Awful haircut! What would you do?

I know how you feel,*phoenix*. Last year my normally reliable hairdresser who is a good cutter had just about finished when she grabbed my fringe and cut across it in a straight line. I normally have it 'choppy' and uneven. It looked ghastly and I knew it would take ages to grow back but I didn't complain and I think I left the usual tip.

Whenever I go now I make a point of telling her how I like the fringe and usually say something like, 'Please don't cut it like a pageboy'

I think she's got the message but I have no idea why she did it in the first place as it's the sort of thing you'd to to a six year old.

I think we need a 'selfie' here phoenix.

What is it with hairdressers and fringes? My ex-hairdresser once left me with an Ann Widdecombe look ... a terrible blunt short fringe.

(I should say, an AW look as previously was, now that she's a glamorous flicky blonde, of sorts)

Did you tip her, Phoenix?

You could go back and say you're not happy, but there's little she can do until your hair does grow. Probably you'll get the offer of a free cut next time.

I do sympathise - I know how awful it is when your usually reliable hairdresser seems to suddenly have a bad day...

I wonder if you could go back to your hairdresser to discuss the problem and see if there is anything she can suggest to improve the situation. Maybe go a bit shorter to get the layers evened out, maybe styling your hair in a different way after washing.

It could be it won't look so bad when the cut has settled down.

It's happened to me on quite a few occasions over the years.

Go back and ask her if you can discuss it, phoenix. Show her how it is now you are having to manage it, and explain this demonstrates why you asked for that particular cut you had last time, that you were pleased with. My daughter teaches hairdressing at college and has a small salon. Her pride in her work is dependent on her customers being thrilled with their hairdos, so she'll go out of her way if they aren't looking satisfied, or charge less, or even offer a free hairdo next time in the hope they will keep coming back. You can imagine with student hairdressers, that can happen more frequently than in a good salon. You shouldn't have scissor marks - even we customers know that much. She could correct it as much as she can and work on getting it back to what you want next time.

It's a bit of a difficult one. I have never tipped her, she is the hairdresser at the salon at the resort I worked at for 11 years, and there was a tacit understanding that "staff" didn't (and weren't expected to) tip. Although I was made redundant from there in 2005, I continued to use the salon, it is open to non residents, and indeed both the hair and beauty side get a lot of trade from their regular locals.

Plus, she still seems to charge me a lot less than she charges others. She's been a good soul, let me have a cut on "tick" when I had an interview lined up but no money etc.

As I say, I've always been happy, until this last time. Having said that, a friend came over for a catch up last Wednesday evening, and she also uses the salon, and said that Jenny got her cut completely wrong last time too!

Is she old, phoenix? Getting tired etc? I think I would now find a new hairdresser.Could she be annoyed that although you are no longer staff you are not tipping her?It's true that the same hiaidresser can get things wrong now and then.I try and make an appointment in the morning when I think they are at their freshest and not fed up with yet another head in front of them!Good luck with sorting it out, hope it grows fast.

apologies for peculiar spelling of hairdresser.

I reckon first thing in the morning is a bad time - they are not awake sometimes. But this is inexcusable and I would be tempted to find another hairdresser if at all possible. Accost strangers with good cuts to get a referral?

Oh there is nothing worse than coming out of the hairdressers and hating what they have done! - I do feel for you.

It will grow back!!

I have not been to a hairdressers for years as I have grown my hair long, but I always used to come out and go home and wash it and make it look how I wanted it - i.e. casual rather than posh.

Thanks to all for the responses.

Jenny is 65, but not what I would consider "old" although I do take your point roses BTW, it does grow fast, grows like a damn weed, but I still have found it a pain growing layers out.

Jess it wasn't exactly "first thing" (neither she nor I do first thing if we can help it!) The odd thing is, that where I worked previously, other staff asked me where I got my hair cut! No danger of that now, my current workplace is all chaps except for me!

I think I might pop in at some point, with it looking like it does when I have washed and dried it and see what she thinks.

