Rant. Hair. frizzy. why don't hairdressers listen

(126 Posts)
kelpeed Sat 06-Oct-12 04:49:15

My hair was cut yesterday. It is thick and wavy and turns to frizz when short.

I provided a photo showing a cut like Jo Grant's in Dr Who (Jon Pertwee). a bit layered, medium longish, and with each of the layers curling with their own length.

I asked that NO thinning scissors or razors be used, just the scissors. I also said I'm not going to be a slave to a hairdryer, so please cut the hair so it will be low maintainence. But did they listen?

I came out looking like Jennifer Anniston. AGAIN. With wispy ends and edges and hair all blow-dried straight.

Once it is washed I will look like a witch, with lots of ends flying in all directions. I will then wear it up in a bun for work, or a ponytail, so it looks relatively neater, and then it will be at least another year before I brave going into another hairdresser.

I hate this. It happens most of the time.

Hairdressers always bloody whip out the thinning scissors, and trim the edges around my face and at the ends so it looks and feels like I have feathers. They say the thinning scissors are important to make sure the ends arent noticed, and I get made to feel like I'm some sort of lower life form if I don't agree. I have never been to the same hairdresser twice in the last 10 years because I end up with this awful Jennifer cut.

I always end up asking myself these questions afterwards.

Why do hairdressers use the thinning scissors on curly/wavy/frizz-prone hair?

Why don't hairdressers bloody listen ? Or- what should i be doing differently besides relying on photoes which they seem to ignore ? Are there any special terms that I need to use to get them to listen apart from NOT the Jennifer A. look? I repeat-Showing a photo does NOT work.

What it is with the feathery jagged edge ends? I dont like it (on me).

Why do they expect me to blow dry my hair to make it flat when I have clearly wavy/curly hair?

When are teach hairdressers going to learn new haircuts, besides the Jennifer?

If any MNetters have answers to these please share - but not if it involves using a blowdryer or spending money on antifrizz/keratin stuff for my hair.

sausagesandwich34 Sat 06-Oct-12 22:11:39

my hair is down to my bra strap, with layers starting just above my shoulders

if my hair is shorted than my shoulders it looks like a mushroom or helmet hair depending on the lack of style

she started the razoring just above my ears so it's taking a long time to grow out but I think 2 more cuts will do it -I've been going every 6 weeks since I had it butchered!

fuckadoodlepoopoo Sat 06-Oct-12 23:30:43

Do you see the stylist who did it in there? That must be awkward!

kelpeed Sun 07-Oct-12 03:41:27

thanks for the link, HumphreyC. I wish I had read your thread before my haircut. sad.

About one in twenty haircuts has worked for me, and from some of the comments, cutting curly hair nicely is possible. I am amazed that hairdressers don't do or learn how to cut curly hair. I didn't know this (only suspected hmm ) Why why why don't they? Many people have curly hair.

Message to haircutting schools- If those curly heads who get haircuts once a year (because they want to lower the risk of coming out with an unsuitable haircut) came in every six months instead, hairdressers might double their incomes . and there would be fewer people looking like JA. which might actually be nice for JA herself.

sleeplessinsuburbia Sun 07-Oct-12 04:24:23

I have a suggestion as my hair is very thick and wavy and frizzy. Apart from keeping hair past shoulder length for the first time in my life my hair is not frizzy and dry- in fact I now wash my hair twice a week!

Moroccan oil shampoo and conditioner for chemically colored hair- must be this brand not an "Argan oil" copy, it has a big M on it. After two weeks I would no longer consider my hair dry or frizzy. Now it's been two months I'm going to try a less moisturising one for normal hair. I did use the treatment conditioner twice as well.

mathanxiety Sun 07-Oct-12 05:11:09

You need to read Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey.

I haven't been to a hairdresser for about ten years. I snip split ends myself and maintain the basic shape. I cut my two curly haired DDs' hair too. You have to get a dry cut with curly hair. There is no way it can be cut while wet and especially not while wet and combed straight.

