puzzled and frustrated by salon experience

[Toadstool]

I have just moved to a village and had my hair coloured there twice. The people in the salon are lovely, and will keep going to make something work, eg the first time they couldn't get my hair to the right shade of blonde. I was there for four hours as they tried different processes. They said my virgin roots were not going as light as the rest of my hair, which I know is the wrong way round.
this time, the colour worked, although they were still disappointed that they felt the roots were gingery. But we agreed it was fine when dried.
I asked the girl to dry it curly but she couldn't! They didn't have any curl enhancing products. They had a light lotion which the owner said wouldn't work because my hair is too thick.In the end she asked me how had I got it curly before I came in. I said I just put in some curl creme and gel, and scrunched it and then left it to air dry. We ended up with my saying I'd just put some gel in when I went home.
I suppose I am frustrated because it's convenient going there, I want to support the village community and because I appreciate their friendliness and warmth. But I don't understand why my hair is so hard for them to lighten, or how a stylist can not be able to dry hair curly, and not have mousse or gel on hand. The colour looks lovely so I am very pleased with that.They do listen to what I want, and keep trying, but I guess I'm a bit concerned that they don't seem to know what they're doing!
And I'm scared to get my hair actially cut there.

[Dovetail]

Were they maybe just out of product? Or do they literally not carry it? I know we have a lot of dressers around here, hopefully one can chime in. Maybe they don't see many curly girls if it's a small town? I wonder also if they'd be adverse to you bringing your own product? I know some girls here do that. Hm. Maybe you can ask for some curly client references before you get the big snip?

[akilina]

I don't see why she couldn't just make it work. Out of a whole salon full of products not one would even do the trick? Kind of weird.
At my work if we ran out of something on back bar we would always have some sort of alternative to make it work.
Also I don't see why she couldn't have put a diffuser on the blow drier and dried it how you wanted it??
Also it sounds like on the roots maybe she should have used a higher volume developer.
But no, that is NOT the "wrong way around". Sometimes even my light ash blond roots wouldn't lighten well enough and end up being brassy.

[longhairedwolf]

Hopefully they'll remember the formula so that the next time you go for a colour they'll be able to get it right the first time!

[blondie9912]

To me, this experience sends up a red flag. It seems as though they don't have the ability to handle certain kinds of hair (for example, thick and curly) and are only experienced with hair types that are more straightforward to cut (like straight hair, I suppose). Definitely not saying there is anything wrong with having curly hair, it's beautiful, but I do know that it is more difficult to cut than straight hair (hence the need for specialized "curl stylists").

I would be wary of getting a cut there because they seem to have done some experimenting on your hair (they didn't get the colour right the first time so they had to try again). Unlike colour, a cut can't be "undone" or "corrected".

[Kaelee]

I cringe thinking of how much unnecessary damage got done to your hair with the multiple processing. >.<

I wonder if you live in an area where there just aren't a lot of curly haired people? I notice you're in the UK and refer to a "village" (which to my American mind usually means small town) and maybe most people are straight haired, so they really didn't know what to do with it?

[Toadstool]

Kaelee, together with a nearby village and the farms in between, my villge has a population of a little over a thousand people so I guess that's small! The local big town seven miles away has 12,000 permanent residents and 8,000 students.
Dovetail, it is a very small salon so I guess they wouldn't mind if I took my own products.
Akilina, she offered me a diffuser but by then I was fed up and tired, plus I don't blowdry my hair so I wasn't sure what it was or if she'd know how to use it. Thank you for saying it's not the wrong way round. i also know when I have bleached my hair myself the roots HAVE gone lighter, so I'm not sure what's happening.
Longhairedwolf, I don't know if they'll remember it as this is the second time.

I think I'm upset because I am actually fed up with hairdressers being shocked at the thickness of my hair and also straightening it every time, and now it doesn't even seem to react to colour the way they expect!
In no way is this a hairdresser- bashing thread. I have the utmost respect for Ultrabella and other stylists here. Plus I have met many lovely hairdressers locally, including the ones I mention above.
I suppose I am just fed up with APOLOGISING for my hair. Years ago, it would have been viewed as desirable to have thick, wavy/curly hair. And now it's seen as a problem.
Blondie9912, The nearest curly hair specialist is at least three hours away, maybe more as I would have to go by public transport. I could maybe go as an annual treat if I could persuade someone to drive me, but it's not practical for frequent use and I can't colour my roots myself as my eyesight and spatial awareness are not up to it.

[kaydana]

I'm sure they didn't mean to make you feel like you need to apologise for your hair type, they just won't have had much experience with curly hair. Experience is a pretty good remedy for inexperience, and the willingness to listen to you is a very good sign. You said the hair colour worked better the second time you had it done there, so it seems that they are learning what your hair needs.

You may have to explain how to handle your hair the first few times, but if you're going in regularly they'll soon get the hang of it. I would recommend asking them to get in a couple of products that work with your hair and showing them how you use it to get the look you want, if you're going to be a regular customer I'm sure they'd be more than happy to do that.

