience was in another salon though. Whenn I was younger my hair was way more curly and even more dry than it is now. It was also shorter, so it was very wide and easily tangled. A lady had the task to cut my hair and really, she was very disrespectfull. She talked with another hairdresser about my hair in my presence, she had problems with my hair being this curly, dry and tangled and didnt knew how to take care of it. She was clearly not liking the fact SHE had to cut my hair and it was clear more hairdressers in that salon thought that way.
I know my hair is not typically ''Dutch'', since it is so curly, dry and easily tangled, but com on..this was very disrespectfull! And I am not the only curly out here, so I wonder how they were towards other curlies.
Anyway, it took her forever to comb it and take the tangles out and whenn this was done, she was clearly showing her relief to the other stylist. I felt embarrest and ashamed. I was to young and to shy back than to do or say anything about it, but if it would have happened now...I would definitly have said something about it and would have walked away!

Anyway, I believe not every hairdresser is like this and I realize it also depends on what the hairdresser believes him/herself. He/she might be thinking he/she is doing the right thing, we cant blame him/her if he/she just doesnt know how it could be as well.
Hairdressers which know about hair and natural hair care products are in my opinion the best, but unfortunatly there are not much hairdressers like this.

[MonaLisa]

Well that was immature.
I'm not mad at all. I just want to let people know that not all hair stylists are bad. There is nothing wrong with sharing what I think? What is your problem?

Of course not all are bad! I don't think even half or majority is bad...
But not all are good also..
there is generalization on both sides it seems.

I am not an idiot who'd go to a salon and not explain what I want..
But it happens...they have assumptions or their own desires, I don't know...

[MonaLisa]

This is getting stupid. It makes no sense to generalize all hair stylists as bad people who don't listen to what you want and want to lie and sell you expensive things to make a quick buck. I don't know what kind of hair stylists you guys are dealing with, but I can definitely assume that they aren't all this way and it's rather immature and ignorant to think that every single person within one profession is bad.

Same as the above.
I honestly doubt anybody here would think or say ' all hairdressers are bad'!
Peace

[tinfoilsally]

I'm not sure where some of you got the impression that the people posting here about their bad experiences with hairdressers think badly of *all* hairdressers. Surely you don't think that we're all so stupid as to generalize this broadly?
You can very well say that just because some stylists are bad doesn't make them all bad, but at some point you must flip that around and say that just because *you're* a good stylist, doesn't mean that every hairdresser has their clients' best interests at heart. Some people will be more interested in making money than leaving every customer happy.
I have certainly known my fair share of excellent hairdressers who won't touch a head until they're sure they know what the client wants, as well as idiots who think they have the right to do anything they want with you.

[pepperminttea]

I'm not sure where some of you got the impression that the people posting here about their bad experiences with hairdressers think badly of *all* hairdressers. Surely you don't think that we're all so stupid as to generalize this broadly?
You can very well say that just because some stylists are bad doesn't make them all bad, but at some point you must flip that around and say that just because *you're* a good stylist, doesn't mean that every hairdresser has their clients' best interests at heart. Some people will be more interested in making money than leaving every customer happy.
I have certainly known my fair share of excellent hairdressers who won't touch a head until they're sure they know what the client wants, as well as idiots who think they have the right to do anything they want with you.

This. There's a mixture of good and bad in any industry. Sharing a story about a bad salon experience with others, and others then sharing theirs, is not the same as declaring all hairstylists spawn of the devil. If you want to read the other side, from those who've been lucky enough to have found great trustworthy stylists who do an excellent job, there are numerous (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=81315) other (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=84923) threads (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=80445) for that. No need to take everything so personally.

[Neneka]

I am very afraid of stylists. :( I know that we have a lot of good stylists here and I would definitely visit them if I could. Last time I went to a hairdresser was in year 2009... Very often they told me that my hair is too flat and thin and it needs layers. They also wanted to dye my hair "because dyeing makes it feel thicker". I also got my hair thinned to the oblivion when I was a teenager. They just thinned it every time to make it "look thicker". :run:

I have been cutting my hair myself after 2009. Actually I feel quite anxious if I even think about letting anyone else touch my hair, even with a comb...

