Tell it like it is!

We’ve all experience it . . . a bad haircut, a hairdresser who didn’t understand what we wanted or maybe a hair salon that didn’t meet our expectations of what good service looks like. What do you do when your salon experience was icky . . . and you’re upset?

What if you hate your haircut?

Decide whether you can trust the hair stylist or the salon to fix a bad haircut. If you trust the stylist has the ability to do better, call and let them know what you don’t like about the haircut. Good hairdressers want you to be happy and they want you back, so they will welcome the chance to make it right. Call the salon owner or manager for other alternatives. They want your business and good will. In many cases they will refer you to their top hair stylists or perhaps refund your money if that’s what you want.

A good salon will put in writing what their policies are right from the get go like Joseph and Friends of Atlanta who leave no doubt about what you can expect from a haircut that doesn’t meet your expectations. It’s pretty easy to figure out why they are among the top 200 hair salons in the country.

Keep in mind, there is almost always a way to fix the problem of a bad haircut. If the haircut is choppy, uneven, or the layering is just not working for you, like too much poof or too flat, it can be fixed. In these instances a slight re-do is all you need to look and feel better about your cut. By all means . . . Go for it! If the cut is too short, obviously you will need some grow-out time to recover.

Poor Service

No, you’re not wrong, you are the customer and “the customer is always right.” The hair salon industry, just like every other industry, has had to find ways to add $$ to the bottom line. If those adjustments are not managed right, it will be a lose/lose for everyone

Many smaller salons are chair rentals, and try to save money by having hairdressers rotate answering the phone and taking appointments for each other. Often, not all hair stylists are busy at the same time, so this method has potential for saving money to the bottom line for owners, stylists and customers alike. But leaving customers unattended at the front counter is simply not appropriate regardless of what’s happening with the politics of the salon. The customer doesn’t care whose turn it is, and they will vote with their feet from a salon with sub par service.

That being said, if saving to the bottom line means the customer is put out or is not being served . . . they need to take a new look at how to resolve the problem or suffer the consequences! You will be doing the salon and all its employees a huge favor by passing along your dissatisfaction. In fact I’ve written an article How to Talk to Your Hairdresser about how to do just that. You could leave a message on the answering machine . . . ahem . . . or maybe better; write a note to the owner that just might help them to become a better service salon.

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Hair Dye is Not The Place For Hair Care Savings

The saddest part of my otherwise joyous job, is reading about the mess you can get in by trying hair coloring or any chemical treatment at home. Just don’t go there . . . when the urge comes, call a girlfriend and have her come over and tie you down until your innate wisdom returns.

A quick glance at the comments on my article Can I Get My Natural Hair Color back will help you understand my concerns . . . you folks go looking for advice after the fact, when there is no help that I can give except “seek out a professional hair colorist”. It’s particularly frustrating when I get a comment like the following :

There are no good options

If going to a salon is not an option, then the only other real choice is to live with it until you can cut it all off. If I even remotely suggested that this be tried at home by an amateur, I would be performing professional malpractice. I have been a professional hair stylist for over thirty years and I wouldn’t try this at home, nor do I think any professional hair colorist would think of trying this at home.

If your funds are limited don’t experiment with you hair

Ladies, I plead with you . . . just don’t go there. If you are on a tight budget, leave your hair alone and wait for better times. You’re just making thing worse by trying this stuff on your own. This is a lose, lose proposition. But the best advice is to just hold off on any major hair experimentation until your financial situation improves. Just make simple short makeover moves that you know are not likely to turn into disasters. Hair coloring is certainly one of those treatments that you should hold up on.

Do not make decisions when you are in emotional turmoil

Many times financial difficulties will drain you of access to your innate wisdom and it can cause you to make some not so good decision. Paul Lynn wrote a great article on this very topic Emo Hair Styles of Another Kind.

There are some ways to reduce the cost and making it easier on the budget. A cosmetology school will typically save between 30% to 50% of the cost of a similar treatment in a traditional hair salon, so that probably would be my first recommendation. Go without lunch for a few days, take the bus rather than drive, pawn your record collection, just do whatever it takes to get yourself into the hands of a professional who can get this done right without doing any further damage to your already vulnerable hair condition.

For further discussion on hair care savings  you might want to check out these other articles:

• Cheap Hair, Expensive Looks
• Beauty Schools Offer Recession Alternative
• Hair Care Savings Tips
• How to Color Your Hair at Home: The Ultimate Guide

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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• Are Keratin Treatments Safe?
• How to Dye Your Hair at Home
• Secrets to Sexy Brown Hair Color
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• Hair Straightening: Don’t Fry Your Hair
• How to Remove Hair Dye from Skin

Fine Hair Strategies

Fine hair can look limp if worn too long . . . unless you know a trick or two. Use these pro tricks to give fine hair some life. Blow-dry to add root lift at the crown and the natural rounds of your head. Then, roller-set ends to conceal sparseness and add fullness and volume. As hair grows longer, add long layers to make curly ends extra dynamic.

Parting Gesture

This trick is an oldie but goodie. Part hair on the far side and it looks much thicker than it is. Blowy-dry for big volume, then direct the lighter side to curve forward or tuck it behind your ear. A faux bang makes hair look extra full and helps frame your face. In back, shorter layers can be flicked out for another stylish illusion.

Straight Fine Thin Advantage

There aren’t many longer hairstyles that are striking enough to pull it off with fine hair, but this one is the best. The thick, blunt cut bangs attracts attention, while flat-ironing showcases sleek shine. Last but not least, colored ends add sexy softness and a splash of highlights in it and creates a thickening effect.

Pixie Beautiful

Going super-short hides the fact that hair is fine and gives you an edgy look that’s intentionally light and airy. Soft sideburns and a curved, faux fringe soften the strong exterior lines. Just comb and go, and you’ll never have to worry about your hair’s fineness being a drawback again.

Color Coated High Lights

Hair color coats strands, mak­ing them seem a tad thicker, but where hair color really comes into play is when you use more than one shade to add dimension. Here, bright red frames the hair cut, while darker shaded high lights add depth at the sides. Side-part hair and wear it in a sleek bob to show off a strong shape.

Fringe Benefit

A Feminine, near mid-length hair cut makes the hair more than the sum of its parts by using soft side layers and framing fringe. For extra volume, use a thickening mousse and blow-dry large sections with a paddle brush. Lift the crown straight back as you blow-dry the roots, then pull sections out to the side.

For further discussion on strategies for fine and thin hair you might want to check out these other articles:

Barb Quinn on Google+