Share your positive salon experience

[schweedie]

We hear a lot about people having bad experiences at the hairdresser's, or being worried about going for a trim - I thought we could have a "happy times at the hairdresser's" thread! :)

I just had my tri-monthly trim today and it was awesome. I sat down, and my hairdresser looked at my hair and said, "I'll just take off one cm then? I don't think any more is needed." She then proceeded to say that it was in really good shape and that I'd have Rapunzel hair soon (serious exaggeration, but I'll take it!), and finally after the trim asked if I'd like some Argan oil in my hair, since "it's really good for hair, makes it strong and soft". ...Yes, please!

I love getting my hair trimmed, it always feels so nice afterwards. If it didn't mean losing length (and money!) I'd totally do it more often. *g* So, tell us about your awesome hairdresser!

[akilina]

YAY! I love this.
I am a hairdresser and I hate all the horror stories and hair stylist bashing!! <3

[elbow chic]

Awesome thread! Yeah hairdressers get a lot of heat here, ha.

I went to a salon in Wal-Mart for a half-inch trim. Mind you this is after over two years of practically no trims a'tall, just a couple of home dustings. I asked Kim, the random stylist who came out, to clean up my ends.

"How much are we talking?"

"Oh, a half inch."

"OK."

"D'ya think it needs more than that?"

"Nope, your hair is in great shape!"

So that's exactly what she did. Cut it dry, which I appreciated since cutting it wet never works out for me. ;) She had me stand up so she could cut it more easily. (Passers-by were staring!)

Walked out with great, fresh ends and no unwanted loss of length, or layers, or anything else. Didn't try to push product, didn't lecture me about how it was doing my face no favors... and it all cost fifteen bucks! Sometimes I think those cheap places can actually be better: I used to go to a pretty fancy salon (well, it passes for pretty fancy around here, anyway) and I'd always feel really dowdy and old-fashioned and dorky with my big wild hair all over the place, my minimal makeup and homemade outfits.... sort of like an abandoned wisteria vine in a bonsai nursery. :laugh:

so getting a lecture from an ever-so-fashionable lady about what my "face" needed was just too much. I avoided the salons for YEARS after that! Cheap places are where it's at! ;)

[akilina]

Awesome! I used to work at a Great Clips and people always were scared to go there because they thought that it was just a really cheapo crap place to go. Even if it is cheap (13 dollars at the one I worked at), it was a great salon to go to. We all did great haircuts and great consultations. People always left happy and surprised.

[lanabunny]

I'm the same, love going in for a trim! While my hair is already waist length, I'm in the process of growing out some healthier hair to make up for those dark years when I curled and straightened almost every single day.

I am my hairdresser's longest-haired client but she still understands how us long-haired girls treasure our locks (; If I ask for just an inch off, that's what I'll get and I'm never pressured into cutting off more "dead ends". She actually raves about how my hair is healthier than many of her shorter-haired clients! I always leave the salon feeling refreshed and excited to grow another couple inches of healthy hair before I visit again(:

[spidermom]

I've really only had one bad salon experience in all my years. So it's like 5,000 to 1 good over bad.

[HintOfMint]

My current hairdresser only takes off half an inch if I ask him to and he never razors my hair, always uses scissors. And I love how he does layers.

I hadn't realized how much hairdressers were taking off until I met Vinny. *love*

[schweedie]

Yay, good to hear others enjoy their appointments as much as I do! elbow chic, now that you mention it my hairdresser has actually started to cut my hair dry, too, when before she'd always wet it. I wonder what kind of difference it makes.


I'm the same, love going in for a trim!
*solidarity fistbump* I just love the feel of freshly trimmed healthy ends.

[HintOfMint]

I will say, even if hairdressers took off more than I asked for, I'm still pretty understanding about it. Most people, not just hairdressers overestimate what an inch is. I won't even notice if it was more than I asked for. I was still able to grow out my hair. That being said, I've never had the horror story of "I asked for an inch and he hacked me off to shoulder length!"

Also, I love going in for a trim. It's so relaxing for me.

[dollyfish]

Awesome! I used to work at a Great Clips and people always were scared to go there because they thought that it was just a really cheapo crap place to go. Even if it is cheap (13 dollars at the one I worked at), it was a great salon to go to. We all did great haircuts and great consultations. People always left happy and surprised.