[moxamoll]

Yup, I've had some awful salon experiences and some amazing ones. Right now, I travel to another city for my cuts, because I'm not letting anyone other than the hair goddess near my hair until she's dead! She's been told by my whole family that she's never allowed to retire, poor woman. :D

In retrospect, some of my worst experiences occurred when I was asking for things that just didn't suit my hair. The hair goddess tells me flat out - that will work or that won't - and then we figure out what will work that will make me happy. I'd have had better experiences when I was younger, if more stylists had done that, rather than trying to give me what I thought I wanted. I have no idea if that was inexperience or arrogance on their part, but it sure made for some awful hair.

Oh well, this is the pay off for getting older right? Wisdom and experience?

[irishlady]

They always make me feel bad somehow...
Last time they said it was really dry, it's not, I have a bit of dermititis when I'm stressed...this comment was before frying it with the dryer, so now I'm smothering it in oil before each wash, it's not too bad. The look on her face was hilarious when I said I'm sticking to my coconut oil, when she tried to sell me some chemical crap.

One also told me I need highlights because my natural colour is dull...ummm I like my colour, at least mine won't end up thin and split like hers!
I wonder if they get jealous? I mean I'm not saying mine is fantastic, but I do take better care of it than they do theirs.

I have had nice comments from hairdressers too though :)

[PinkyCat]

I'm growing my hair very long. I don't have time to go to every stylist on the planet to weed out the bad ones - I'd never grow an inch. All it took was a couple bad experiences and then I learned how to do it MYSELF. Now it doesn't matter because I don't NEED a stylist anymore.

[Heian Beauty]

Wow, it's very cool how many people have posted in here! It's great to have some more insight into hairdressing and the wide variety of experiences that people have had.

It's good to hear that what I've been told by hairdressers is standard practice due to what clients usually want - remove the old damage and reccommend some products that might help prevent more - and probably not because I've got something wrong with my hair that I'm not aware of.

I'm sorry if my post came across as being negative towards ALL hairdressers and the concept of professional haircare in general, as that wasn't what I intended. Any negativity was directed towards a few hairdressers that I've met and scared me a little by saying something that sounded to me like "your hair won't grow", and I'm aware that they meant it with my benefit in mind. :)

[Tota]

What I learned from my experience is that every hairstylist has some strong and some weak features. For instance, my mum goes to the same stylist for her whole life and she loves her. She likes her hair very short and simple but classic and the stylist can do that. But I don't like her at all because everytime I went there she said she will only trim the ends and then she cut off half of my length. I hate her actually and never want to see her again ;) But for my mum - she rocks!

Some hairstylists can make shorthaired people happy. Some stylists can make the ones who love to experiment happy. Some can make old permed ladies happy. And some can make longhaired people happy. You just need to find YOUR stylists. That's why I strongly believe in communication :) And I also believe that there is no hairstylist who would totally suck at everything hair related or they just wouldn't have a job. It also goes the other way around - I think there is no hairstylists who would be great at everything. There's just too much to know ...

I know several hairstylists and I know who to go to to get a trendy haircut, who to go to for a trim, and who to go to if I change my mind all of a sudden and want to have a cute pixie.

[longhairedwolf]

Someone is mad...:laugh:

Someone is rude...:disgust:

[Darkhorse1]

Was that Mane and tail? See, Mane and Tail is designed for horses who are in the elements a ton more and their tails get snagged on trees/brush etc. Same with show sheen--I loathe show sheen because it's bad for the coat of the horse--the only thing we use it on is to keep a horse's tail safe from damage due to burrs and other things it gets snagged into.