As far as cutting goes, it really depends on how you normally have your hair cut. Do you get it cut in a complicated way and worry they wouldn't be able to do this, or are you just worried they won't be able to handle your hair properly to cut it?

[Toadstool]

I'm sure they didn't mean to make you feel like you need to apologise for your hair type, they just won't have had much experience with curly hair. Experience is a pretty good remedy for inexperience, and the willingness to listen to you is a very good sign. You said the hair colour worked better the second time you had it done there, so it seems that they are learning what your hair needs.

You may have to explain how to handle your hair the first few times, but if you're going in regularly they'll soon get the hang of it. I would recommend asking them to get in a couple of products that work with your hair and showing them how you use it to get the look you want, if you're going to be a regular customer I'm sure they'd be more than happy to do that.

As far as cutting goes, it really depends on how you normally have your hair cut. Do you get it cut in a complicated way and worry they wouldn't be able to do this, or are you just worried they won't be able to handle your hair properly to cut it?

My concern about cutting is that I am only now beginning to embrace my curls and grow out my hair, so before I've just let them cut it straight, and I don't know if they need to cut it in some complicated way! Normally I let hairdressers thin the heck out of it, but I'd like to stop doing that. I suppose I'm also concerned that they just seem so..puzzled..by my hair type.

[Rufflebutt]

It seems that the majority of main-stream hair care is geared to fit towards people with pin-straight hair. Which is great if your hair is pit straight, but the majority of people have a little bit of wave to their hair.

[RileyJane]

Ekkkkkk. My suggestion is prob to not go there anymore, even if you want to support them. To me it sounds like they don't have even the most basic of styling tools and products and that their knowledge doesn't go to far for the case of easily and safely lightening hair. If you really want to help, I would talk to the manager, and kindly explain your experience there, and that they should attend weekly classes about hair. If the reason they don't have a lot of products there is that they don't have enough money, try doin a fundraiser for the salon :) it sounds like they care, but I feel they have a lot of growing to do to be considered a professional salon.

[Toadstool]

Ekkkkkk. My suggestion is prob to not go there anymore, even if you want to support them. To me it sounds like they don't have even the most basic of styling tools and products and that their knowledge doesn't go to far for the case of easily and safely lightening hair. If you really want to help, I would talk to the manager, and kindly explain your experience there, and that they should attend weekly classes about hair. If the reason they don't have a lot of products there is that they don't have enough money, try doin a fundraiser for the salon :) it sounds like they care, but I feel they have a lot of growing to do to be considered a professional salon.
I don't think it's that they don't have money. The manager has been doing hair for at least twenty years and people travel from nearby villages to see him so surely he must be good.:confused::confused: There is one other stylist, the one who did my hair, and she's only been qualified for eighteen months, but it was the manager who advised her on colouring. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending weekly classes to someone of his experience, plus there aren't any around here:) but thank you for your suggestions.

[Toadstool]

It seems that the majority of main-stream hair care is geared to fit towards people with pin-straight hair. Which is great if your hair is pit straight, but the majority of people have a little bit of wave to their hair.
Maybe that's it then? And most people do seem to want sleek straightened modern styles. But I am too low maintenance to bother straightening or even blow-drying my hair, and it won't do anything geometric and it grows out of my head thick so what am I to do?!

[longhairedwolf]

Maybe next time ask for the manager to handle your colour and cut, rather than his associate? Sounds like he has lots more experience that she does.

[jacqueline101]

I'd say maybe the salon in general isn't made for you. That or you got a new hair dresser one out of school.

[lapushka]

There is one other stylist, the one who did my hair, and she's only been qualified for eighteen months, but it was the manager who advised her on colouring.

Maybe she didn't listen to him all that well, and maybe that's where things went a little wrong? You never know...

[pepperminttea]

If worst comes to worst, you mentioned you're seven miles from a big town; would that have more salons to choose from? :)

[Toadstool]

Thank you all for your suggestions.
PeppermintTea, yes there are other salons, it's just I wanted to go to this one. <
I have been to a lot of the others in the past. Maybe I will keep going to them for the colour, and just take my own products. As for cutting, I don't know because I suppose I don't know what is a good way of cutting my hair, I've just gone along with the thinning. I have remembered a woman who at least likes curly hair so maybe I should go back to her. Colour-wise I can't afford her though! I would like to see a curly hair specialist, but no chance round here.

[Toadstool]

Noticed today that there IS a lot of red still in my hair, even though they were going for ash blonde. Think I will have to find somewhere else.

[UltraBella]

It's not uncommon at all for roots to be more resilient and not lift at the same rate. Multiple applications of a lower level bleach are better for your hair than 1 application of really strong bleach, so many stylists start with the minimum and work their way up - trying not to fry your hair.

As far as cutting goes, there are many stylists who are phenomenally talented but are not trained to cut curly hair dry. It's not a technique embraced by all, so some will be better at cutting curly hair wet, while others cut best dry. You CAN cut curly hair wet, but you can't cut it like it's straight hair - those are separate things. (At least they will be, for a skilled stylist.)

The product part just throws me !! They could have applied several products they had on hand with good results. Conditioning lotion, gel, these are standards in all salons. So weird..........