Hairdressers!

my hairdresser is my DIL! She has her own salon and I was so pleased when her and my son got together (not just for cutting hair honest!) She has an excellent reputation locally and is always fully booked, even my son and grandkids have to make an appointment to have a hair cut! would never go anywhere else.

In my experience most hairdressers do not have the same vision as you; your style etc. You are a victim of their ideas. Many years ago when youngest son started school I embarked on a hairdressing course to 'demystify' the whole thing. Never worked as hairdresser but saved a fortune cutting families hair and also my own. Now I still cut my own hair, it is fine and slightly wavy and a sort of silver birch colour. Luckily I really like grey hair and consider condition to be very important so don't colour my hair ( hair not very strong ). I wet my hair and smooth it down with conditioner into a centre parting close into my neck and under the jaw. I prop one mirror up and hold another to look into the first and cut around my hair, slightly longer at the sides. Easy to do as hair flat into the neck with the conditioner. Trim fringe to around eyebrow length. Then dry hair, with mouse, upside down so it looks natural and full with a slight wave. This method suits fine hair but no good if layers are needed obviously. I believe the pony tail method good in these circumstances, lots of good videos on you tube. I also use Phylia De M range, very gentle and good for fine or thinning hair. I think a good way of finding a hairdresser to suit you is to pluck up courage to ask someone that you see in the street whose style you like which hairdresser they use.

I thought the world had ended when my hairdresser moved salons when the one he was at closed down I had no idea where he had moved to as there was no forwarding tel numbers given on the old salon door it took me 6 months to find him with such relief,my hair is very long and straight but needs a really good cut every few months he takes time to cut but is worth every penny,I wish I could adopt him into my family.

My last visit to a hairdresser was in 1966. She made such a mess of my hair that I decided to do it myself and have done ever since. Think of the money saved too!

Are you on Facebook? If so see if your local area has a group. Our local area has a Facebook page and people ask on there for recommendations for all sorts of things, restaurants, builders, hairdressers etc. You usually find that loads of people respond and you will get several recommendations for the same company. These are the ones to try out.

My excellent cutter retired and I stayed loyal to the salon even though I wasn't happy. Then it was one bad cut too many and I was lucky enough to find recommendations on my local community Facebook page. Very happy now!

I think the trick is to look out for someone with your sort of hair (thick or thin or fine) and a haircut you admire and just ask them where they go. Good luck.

My lovely mobile hairdresser who l've had about 10 years decided to stop 'mobileing' and open a shop. As l like the way she cuts my hair l decided to go and give it a try. She seems to do it even better in the shop so fine for now but the one drawback is the shop is 15 minutes away by car. Fine when my husband takes me as l dont drive, but about 2 hours away by bus! I' ll see how it goes when the bad weather comes.

I finally found a decent hairdresser only 20 minutes away. He keeps records of colours used on each client. It's helpful, as I'm able to ask for a previous colour.

TBH I've dyed my hair since 17. Two years ago my scalp became extremely itchy, due to the long exposure to hair dye.

'My' hairdresser uses foils and records new colours. When I want to return to a previous tint I ask him to look up his records. Not cheap, but I feel I'm worth it. And, there's no animal cruelty involved in
the products used.

What would you do? My' hair dresser will now be the salon owner this week, so do I tip him?

I liken a trip to the hairdressers as a kind of torchure. I just can't bear looking in the mirror.

Basketlady's approach is the one I recommend......I saw someone with a phenomenal haircut in the food store once. I summoned up the courage and asked the woman point blank "I've been looking for a good hairdresser and was admiring your haircut....Who does your hair? it looks so good!" She gave me his name and the salon wasn't far from where I lived at the time. Success at last! I got the best haircut ever!! I kept going for over twenty five years (until he retired and moved to Florida several years ago). My hair has never been the same after that. Good hairdressers are not easy to find.

Yes, I despair of hairdressers. They are often scissor happy and take off too much. And they don't listen to what you say but cut a style they have in their heads currently. One thing I have learnt is to ask which stylist you have to wait longest for for an appointment then be prepared to wait. Someone who is available at short notice is probably not very good.
Also if your hair looks good take a photo of so when you go back say "cut it like this please "
Good luck!

Oh I am so happy I am not on my own with this. Dread hairdressers and as for those mirrors!!!! The most recent one I had been with for 3 years. Went for my last cut with her in January. She hacked the back of my hair instead of leaving it in my usual bob style. It has taken until now to get it to grow all to one length again with my husband trimming it neatly occasionally. I have always cut my own fringe anyway so at this point, I don't miss not having a hairdresser! I'm toying with the idea of using the latest trend.....a turkish barber when I next need a good haircut...as my son and son-in-law always look good. The one they use does exactly what they ask him to do.