Not a hair dresser of people but will tell a tale of my experience with Cones. A few years back there was a horse product that was a biug hit in the dog show realm because it gave great shine, sleek coat etc. A lot of people were using it so a client of mine said Do IT, so I did . A few months later the dogs coat was in horrid shape,very dry and damamged and she asked me what it cu=ould be so I did some research(back then the label didnt have to have ingredients.
) I came to the conclusion that the cones had coated th hair so the natural oils could not work their way down the hair shaft and thus all the issues. Told the clint it was the worst thing so we stopped using it. The breeder was PO'd when th e coat started coming back on the dog because gosh gee whiz he started winning again over her personal dogs.....

[pepperminttea]

Someone's taking the internet far too seriously. :p

[heidi w.]

I very rarely visit the hairdressers, so might they have something against me?! :p

In theory, I'm a non-trimmer for now, but in practice I get a tiny trim every so often to help grow out my bleached and dyed ends. Apart from those ends (about an inch or so now) which can be a little dry, the rest of my hair is soft, shiny, detangles with relative ease, and is more prone to grease than dryness. Yes, I've got some "baby hairs" that stick up but who hasn't?

So, I think that my hair's pretty healthy. But the hairdresser doesn't. When I get my little trim, I'm either told that I need more cut off because it's damaged (varies from the understandable inch to three or four inches depending on the hairdresser) or that it's dry and I need to use this treatment or serum. They always say that I need to come back more often.

What I want to know is, is this common for the long-haired who visit hairdressers irregularly? Is it a marketing thing?
Is a hairdresser's concept of "healthy hair" different from "feels soft, detangles easily, looks shiny"? Or do they know something that I don't? :bigeyes:

EDIT:
I'm sorry if my post came across as being negative towards ALL hairdressers and the concept of professional haircare in general, as that wasn't what I intended. Any negativity was directed towards a few hairdressers that I've met and scared me a little by saying something that sounded to me like "your hair won't grow", and I'm aware that they meant it with my benefit in mind.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1976776#post1976776

First, most hairdressers are not trained in managing long hair. For that, there are available a few specialty long-hair salons in a few locales in the US. A GM salon is the most notable. There's one in London, I think it is. There's the original one in Manhattan, New York. There's one in Beverly Hills, California. There's also one in Ohio. There used to be one in Texas, but I think that one no longer exists.

My hair guru was a hairdresser, and he had the fortune of having a mother with beyond knee-length hair, which he tended for her starting at the age of 7. She taught him all the ways, and he learned a few others on his own.

He told me, and this is in process of changing now, but it still exists in the salon world, that hairdressers are taught to begin trimming where THEY perceive damage begins, which I believe accounts for trims that take too much off. Because people are using this word trim without a specification in measurement or amount to be removed added. There's an assumption that everyone agrees on the definition of trim, which is not the case at all.

Bleached ends, they probably perceive as "damage" and would like to offer to remove it. Also, if you visit a hairdresser more regularly, it's a kind of account for them. They make their money mostly on the volume of clients they push through.

IF your hair has body, then it more than likely needs a bit more moisture than compared to a straight-haired person such as myself.

Remember though that you are the client and owner of your hair. I recommend that you find an older stylist that has already completed most of their establishing -- showing off what they're capable of doing, or imagine they can do. Older stylists are more likely to honor your requests and to pay attention to the long-term goals you set for yourself. It's a common myth that dressers continue to repeat that trimming helps hair grow faster. I did it for a while, measuring each time, and no, my hair did not grow faster. Hair has no response, for the most part, to removal of some of the hair.

Just keep yourself in charge. In time, all this growing out of bleach and dye will cease. It can take a long time to achieve, around 3 years on average, to grow it all out. If you dyed your hair, I don't know how much remains showing the dye, but dying hair can be damaging and drying to the hair, especially if one also doesn't use products intended for coloured hair.

You might benefit from an SMT treatment or a heavy slather of oiling prior to a hair wash, or something like that, or a conditioner only hair wash on the length only. Perhaps.

You're in charge. Not the hairdressers.
heidi w.

