Would you tell your hairdresser if she made you look horrible?

I tried all the hairdressers when I moved here and settled on the one nearest to my house. It's five minutes down the hill. I only ever have a dry trim. They listen to me and do what I suggest. If they think I've got it wrong, they say so, and suggest alternatives. I like my hair short. I used to try and grow it long when I was younger, but it never got longer than collar length!

Luckily I am happy with my hairdresser at present but as she is mobile and comes to the house each week I would find it very hard to cancel as she is more of a friend now.

I have made a hairdresser re-do a perm, back in the eighties. He permed my fringe when I specifically asked him to leave it straight, as my hair is curly anyway. I just wanted a more even curl all over my head, not to look like a brillo pad! He had to loosen it all over and straighten my fringe, it took him until 6.30 pm on a Saturday night but I was so angry I didn't care.

Oh, Mollie - I have exactly the same Judy/Jo problem!

I've been going to the same hairdresser for ages, and a couple of times he has given me a bad cut. I didn't have the courage to say anything either, but it was fine the next time. I just figured he'd had a bad day or his back was playing up.

I have asked him to alter the cut by saying my DH didn't care for it. That worked!

I have been going for years to a great cutter. Lovely girl, super stylist BUT I always wash my hair when I get home because the shampooers NEVER wash the shampoo off the back of my head. I've said this directly, after realising that gentle suggestion to the various shampooers went straight over their heads. (?) Got nowhere. From now I'm just going to have a wet cut and finish it off at home. The cut is what counts anyway, and the feel - good effect I'd hope for just can't happen when I feel shampoo remains.

I haven't been to the hairdressers for fifty years after a hairdresser gave me bad hair cut. I manage to cut it myself and as straight hair doesn't suit me I have to go to bed in rollers. So used to it doesn't disturb my sleep. Think of all the money I have saved over the years. A friend who has short straight hair went for a trim in town without an appontment and was charged £16 and it was uneven!

I'm not brave enough to say. I'm never happy anyway, I think it's the face under the hair that is the problem. I want to look like Judi Dench but I've got Jo Brand's face! Lol!

Teetime - why pay for a blow dry you don't like? My hairdresser does the cut and then hands me a brush and the hairdryer and I do my own blow dry. Try asking her/him about this, it's becoming more popular. I was surprised how they were happy to do this and even complimented me on my styling!

My hairdresser does the cut and colour I want but not the blow dry so I'm barely in the door before I have put my head under the tap!

rose because of events going on in my life I had to cancel my August hair appointment and so haven't had a cut since June - what's that 5 months?? It's grown into a sort of bob that I quite like. Just stick with it a bit longer.

Tegan oh dear!

My hair is a complete mess at the moment, I have been trying to grow the layers out into a shortish bob; he cut it really nicely the first couple of times but now it is difficult to manage. He suggested leaving it for at least a couple of months - I hope he will be able to do something with it next time I go otherwise I will be taking the scissors to it myself

<squeak>

On the subject of wigs, having finally bought a wig because of my hair getting even more thin and horrible I'd read that it's best to get your hairdresser to cut it [makes it look more natural]. Against my daughters advice ['mum, they'll pudding basin it...don't let them near it'] I did so and she hacked away at it till it looked like a different wig and the fringe is all uneven. I still haven't plucked up the courage to wear it, although, perhaps it looks less wig like in that no one would assume that anyone would have a wig that was cut so badly . I'm plucking up the courage to ask my neighbour [she used to be a hairdresser] to sort the fringe out. At least, with your own hair you can grow it out if the cut is bad! [it does look better at the back though...]

Of course you have to put it quite tactfully S2B but what's the alternative? Go to another hairdresser without giving her the chance to make things better or go back and have it happen again.

Are we grown women or mice?

Can I confess that I would find the situation difficult too?

I think I am quite tough in a lot of things, but telling a friend that effectively, they have been rubbish at their job would be a difficult one for me too.

Is your thinking that they wont mind?
[am aware that it is really pp.s question, so I will stay out].

i don't understand your thinking pp - what are you afraid of - hurting her feelings? But if you're prepared to put up with it until it grows out then so be it.

Some women never cease to amaze me!

I try not to mix business with pleasure in my life. But it is different if it starts out as business then goes into friendship.
I am not sure I would say anything either.
She may have been having an off day, in which case it is not worth mentioning in my opinion.
Or it could be that she has lost her touch a bit, in which case, you would not want a repeat!

Thanks all. I'm sorry but I'm too cowardly to tell her. Today I've styled it so you can't see how uneven it is and I'll cope with that for now. Besides I've got a dentist appt tomorrow so I'm distracted enough not to care about the hair for now...

Well, you needn't go back for a while if it's too short, so you could find a photo of a style you really like and ask her if she thinks it would suit you and could she cut it like that?
Although when I did that with my long-term hairdresser it looked like a haystack and I never went back.

They all seem to do it beautifully once then never manage it again!

Yes, I would tell her that I am not happy with it but if she bridles you could perhaps soften the blow by saying that it is possible that your hair is a reflection of how you feel and clearly it is not sitting well. Any hairdresser worth her salt will put it right and be pleasant since it is her reputation at stake.
Hope it goes well and is easier to do than you think.

I'm a wanderer too when it comes to hairdressers although I've been with my current one for about 6 months (very unusual)

My hair's so fine, grey and thin; I have tried growing it only to resort to a chop within months because I'm useless at faffing with it

I love Zoe Ball's hair but I'll have to dream on..... unless I buy a wig!

This is why I let my hair grow - I got so fed up with having to go back home and wash my hair and trim bits. And they never did what I asked - ever!

Pluck up your courage and go back and tell her you don't like your haircut. Even if it's still too short at least she can even it up. Everyone has off days and makes mistakes, it's how they react to your complaint that matters.

You might be pleasantly surprised, but if she reacts badly then you can walk out.

Petit I know the feeling, and it's worse in your case because of the friendship aspect, but you are going to have to tell her that you are very unhappy with your haircut.

I find with most hairdressers - no matter how well they start off - after a while they no longer "see" you as an individual and they cut as if they are automatons.

I go from hairdresser to hairdresser for that reason, and always have done. They only see me for a few months and then I'm on the hunt again, carefully explaining to the next one what I want... I don't believe that anyone knows your hair as well as you do.

Let it grow a bit, then go to a different hairdresser and tell them it's been done badly,they will then take good care to do it well.