Awful haircut! What would you do?

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.

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?

apologies for peculiar spelling of hairdresser.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 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)

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.