[Of the Fae]

I've had a few mishaps from hairdressers who rather pushed their own desires on my hair instead of what I wanted and made it look to short and too fluffy, and I agree with the sponsored education thing, because that's obviously the reason nobody teaches about natural hairproducts anymore. However, I do think that hairdressers have wonderful expretise in cutting a certain model and they really do know their chemical dyes. They don't practice all those years in barberschool for nothing ;) If you want to remodel your hair that's where you've got to be. If you want to grow it really long, then either stay away and trim yourself or find a hairdresser that knows her long hair!

[Kapri]

What I learned from my experience is that every hairstylist has some strong and some weak features. For instance, my mum goes to the same stylist for her whole life and she loves her. She likes her hair very short and simple but classic and the stylist can do that. But I don't like her at all because everytime I went there she said she will only trim the ends and then she cut off half of my length. I hate her actually and never want to see her again ;) But for my mum - she rocks!

Some hairstylists can make shorthaired people happy. Some stylists can make the ones who love to experiment happy. Some can make old permed ladies happy. And some can make longhaired people happy. You just need to find YOUR stylists. That's why I strongly believe in communication :) And I also believe that there is no hairstylist who would totally suck at everything hair related or they just wouldn't have a job. It also goes the other way around - I think there is no hairstylists who would be great at everything. There's just too much to know ...

I know several hairstylists and I know who to go to to get a trendy haircut, who to go to for a trim, and who to go to if I change my mind all of a sudden and want to have a cute pixie.

Tota..sooo true and there are schools of training Vidal Sassoon, Toni and Guy.. You need to think about the visual taste of your cutter. I go to a lovely woman with long hair who says things like ...leave it as long as you like and take care of the ends... She is very relaxed about style and not into severe cuts. Another guy at the salon where she used to work was always nagging me to get a short bob. He LOVED short hair and told my glam friend that she wouldn't suit it long. She has glorious wavy thick hair and most guys think she is really beautiful with long hair..etc etc etc You have to understand the salon and get a real sense of a cutter. I always go for a consult before committing. :)

[ssjhotau2]

Might be a bit late for this-

But my personal experience is this:
Chains like Super Cuts, Master Cuts, etc are trying to sell products.

Small salons are hit and miss depending on the stylist.

I usually go to a big salon in my small town. It rents space to stylists- There is a young woman there who listens, is conservative in her trims, and she charges based on time taken rather than type of cut so I usually don't pay over $20 for wash/cut/style. She is the stylist that told me years ago that I had so many splits because I was heat styling too much. That I needed to either style less or pick up a good serum to protect my hair. I did both and my hair was better for it.

I've only been to chain salons twice- once at Master Cuts and once at Super Cuts.
I went to Master Cuts to get bangs and had to argue with the woman- she said I wouldn't look good with bangs- but that I DID need to cut from BSL up to pixie because my hair was just so unbelievably damaged and that I also needed to use the Paul Mitchell moisture products she had for $30 a bottle. Then a few days later I went to my salon to get the bangs fixed and I told her what happened- she said that I had very healthy hair and obviously the other woman didn't know what she was talking about and/or hated long hair.

Super Cuts was a better experience- but they also told me my hair was beyond reasonable damage, needed their moisture treatment, and that I needed to start using some of the amazing products at their store front.

Right now I need a trim- but my salon is over an hour away and my friend keeps trying to get me to see HER stylist- who works at a Super Cuts. :/ Besides that fact that SC is grossly over priced for their very cheap quality cuts- I don't like their pushy stylists and I'm probably going to wait to see my small town girl whom I trust.

[lacefrost]

I agree with this:

I'm not sure where some of you got the impression that the people posting here about their bad experiences with hairdressers think badly of *all* hairdressers. Surely you don't think that we're all so stupid as to generalize this broadly?
You can very well say that just because some stylists are bad doesn't make them all bad, but at some point you must flip that around and say that just because *you're* a good stylist, doesn't mean that every hairdresser has their clients' best interests at heart. Some people will be more interested in making money than leaving every customer happy.
I have certainly known my fair share of excellent hairdressers who won't touch a head until they're sure they know what the client wants, as well as idiots who think they have the right to do anything they want with you.
and this:

This. There's a mixture of good and bad in any industry. Sharing a story about a bad salon experience with others, and others then sharing theirs, is not the same as declaring all hairstylists spawn of the devil. If you want to read the other side, from those who've been lucky enough to have found great trustworthy stylists who do an excellent job, there are numerous (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=81315) other (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=84923) threads (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=80445) for that. No need to take everything so personally.