I wear mine curly, and follow the Curly Girl instructions (no shampoo, just conditioner basically) so it is well moisturised, not a ball of frizz.

IllageVidiot Sun 07-Oct-12 06:19:40

I'm another that cuts my hair myself!

I have a very odd collection of hair - poker straight at the front, resistant to any but the most aggressive threats, kink at the roots just behind my fringe and then BAM curls and waves and god knows what other concocotions go on when I'm not looking. Bizarre. It's very fine hair and there is loads of it...ridiculous amounts of it actually. No hairdresser has ever managed to give me a cut that doesn't make me look like a tit unless I spend many monies and hours sat there while they blow dry and then straighten, look confused and straighten it again. It took nearly 3 hours to get through it all at home as I used to wear it long to try and weigh it down, even then it curled like I had ragged it overnight. It just didn't happen unless I had somewhere to be - i don't think many people have the time to do that everyday?! The hairdressers I asked that expected me to do it admitted they never would have the time.


MN haircut! Seriously, first time I did it I couldn't believe how much I loved it. The only change I make is bringing the bottom layer forward over my shoulders to keep the shape and taking some length off. It does curl, mine aren't tight but still a curl, but it follows the shape of my head because of how it's cut - it's also nice layers and face framing but one blunt cut across a ponytail so no thinning scissors. It poofs out into a really nice shape (unless I leave the bottom layer long, then as that is poker straight too, it looks like I'm trying to smuggle a mullet). I'm utterly converted. It will straighten into a nice cut but I can also leave it to dry and it just 'goes' perfectly. I use argan oil as I have no issues with sillicones and my frizz isn't dry hair but tiny kinks along the shafts that make me a golden mushroom, the oil is heavy enough to smooth it out.
Love it...not that you can tell. Sorry about the novel blush

RollerCola Sun 07-Oct-12 09:16:19

Just a little update on my cut from yesterday - not all hope is lost. Although he had no clue how to dry it (and was a complete nob-end but that's by-the-by) he has actually cut it quite well.

He has put a lot of layers in but I need that as mine isn't massively curly and the length weighs the curls down so now I've got loads of shorter bits to make them spring up. Once I washed and styled it myself yesterday it actually looked nice so I feel a lot better.

I'll be far to scared to go again for a long time though. May need to look into cutting it myself. I would also recommend Lorraine Masseys Curly Girl book, it's really helped me but still no hairdressers have a clue.

Starting to think I need to open a Curly salon!

MoomieAndFreddie Sun 07-Oct-12 11:46:50

What is this MN haircut you all speak of?

<feels like i should know about this> blush

RollerCola Sun 07-Oct-12 13:48:04


Not sure that link will work because I'm on my phone but if not look up 'celebrity scissorhands pony tail cut' on YouTube - it's Lee Stafford cutting.

BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts Sun 07-Oct-12 15:22:03

DON'T do the MN haircut if your hair is thick. I did and looked JUST like Suzie Quatro.

BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts Sun 07-Oct-12 15:23:10
fuckadoodlepoopoo Sun 07-Oct-12 17:05:35
fuckadoodlepoopoo Sun 07-Oct-12 17:06:33

Watched the video. Didn't realise it would result in a fringe. In my experience fringes and curly hair don't mix!

Drizzleit Sun 07-Oct-12 17:59:55

Bikerunski where's the place in Sheffield that does curly hair? I'm in Penistone but I'll happily drive half an hour for a decent hair cut!

sleeplessinderbyshire Sun 07-Oct-12 21:21:07

hi Drizzleit if you need a hairdresser in Sheffield who is brilliant with curly and frizzy hair try Sarah at Capelli on Hunter's Bar roundabout. I went to her for many may years (even a while after moving away from sheffield!) and she is brilliant

Themilkybarisonme Sun 07-Oct-12 21:53:05

I have this hair! But I have it cut beautifully in a way that suits either straight or naturally dried and curly at Pierre Alexandre in Manchester. Don't know how they do it. They're a teaching place too, and it stands to reason as they really know their stuff. I pay about £50 for a cut and blow once every 2-3 months and my hair is mid-back length.