I think part of the art of a good haircut is being realistic about what your hair is like. I have dead straight hair with a tendency to fall over my face, so for most of my life I have had a fringe and any style I choose is based on having a fringe and having my hair otherwise cut clear of my face. My mother had similarly intractable hair - but the opposite to me, it was very curly. She too always went with what her hair would do and did not make demands on her hairdresser to achieve the impossible.

I also cut pictures out of magazines so that the hairdresser can see exactly what cut and shape I want. so while I have a few disasters engraved on my psyche, mostly I have had good hair dressers, who have given me the hair cuts I wanted. Certainly looking at old photographs my hair usually looks quite nice.

It helps to have decent hair in the first place!!

I tried 4 or 5 different hairdressers before I settled with the one I have now.
She cuts my hair the way I like, and she concentrates! Doesn't gab on all the time like some.
She charges 25€ for a wash and cut and blowdry. About £22.

I really love going to the hairdresser! I found mine by lucky chance, whilst I was searching for a replacement for one who cut my hair ok but I couldn't stand her drivelling on about nothing any longer. I just walked into a salon I liked the look of & had the stylist who was free at that moment & have been with her about 3 years. She is like a breath of fresh air, she's in her mid 20s, has a refreshingly optimistic view on life & can always make me laugh & cheers me up if I'm glum. Most importantly, she cuts my hair beautifully- I was stopped in a shop recently by someone who wanted the name of my hairdresser & who now goes to her. So Yes, it can just be a matter of luck.

My last hairdresser experience was a nightmare. It takes nearly an hr by car so I rely on a lift from OH. I've been with my hairdresser for ages & like what she does. She's come back after her baby was born & goes into the salon one day a week. I think because of this she overbooks.
Another girl retouched the roots & she cut it. She repeated 'I haven't forgotten you. I'll come & finish off your blow dry. I'll be over in a minute'. Took ages & ages so I voted with my feet. Paid nearly £70 at the desk & left with wet hair. She was distraught. Hot day so no harm there. I'm now on the hunt for a new hairdresser. In the past I've been really unlucky with hairdressers. I have a short style so it can't be that hard. Long hair seems to be 'in' so finding a good cutter is really hard.

Our local college is bit of a trek and impossible for me to get to. I'd be nervous of offending a home hairdresser - if I didn't like the cut then I'd feel awful not phoning her to come back again. I did strike it lucky though, I walked into a really posh upmarket salon and asked if they could fit me in for a quick cut and they di and it's gorgeous!
But been here before in the past and then found the hairdresser doesn't do it so well the next time..

Twenty odd years ago I asked an acquaintance who cut her hair because I liked it. I still go to that hairdresser although he soon set up on his own. Now, it's a huge business with four branches but very expensive. He always makes me feel good, interprets what I'm trying to say. Sometimes like today, I have it layered and cut shorter, next time I'll be growing the layers out! I always like it and if I didn't, he would redo it. He looks after me, squeezes me in if necessary if I tell him I've made the wrong booking. He's treated me to a manicure, given me a bottle of perfume etc. Yes, I pay for it but it's my treat and I feel my hair usually looks good. So, I repeat the advice to ask people for the name of their hairdresser.

Test them out by just having a set or blow dry. Even very specific with what you would like it to look like but do ask their advice as to be honest they are the ones with the training. If they ask if "it is ok for madam" and it is the ice but say "sorry I don't think k it is really me". Let's be honest we are paying the money but it is so easy to be intimidated. Spent years with the same hairdresser and everything was okay but expensive. Moved house and decided I was going to being the driving force seat from now on and was very specific from day one the effect I wanted but did ask her to give me her absolutely honest opinion whether the look was obtainable. She gave me some hints and told me why she thought they would work and I have had so many compliments compliments on the colour etc. We do little tweaks every visit according to the season going either lighter or darker, she listens, I listen and it is a match made in heaven, also £30 a visit cheaper than the last place. She is young I am retirement age but she certainly has took years off the way I look.x

Can recommend a good hairdresser in the pontefract area.she has a good reputation. Over the years her customers have tried other hairdressers but have come back as she's that good .her number is 01977700691.

I have only come across three hairdressers in my entire life who know how to cut my hair(I'm 73 now) and have been with Julie my present one for twenty six years.As she has moved salons from time to time I have followed her

DH has a barber who comes to the house. As my hair is short I asked if he could cut mine. So far it's gone really well, he likes working out what works best with my hair and he remembers what he has tried before - which has never been the case with the hair dresser.

Found a few good ones over the years by asking people whose cut I've admired, where they get it cut and who does it. Has always worked out, and times I've taken pot luck have not worked out.