I would also like to add, in the defense of some hairstylists, that many of them have never worked on a head of waist or longer hair. So it is unsurprising that they often consider our hair extremely split, dry, damaged, etc. Pixie length natural hair is always healthier than waist+ natural hair. (And by natural I mean: uncolored, unbleached, unpermed, unrelaxed, unflatironed etc)

[PixieKitten]

The last hairdresser I went to was to get my pixie cut last october, and I didn't have a picture of exactly how I wanted it so she chopped it off a little bit at a time and constantly asked me if I was ok with it, whether I wanted this side a bit shorter, whether I wanted the bangs a bit more diagonal. I left completely happy with my cut, especially as it was the first time I had seen her (my old hairdresser had left to live in australia) I went back to her last june for a trim and told her I was growing it out, and she literally took off the tiniest amount possible. She was growing hers out too from pretty much the same length so she knew exactly what I wanted.
I hadn't trimmed it once since then until today, and I did it myself. The only reason I'm not going back to there is because I can't afford £30 for a microtrim where you can barely tell the difference. If I wanted another big chop, I would definately save up and go back to her!

Before then I'd only had one hairdresser, and I always went back to him because I was astupid teenager and he was HOT. As I got older I realised how I never left fully satisfied with my hair, and he was so up himself he wouldn't listen to what I asked for and did what he thought was better for my hair. I gave him a photo of the exact style I wanted for my prom in 2008 and he did something totally different and I hated it. >.<

[Gingerbear]

This is one of my major pet peeves about some hairdressers. It usually makes me want to run the other direction. Luckily my current one is supportive of my hair (and my quirky obsessions with growing it!).

[turtlelover]

I've never had a hairdresser do anything but compliment my hair -- not sure how I would feel if one had a lot of negative things to say! I definitely would not make a big decision regarding my hair just because of comments a hairdresser was making. I would go home and think over what they were telling me when I was less emotional/not put on the spot and make a decision later on. Most hairdressers I have had were nice -- not sure where all the negativity towards them comes from!

[girlcat36]

I haven't had my hair cut by a stylist in about 7 years; and that was at a Procuts. I haven't been to a 'real' salon in about 20 years. I haven't had good luck with stylists, but that's probably because I have what they would consider 'difficult' hair. I've had stylists try to drag a comb from top to bottom, which you can't do with curly hair, and I would always wonder WHY they didn't know better. I've been told my hair was seriously damaged, but I didn't blow dry, brush or color......maybe it was the silicone products they were pushing on me.(I am cone-free now and all the better for it).
Almost every woman I know gets their hair professionally done , and are very happy with their stylists. I just haven't had good luck. I gave up and decided to grow it long and self trim.

[battles]

Someone's taking the internet far too seriously. :p

:popcorn:

I can't see how she was bashing stylists at all. She was sharing an experience and asking a question. :shrug:

[princessp]

I haven't had my hair cut by a stylist in about 7 years; and that was at a Procuts. I haven't been to a 'real' salon in about 20 years. I haven't had good luck with stylists, but that's probably because I have what they would consider 'difficult' hair. I've had stylists try to drag a comb from top to bottom, which you can't do with curly hair, and I would always wonder WHY they didn't know better. I've been told my hair was seriously damaged, but I didn't blow dry, brush or color......maybe it was the silicone products they were pushing on me.(I am cone-free now and all the better for it).
Almost every woman I know gets their hair professionally done , and are very happy with their stylists. I just haven't had good luck. I gave up and decided to grow it long and self trim.
I hear this!

