You know the people who keep messing with their hair, dyeing is random colours then removing it again, getting a fringe when they didn’t really want one, trying out hair techniques that should’ve stayed in the 80s (aka. The Perm?). That is me.
A week before my holiday I decided that the mop was a mop and I needed a quick trim. Not wanting to spend a fortune on a simple trim, I walked past a hairdressers, which reminded me Supercuts (which is like a cattle market but for people) but with better wallpaper.
This hairdressers, called Hair Works, is the kind of dig that has a ton of offers stuck to the window, like, £45 for a hair cut, now £19! – although since these offers have no time constraints, so I suppose they aren’t offers at all!
How bad can a trim be, I asked myself, and booked myself in after work for a trim only.
So I turned up after work, and I ended up waiting a good 30 minutes before being seen. The inside of the hairdressers definitely had a cheap feel but it wasn’t horrible. In the waiting area was a guy with letters shaved into his head, a woman with Deidre Barlow glasses and a woman with dyed back hair, so dark you couldn’t make out it was hair, it looked more like a Tetris brick.
At this point I had realised I made a terrible mistake and considered ways to walk out without looking too suspicious. Just as I thought of something, (answer the phone then run out looking like there was an emergency) I was asked to take a seat. Then they put a coffee and teacake in front of me and that was it, I was sold. I love teacakes.
My hairdresser was a bubbly sweet blonde (who shall remain unnamed) who was very young, very friendly and looked tired. She told me semi-enthusiastically that she had ‘loads of time’ so did I want a colour?
At this point my roots looked terrible, just awful – black leading on to warm brown, so I thought I could do with my roots being sorted out.
Somehow we decided on doing my roots, then some highlights added (1/2 a head).
So I took faith in – well call her Sparkly – and I got colour applied to my hair, then highlights, then a wash, then a cut. Total time about 2 hours, not bad. Wasn’t too bad sitting in there, and I had many, many teacakes.
The resulting hair was not bad – in salon light. Sparkly says, “I know it looks like you still have roots from where you’re sat, but I promise you that from where I am, looking down, there aren’t any.” Well that’s just fantastic, because I generally greet people with my scalp first.
Roots were IMPROVED by not REMOVED is what I will say.
The highlights – now, here I could fall out with Sparkly, because her boss told her to use toner and I am guessing as time was running out she chose not to although ‘You can come back next week for some toner if you want, if it’s too orange for you.’. GREAT!
The highlights didn’t look too bad at first; I bought Lee Stafford purple shampoo which toned it down but it isn’t long lasting enough. It wasn’t long before I had disgusting orange stripes – and I mean stripes, all over my head, and although I kept them for two weeks (the total do cost £70) I had to dye over them with a chocolate brown eventually and immediately stopped looking like I work in a massage parlour.
The cut – ouch. It was literally a trim at the back and some minor trimming at the front. Could not have taken more than 8 minutes. A little too speedy and casual for me, no shape was added and to be honest, I am sure a friend who is nifty with the scissors could do as well.
So basically – I went in with messy hair and hideous roots. I left with slightly messy hair, slightly less hideous roots and orange streaks. Oh and £70 lighter.
I’ll take this one as a lesson; you need to actually think about where you get your hair done. I won’t be this frivolous with my hair again, nor will I equate the supply of teacakes to the quality of the hairdresser…although….there are some fantastic Groupon offers….
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
OMG!!! I TOLD YOU SO on twitter! I would never trust my hair to that chop shop!! Go some place decent to get it fixed and stop faffing about!
That said, I can hardly wait to see you hair on Saturday!
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Yet another reason I just get a boy do.
V. funny, Row! But also, I am sorry
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Oh god, I can’t believe she wouldn’t use the toner! I just got my hair done and my lady told me that a girl goes in there to bleach her hair and never wants to use the toner! She said it looks awful but it’s what she wants.
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Oh gawd. This is why I stick to the same boring hairdressers – The Fear. Also “if it’s too orange for you”? When is any level of orange highlights ok? (and I say that as a ginge)
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Oh dear, nothing as frustrating as coming to realise that a hair restyle has gone amiss…I’ll be sure to give this hairdressers a wide berth (I’ve never forgiven Supercuts for ruining my hair back in uni days!)
I have seen a good deal for haircut on groupon though, from an establishment that has actually had good reviews!
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