BookFairy Sun 07-Oct-12 22:10:26

I can sympathise as I had my curly hair cut too short in June 2010. Frigging nightmare. Left it far too short and frizzy. I was gutted sad and it's taken me ages to get my curls back. I now get my hair cut in Blackheath (London) 3 times a year when I'm down there as she knows how to cut curly hair. I'm actually afraid to try a new hairdresser where I now live in the NW!

mistlethrush Sun 07-Oct-12 22:20:06

I can recommend someone in Leeds if anyone wants one - I've been going to him for 20 yrs now - he cuts wet but knows what he's doing - and after I've rewashed it the following day (my hair hates being messed about with when its drying) it looks good. Cutting mine dry would be like hedge cutting - there would always be a bit that wasn't right (and mine wouldn't ever dry straight... and curls up when its washed blush)

sausagesandwich34 Sun 07-Oct-12 22:21:59

ooo Leeds you say....

er1507 Sun 07-Oct-12 23:40:42

As a hairdresser I'm finding this thread quite funny, and I don't mean it to offend anyone.

I agree with other posters about the links being styling and not the cut. your hair would prob go like that if you styled it that way. unfortunately with curly hair it hard to get it to look different in its natural state (depending on how curly it is) so styling may be required for the look you want.

Oh and the only time I use thinning scissors is on gents and the "Jennifer" cut isn't actually something were taught ;)

BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts Sun 07-Oct-12 23:45:30

I don't think that's true er. And if it is, then why don't hairdressers style it like the picture presented by the OP?

Ohhelpohnoitsa Mon 08-Oct-12 00:12:33

this all rings so true. i always ask gor it. smoothed out with big bouncy curls. 8 times out of yen that results. in poker straight hideous fake hair that does not suit me at all. the thinning scissots really annoy me to - i have banned them. the last place i went to was a. groupon voucher and i left looking worse than when i went, honestly. she had not got a clue.

Themilkybarisonme Mon 08-Oct-12 02:35:56

I went to a place once to have my hair set in rollers to make it curl in big, shiny corkscrews (as I had had done elsewhere previously). My hair is fine, curly, copious and long. They washed it with really nasty shampoo - all their products felt cheap and had an awful, fake grapefruit smell that was somehow really, really sweet too. They didn't give it time to dry properly then were confused when it was wet. I suggested they put me back under the dryer, but she didn't want to put back in the rollers she'd taken out but insisted on putting loads of random product on my wet hair and calling it done.
It was totally awful. It stank. It hung thick and heavy and rank around my head. It was sort of slimy. I can't tell you how bad it was. They charged me! I argued, pointed out I looked way better when I came in. "You can always wear it up" the manager said. Right.

I later had a snotty phonecall from him saying they'd decided I could come back in for another go. Err, no.

It took me three shampooings to get that stuff out, making me late for the school reunion I was going to. I still mentally swear at them when I walk past. They said, "why don't you want to let us sort it out if you're not happy? We've got alllll these professional products".

mariahchan Mon 08-Oct-12 04:49:48

I used to have the exact same problem with hairdressers as well, since I used to have frizzy/wavy hair that would defy gravity. Thanks to these incompetent hairdressers, I ended up getting a Brazilian blowout just to make my hair look less messy.

But if you want to keep the natural state of your hair, I would suggest using Kiehl's hair products, because it's very moisturising and frizzy hair is usually more dry compare to straight hair.

mathanxiety Mon 08-Oct-12 04:55:40

All curly hair is drier than straight. It really soaks up moisture, and can take far more conditioner than straight hair.

DD3 whose hair is long and very curly sometimes takes it when wet and forms two long sausage curls on either side of her head with it and lets it dry overnight. She shakes it out in the morning and ends up with Irish Dance style ringlets.

Join the discussion

Join the discussion


Register now