One stylist described my locks as "extreme hair" as if that was a terrible thing, but then went on to say it was "model hair" (huh?). I actually think that really translated as: " I have no idea what to do with extra long, curly, thick hair...""and she doesn't want it straightened, dyed, or a short cut, wha?" She combed out my hair too ugh, not a soothing experience. I think it is fair to say she had no idea how to handle my hair. But I've also had some decent experiences. I've never had anyone say my hair was in terrible shape. But my wild "unconventional" locks definitely confuse some and the tendency seems to be to try and tame it (with straighteners, products etc.). I don't think it is bashing to say there are some stylists who just don't have the training/experience to deal with every hair type out there. That's just fine with me because I have a good handle on what I need, LHC, and I trim my own hair. :)

[AnqeIicDemise]

I really don't see how this thread is a hair dressing bashfest based on the OP's opening post.... It was a simple discussion, that unfortunately, tends to go off with a life of its own.

The most infuriating part is when positive hairdresser threads go unnoticed. People like negativity, sadly. -shrug-

[AnqeIicDemise]

I hear this!

One stylist described my locks as "extreme hair" as if that was a terrible thing, but then went on to say it was "model hair" (huh?). I actually think that really translated as: " I have no idea what to do with extra long, curly, thick hair...""and she doesn't want it straightened, dyed, or a short cut, wha?" She combed out my hair too ugh, not a soothing experience. I think it is fair to say she had no idea how to handle my hair. But I've also had some decent experiences. I've never had anyone say my hair was in terrible shape. But my wild "unconventional" locks definitely confuse some and the tendency seems to be to try and tame it (with straighteners, products etc.). I don't think it is bashing to say there are some stylists who just don't have the training/experience to deal with every hair type out there. That's just fine with me because I have a good handle on what I need, LHC, and I trim my own hair. :)

Exactly, this.

My mother has thick, rebellious, wavy hair. Most stylist have a tendency to either perm it (as to force a full curl pattern) or straighten it. It dawned on us after a while that hey, they just don't see curly haired/wavy folk often enough to do it right.

In fact, most stylist tend to blow out straight hair when it comes into their chair for a dramatic flare. Its just what they're trained to do and what they deal with every day. It takes a LOT of patience, and dedication to find a good stylist as a 'normal' haired person. Those with more defined curl patterns earn their sainthood when they keep on trying.

:D

PS: Princessp, I adore your curls. Oh. And that color.... to die for!

[Synnovea]

I hear this!

One stylist described my locks as "extreme hair"

Sounds like a new competitive sport. X-treme Hairrrrrr! :rockerdud

[jeanniet]

While I have never had a bad experience at a salon--other than those that I imposed on myself and were not the stylist's fault--I can't extrapolate my experiences and say that all stylists are great. Some aren't. If you are very specific about what you want done and the stylist goes ahead and does something else because they think that's what you should want, that's wrong. They should do what the client asks. If you want 1" trimmed and the stylist thinks you should have 3" off, then she should discuss it with you, not just go ahead and do it. On the other hand, if you're vague you can't expect the stylist to read your mind, and therefore shouldn't be upset if you get something different from what you envisioned. I also wouldn't go to a salon for a 1/8" trim, because I don't think most stylists are really experienced with doing microtrims.

[Vanille_]

I can't think of any bad experiences.. and I was the kind of person who went every couple of months... Of course, that was before I joined LHC. I was always carefree and let them take their creative side on me. I'm sure it's a very different story now. But I haven't seen one yet. A friend (with long hair) told me about a girl who is really good and knew all about micro trimming and long hair care. So hopefully when the time comes, I have a keeper :)

[princessp]

PS: Princessp, I adore your curls. Oh. And that color.... to die for!


Sounds like a new competitive sport. X-treme Hairrrrrr! :rockerdud

Thanks Angelicdemise you are very sweet :) lol Synnovea no kidding I thought the same thing! But what would that intriguing sport look like? I'm afraid to envision such a hairy affair. :P

[whimaway]

I hear this!