PS Riverwalk can't/won't do a "selfie" at present, but if you look at my profile pics, you can see the sort of short spikey-ish style that I had for ages, (ok, the wedding photo was 10 years ago) and perhaps imagine the longer on top, softer thing I was working towards.

I know the sort of style you mean, I like it too but can't get my MiL to try it, I know it would suit her instead of her rather mannish style - which I suspect is more what you were given. Maybe she just went into automatic, because it is a style much favoured by women of MiL's age and perhaps she forgot who she was dealing with.

I have very curly hair but the top part of my hair is straighter. When I was younger I wanted a looser more controllable curl, so decided to have a loose perm that would give me nice shiny waves instead. When he had finished, I was horrified, he hadn't bothered to do the fringe, he had only clipped it out of the way. I looked like a blonde poodle at the front. No, not even that good. I made me do my fringe, I was furious. So was he, it took him another three hours.

phoenix I am tempted to advise wear a hat but I have had a couple of bad haircuts in my time so I do sympathise. It's a dilemma. My husband thought my last haircut was a bit too short but as I told him in my case it hardly made any difference to my looks because my best was behind me and this was probably as good as I was going to get. I peeped at your photo and very glam you looked too.

That's my cut ( well, the one in the wedding picture) I feel for you. The best 'cutters' I have found round my way ( Southend) are Turks and Iranians. They really take pride in their cutting.

I just want to add In 1979 I had a perm done by a very expensive hairdresser. I had wanted to look my best for a squadron do. It was just awful but I tried to stay calm and make the best of it. I knew I hadn't succeeded when one of my husbands lads asked if I'd travelled to the do on the back of a motor bike!

I rarely change my hairstyle nowadays. My hair is quite wiry and if it gets much longer that two inches it sticks straight up and then begins to curl kink out of control.

For years now I have had it cut quite short but avoiding the really butch look which some hairdressers have left me with.

Because of the texture I see no option for any other sort of style without hours of straightening etc, with which I CBA.
My usual hairdresser now seems to know just what I want.

janerowena I do understand what you say, but I am around 10 years younger than my hairdresser, and her own current style is very similar to what I was going towards!

I think what is making me extra miffed is that the cut before this one was so much like the style I was going for, just needed a tiny bit more growth on the top, (with maybe a bit of thinning because I have rather thick hair) and we would have been there!

I now feel one step forward, 3 back!

Yes, it's only hair, not exactly life threatening, and of course it will grow, but I'm still not best pleased!

And the problem is, they can't add it back again!

I can say this 'cos she is now in bed. So its the Granp half on now. Geegee has been using a hairdresser for several years, and they seem to think that all ladies of older years want their hair to be roughly shaped like a crash helmet. Its a shame, she has such lovely hair. So we found another snipper, a young man, who has recently opened a 'salon' in his front room. I did a print off, of Judie Dench, and asked if he could replicate similar, He did a fabulous cut which looks stylish and really pleased Geegee (and me). (She is less assured these days, so I fight her corner). If she reads this, I am for it, but she loves me, really!

geeljay You sound like a real star to me

I would get out my hairdressing scissors and trim it into shape myself.
Have not been near a hairdresser for over twenty years. Combination of being too mean and not liking how they do it anyway!

Phoenix I can imagine how upset you are specially as she got it right first time,can you not live with it for a couple of weeks by tosselling the hair about abit doing a sort of "just got out of bed look" and make a bit more emphisis sp ? on the eye make-up,it sounds like you need to really try another hairdressser have you thought of finding a male hairdresser I have always found them so good,I'm fortunate that I only ever need an inch off my mop but I still use a bloke as he does my fringe in a cut that looks as though it has not been cut (if you know what I mean)

I would go back in and explain what the problem is. In my experience, most hairdressers are willing to try and put things right (they don't want you bad-mouthing them and losing business for them and some have professional integrity enough that they want you to be happy with their work).

I always tell hairdressers that the style has to be done in a way I can manage at home.