There's a local salon in my area (can't remember what it's called, but it has one of those "super cuts"/"great clips" kind of names) that's really cheap, but populated by awesome hairdressers. At least, they all seem to love *hair* not *cutting hair*, so they work very slowly and carefully and never take off too much. Cheap places can be just as good, especially if you don't want all the damaging expensive things ;)

[HintOfMint]

There's a local salon in my area (can't remember what it's called, but it has one of those "super cuts"/"great clips" kind of names) that's really cheap, but populated by awesome hairdressers. At least, they all seem to love *hair* not *cutting hair*, so they work very slowly and carefully and never take off too much. Cheap places can be just as good, especially if you don't want all the damaging expensive things ;)

I would love to go to a cheap place but I have layers, so I'm a bit nervous about having them trim those. I've had some bad experiences with layers at cheap places (I left looking like a cross between a nuclear mushroom cloud and Carol Brady).

[akilina]

Yay, good to hear others enjoy their appointments as much as I do! elbow chic, now that you mention it my hairdresser has actually started to cut my hair dry, too, when before she'd always wet it. I wonder what kind of difference it makes.


*solidarity fistbump* I just love the feel of freshly trimmed healthy ends.
I can not explain it but sometimes I will touch someones hair and their hair says "I need to be cut dry okay?"And I say "yes, hair!" haha I am so LAME. :) A lot of times the hair that wants to be cut dry is blond straight hair. Especially if doing layers. Blond hair shows EVERY mistake. Or really fine straight hair. It could be any type of hair and sometimes cutting dry is just much better. It is nothing to be scared of either, for people are always satisfied with it :]

[akilina]

There's a local salon in my area (can't remember what it's called, but it has one of those "super cuts"/"great clips" kind of names) that's really cheap, but populated by awesome hairdressers. At least, they all seem to love *hair* not *cutting hair*, so they work very slowly and carefully and never take off too much. Cheap places can be just as good, especially if you don't want all the damaging expensive things ;)
Exactly! I will never ever work there ever again though. I felt like I was losing all my color skills. I will probably never work for a corporation salon ever again. They are usually "fast paced" salons and you have to get the whole thing done in 13-17 minutes. They have certain rules and ways to do things (although you can cut however you want). I did pick up something great from there though and that was doing a consultation. This is so important and I will probably always bring the skill I learned there everywhere I go. It is fail proof and that is why I have made lots of people happy. This is where the bad hair cut goes very wrong if not done right (IMO).
But like you said...cheap places can be just as good. The one I worked at was populated with amazing and very talented hair dressers. :)

[Carissamarie08]

I've never had a bad salon experience!

[BlazingHeart]

I <3 my stylist. She knows it takes 45 minutes to cut thick, wavy hair like mine well, and always gives me that time. She's the only person I've found who can consistently cut my hair so that it looks good, even as it's growing out of the style she cut.

She also doesn't make a big deal if I prefer to wash my own hair and come in with it damp instead of having her do it.

Sadly, she's out in California, where I grew up. Lucky for me, my mother found her years before I started going to salons, so I had a great stylist from the get-go. I just wish I wasn't on the far side of the country! I save haircuts until I'm going out to visit my parents so I can have her do them, because I rarely get a good cut from anyone else.

~Blaze

[jeanniet]

I've had a few not-so-great cuts, but the only times I've ever had really poor cuts was when the stylist did exactly what I told them to, so those were all my fault. :rolleyes: Most of my salon experiences have been just fine, and some have been very good indeed.

[lmfbs]

I've had lots of bad salon experiences, but they're all my fault. I ASKED for the big chop. I asked for short layers. I asked for bleached blonde streaks in auburn hair.

My hair was always treated well, but ultimately, when I walked away unhappy, it was only because what I chose didn't suit me.

The last salon I went to before I started cutting my own hair had the most amazing stylist ever. Fi taught me how to care for my hair, taught me about S&D and even helped counsel me out of my terrible hair pulling habit (I'm not totally cured, but my progress I owe to her). She's very supportive of me cutting my own hair, and even offered to help teach me some good methods on how to do it. What a stellar lady!

[BrightEyes]

I love my stylist. She has been doing my hair for the past 7 years or so. She knows my hair so well and knows how to color and cut it exactly how I like. She also listens to me and is supportive of my hair goals. She's also my good friend, so it's nice to chat with her while she does my hair.

I'm a hairstylist too, and while I know there are horrible stylists, there also amazing stylists who really do want to please their clients. It's nice to read the good experiences. Thanks for starting this thread:)

[betsb]

My hairstylist is 50 minutes away but worth the drive. It has taken a long time to find her and I know she won't leave because she owns the salon. She starts the appt by listening to what I want to do. I ask for suggestions and we talk through it. This past visit I thought I wanted one thing and she explained the pros and cons and I went along with her suggestion. She evened out my hair color, deep conditioned it, cut off the split ends (1/4") and flat ironed it (my request because I use the flat iron she uses which she told me to buy). My hair drank in the conditioner, is very happy and she is a great hairstylist. Great thread.

[jacqueline101]

I liked my last october experience I got a trim and a bling strand. It was done how I want and the bling strand last from october until april.