One stylist described my locks as "extreme hair" as if that was a terrible thing, but then went on to say it was "model hair" (huh?). I actually think that really translated as: " I have no idea what to do with extra long, curly, thick hair...""and she doesn't want it straightened, dyed, or a short cut, wha?" She combed out my hair too ugh, not a soothing experience. I think it is fair to say she had no idea how to handle my hair. But I've also had some decent experiences. I've never had anyone say my hair was in terrible shape. But my wild "unconventional" locks definitely confuse some and the tendency seems to be to try and tame it (with straighteners, products etc.). I don't think it is bashing to say there are some stylists who just don't have the training/experience to deal with every hair type out there. That's just fine with me because I have a good handle on what I need, LHC, and I trim my own hair. :)

Bahahah \m/ ^ ^ \m/ extreme!

I thankfully have been fairly happy with hairdressers... although since I have started growing my hair out, I do not think I will go to see mine quite as frequently, because I do find that .5-1 inch haircut usually turns into 2-3 inches off. My hairdresser specializes in curly hair, so I always feel like I am in very capable hands. She always cuts it dry, and never offers to flat iron it. She is a bit pushy about her hairspray though. :)

If anyone has trouble finding a good hairdresser for curly hair, there is a great salon finder on the naturallycurly.com website. I like to check that out before I see any hairdresse in a new area--it's nice to see other women's opinions before you offer your hair up to someone.

[mzBANGBANG]

All of my best hairdressers worked at Wal-mart. You wouldn't expect to find a good quality hairdresser at a place that is looked upon so poorly... but they've never tried to upsell me or do anything I didn't want.

My favorite hairdresser was from years ago (I wish I had thought at 17 to grab a card and keep in touch). She was an older Asian women and worked with such precision to only take off the tiniest bit of hair. She also told me my hair felt like silk... coming from an Asian woman, that meant a heck of a lot to me!

I should try to find her again... probably the only person I would trust with my hair today. I bet it doesn't feel like silk anymore though, Lol.

[darklyndsea]

I really don't see how this thread is a hair dressing bashfest based on the OP's opening post.... It was a simple discussion, that unfortunately, tends to go off with a life of its own.

The most infuriating part is when positive hairdresser threads go unnoticed. People like negativity, sadly. -shrug-
I would participate in the positive hairdresser threads if I'd actually had any good hairdresser experiences. :shrug: Some people are lucky enough to have had good experiences, some people aren't. Although I do think that it's partly because if you find a good hairdresser, you go back to them, but if you don't, you'll go a number of different hairdressers who are all bad in different ways.

[Tomoyo]

Considering that I get my hair cut at a major chain, I kind of assume that add-on selling is par for the course and take it with a pinch of salt. Funny how there's always something wrong with my hair and oh, look, we have just the product for you! I smile, thank my stylist and say no. ;)

[Arashi]

One time I went to get my hair cut and the stylist told me my hair was so dry.. after washing it with a giant glob of SLS loaded shampoo under super hot water and having used no conditioner :laugh:
He gave me a great haircut however, exactly what I had wanted.

[chou]

For years my hairdresser referred to the natural waves in my short hairstyle as "cowlicks" and thinned them out with shears until they laid flat and flat ironed the heck out of them. I didn't know any better because I honestly thought I had straight hair. It looked stylish at first, but soon after grew into kind of a mess, with the thinned wavy bits growing out very stringy and uneven. It has not been easy growing out that intense shear thinning into a bob.

[ellen732]

The most infuriating part is when positive hairdresser threads go unnoticed. People like negativity, sadly. -shrug-

I have to agree. I wish there were equally positive hairdresser threads as there are negative ones. And I sure wish people wouldn't lump all hairstylist and the profession itself into one negative category. I am sure other members here wouldn't want to read time and time again that their profession is this unprofessional, uneducated, underhanded career. I don't post in these threads often, but being a licensed hairstylist for almost 25 years, once in a while it gets to me and I have to say something.

