best way to talk to a hairdresser?

MissGivings_2

What are the best words to speak to a hairdresser to prevent them from cutting your hair too short?

No matter how I express myself about what I would like and they nod and agree, they then just gaily snip away until it's grannyish and awful!

(I'm in my 50's, female with salt & pepper layered almost shoulder-length hair and am normally articulate)

I ask 'Can I have the layers tidied up a bit, but keep it long'
and 'Look at this picture, I'd like it like this'

The last haircut I had the girl cut the back short and flat to my head.
It was absolutely hideous and terribly aging-everyone said so!
I had to wear a blinking hat for a month.

Do hairdressers think that I'm too old to want a nice haircut?

I've been growing it out now and it should be long enough to be reshaped into a short,layered style with plenty of bounce and height on top.
I've got a big wedding to go to and I'm scared of getting yet another cr*p haircut.

Any tips and advice?

j.e.j.

:rotfl::rotfl:
tell me about it!
With me they always shape it round the face. It looks cr*p on me, doesn't suit me at all. I'm going to have to spend the next few months growing it out before trying yet another hairdresser.

I think the trick is to try and find someone who cuts it the way you like it and then stick with them.

honeypop

Whenever I've had to try a new hairdresser, I start with this: "This is what I want done (insert description of what you want, as you normally would), if you don't think we can achieve that please tell me before going ahead and doing something different. I've previously ended up with several cuts that were different to what I'd asked for, and was not happy, so please don't do anything different, otherwise we'll have a bit of a problem at the end."

I try and make this sound lighthearted at the end, but at least they've been warned, and I don't feel so bad at the end saying it wasn't quite what I'd wanted. I know that sometimes some cuts/styles/colours don't suit peoples hair or whatever, so if you've asked for something that won't 'go' at least you've asked them to tell you before they just go ahead and do their own thing instead.

I find it works, they know that I won't just walk out with a hairdo I didn't ask for so take more care perhaps. I find they do more clarification on what you are asking, rather than guess work. I stick with a hairdresser until they do something to annoy me, like keep charging something different each time I go even though their price list hasn't changed and I'm still having the same thing done, or if I do end up with something I didn't want, then I start my quest all over again.

MissGivings_2

So it's not just me then!

Normally I'm assertive, but hairdressers are different, because you're in their hands.
It's amazing the number of times I've walked out of the hairdressers with a truly terrible hairstyle and I've smiled and even given them a tip, then rush off to the nearest ladies loo for a horror-stricken blub!

Scrapaholic

I had my hair cut last week and asked for just a tiny bit off . It's not too bad , but just not what I wanted . I last had it cut 11 weeks ago by the same girl + it was short then . If she'd just trimed a bit ,as I asked , it would have been just as I'd like it now ! On the plus side it's saved me money as I haven't needed to go for so long . Even taking a photo or a drawing hasn't worked , ever ! It'll be interesting to see if any hairdressers respond and tell us where we're going wrong .

Bec123

I hate it when you are in the hairdressers and you can see what they are doing is not what you want.

I once had a side fringe and asked for it to be trimmed. He spent ages layering it and snip, snip, snipping away. I was getting hot and panicky because I could see how short it was getting. When he had finished, I struggled to hold back the tears - it was so short it really was unbelievable!!! I grew my fringe out after that.....

Fingers crossed you will get the hair cut that you want. And as someone else said, if you find a hairdresser who cuts your hair as you want, stick with them!!

MissGivings_2

Bec123 wrote: »

I hate it when you are in the hairdressers and you can see what they are doing is not what you want.

I once had a side fringe and asked for it to be trimmed. He spent ages layering it and snip, snip, snipping away. I was getting hot and panicky because I could see how short it was getting. When he had finished, I struggled to hold back the tears - it was so short it really was unbelievable!!! I grew my fringe out after that.....

Fingers crossed you will get the hair cut that you want. And as someone else said, if you find a hairdresser who cuts your hair as you want, stick with them!!

will do! We grown women are reduced to tears...

MissGivings_2

Scrapaholic wrote: »

I had my hair cut last week and asked for just a tiny bit off . It's not too bad , but just not what I wanted . I last had it cut 11 weeks ago by the same girl + it was short then . If she'd just trimed a bit ,as I asked , it would have been just as I'd like it now ! On the plus side it's saved me money as I haven't needed to go for so long . Even taking a photo or a drawing hasn't worked , ever ! It'll be interesting to see if any hairdressers respond and tell us where we're going wrong .

Yes, there may be a secret language that only hairdressers know,rather than 'just take a little bit off' !

I don't go often to the hairdresser as I hate it, but when I do my hair doesn't look good at all.

I only go when I'm forced to because it's flat and shapeless and not flattering and getting me down.

Does the hairdresser look at me and think 'right, a really bad haircut because that's what she's walked in with, so that must be what she wants?'

Perhaps going in all glammed up would result in a very flattering, stylish cut?

MissGivings_2

j.e.j. wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl:
tell me about it!
With me they always shape it round the face. It looks cr*p on me, doesn't suit me at all. I'm going to have to spend the next few months growing it out before trying yet another hairdresser.

I think the trick is to try and find someone who cuts it the way you like it and then stick with them.

I did once find a girl who cut my hair beautifully, but when I went back, the place had closed down!

melancholly

i always go with 'i'm trying to grow it so just take off as little as you can'. when i last went to a new salon, she held up the ends to show me how much she was going to take off to check if that was ok! did a really good job and i've kept going back! i guess there's no easy way to get what you want, but when you've found the right hairdresser, stick with them!

MissGivings_2

melancholly wrote: »

i always go with 'i'm trying to grow it so just take off as little as you can'. when i last went to a new salon, she held up the ends to show me how much she was going to take off to check if that was ok! did a really good job and i've kept going back! i guess there's no easy way to get what you want, but when you've found the right hairdresser, stick with them!

That's a very good one. (And in the normal world of non-hairdressing-language, it also seems logical)