[MonaLisa]

There are plenty of positive threads ...of great experiences, very nice ones! Love to hear about them! Just never had the luck..
Other proffessions are probably being discussed on different forums...I'm sure there is positive and negative experiences about everything :)
Don't take it personally..

[princessp]

I have to agree. I wish there were equally positive hairdresser threads as there are negative ones. And I sure wish people wouldn't lump all hairstylist and the profession itself into one negative category. I am sure other members here wouldn't want to read time and time again that their profession is this unprofessional, uneducated, underhanded career. I don't post in these threads often, but being a licensed hairstylist for almost 25 years, once in a while it gets to me and I have to say something.

I know what you mean. This is exactly why I try to steer clear of the threads that have to do with my profession. It is difficult when people discuss something that you happen to know a lot about, but alas. When you know a subject so intimately it is sometimes difficult to read anything negative about it because you are invested so heavily in it. And let's face it, you just have more knowledge/experiences on/with the subject than an internet forum is generally going to cover. Sometimes that can be maddening.

Try not to be too disappointed, we've all had good experiences with stylists too. And with all that said this is not a reflection on you. For the record if you are a stylist on LHC chances are you know exactly what to do with long hair. And if you are training to be a stylist you have some inside information about the concerns long hair people might have. I am sure you are all wonderful stylists, I would hand my hair over to any one of you here. :flower:

[long.again]

I've never gone to a stylist who doesn't want to cut 2+ inches off my ends. After they wash and blow-dry, the ends are always gross in their eyes. But, some are really nice about it, other try and talk me out of having long hair. Perhaps it's a hair type thing - I have fine, thin hair so it's easy to have my hair lean towards damage. But I've heard weird things about how my hair has 2 inches of damage so I should cut at least 5 inches to prevent the rest of my hair from getting damaged as well. But the thing is, I can never tell what the damage is because it all looks and feels the same to me.

ETA: I'd go to a stylist on LHC any day. Unfortunately, I never have. :( So I'm not saying all hair stylists are evil or anything, just that the few I've been to aren't top-notch in my book. I've even had one woman who accidentally dyed my hair blue (too much toner over a crazy amount of bleach) and sent me home that way claiming that's what I had wanted anyways (I had wanted a teal streak in my hair originally).

[spidermom]

Most of my stylist experiences have been good. When they tell me something about my hair, I listen and evaluate for myself. Sometimes stylists have really good information, good ideas as well. "I'll think about it" is usually an acceptable response. I've never been pushed beyond that.

[Cecalv]

In general, yes, this is a marketing ploy. I have had them tell me, years ago when I used to go, that my hair was in terrible shape and it was due to the conditioner and products I used. They said the same thing to the woman they had seen before me and I know now that they were just trying to push their products on me.

Also, the more you come in the more money you have to spend. Where I live, even a trim will cost me the same as a regular cut ($15)! I save that money by trimming my own hair when I do.

Not all hairdressers are "evil" or "bad" though. It just takes a lot to wade through the ones that give the rest bad names until you find the right one.

Oh my god oh my GOD! I just died a little inside.. for just a trim in norway its normal to pay between 50 and 60 dollars! For a complete style/haircut its normally between 85 and 100 dollars... this is normal hairsalons both independently owned and chains... you can find cheaper places, but those are usualy NOT good. Oh and the prices I mentioned does not allways include a wash and styling, but in most cases the wash and blowdry.

[Teao_the_cat]

The last hairdresser I went to did an absolutely amazing job, actually- it was when I was getting my lat 'long hair' chopped off though, and promptly wanted it back afterwards, but that was my fault! She did a really nice cut, and didn't try to push any procedures or products on me.

I tend to avoid hairdressers as a rule- I'm a very quiet and shy person, and I don't like the being stuck in a chair with someone who has a tendency to want to know many personal details. Do remember being told that I needed a perm to make my way hair more managable- it was hideous.

[whitebengal]

I have had one hairdresser tell me how unhealthy my hair is and tell me to come back in a couple weeks. Every other hairdresser i go to tells me how beautiful and healthy it is! Oh well, what can ya do:rolleyes: