Do you get what you want...?

...when you get your hair cut or colored? I have been having a hard time getting my hair highlighted, I want dark and light streaks in my medium brown, mousy hair. I want thin and thick blonde streaks, with some low lights, but I Don't want Subtle. Last time (2 weeks ago) I ended up with all-over color in a strawberry-blonde shade. Today, it looks darker at the bottom, lighter on top, still not the effect I was going for?? Short of doing it myself, what is the secret to getting what you want? Grrrr.


edited for sp

This message was edited Apr 4, 2007 4:46 PM

Hey Prairie,

Unfortunately i think one of the biggest "secrets" is pay big $$$.

Melissa

I DID. Twice. Grrrrrr.

The same person?

Yes, two strikes and you're out! My daughter's BF is studying to be a hairdresser, and my daughter works as as a shampoo girl, so I DO have other options, LOL. *sigh* I guess no one else ever has any problems getting what they want.

edited for sp

This message was edited Apr 4, 2007 10:55 PM

I think highlights are a problem a lot. If they are done wrong it just looks like all over colour. It has happened to me many times. I tell people now I DO NOT want it to look natural, i WANT people to notice! Of course i haven't had my hair done in 2 years if you don't count the time my husband did it. :)

I also ended up with hair that needed to be cut above the ear once from a bad perm.

Yeah, I said that too, Not Natural, duh. It doesn't look awful, just not what I wanted. A very expensive lesson, I'll have to learn how to do it myself. I guess it's dumb that I even tried, but my sister asked me to stand up in her wedding in June, so I wanted it to look nice. For the money I spent, it should look NICE.

So sorry for your hair troubles. I'm always nervous when I get my hair done. I've had too many hairdressers who have very obviously not understood what I wanted. The worst thing is that price isn't always a guarantee.

I got a perm a few years ago. I was growing out my hair and wanted help through the awkward stage. It was horrible. I told the hairdresser that I wanted an loose perm, mostly to give body (my hair is normally thin, straight and flat). I should have run when she asked me which rollers I wanted her to use. I remember thinking, "I just showed you a few pictures of what sort of style I'd like, don't you know which ones to use?"

Anyway, my hair ended up soooooo curly. It was terrible. I washed it several times over the next couple of days to try to get it to relax - no luck. I couldn't wait for it to grow out.

I can hair relate! The last time I went to a beautician, I asked for a trim, and set. My friends raved about him and they had gorgeous, stylish hairdos! So throwing away previous bad experiences, setting aside horrible disappointments of paying more than I wanted to for results that I did not want, I agreed and went with my friends for a "Girls Day Out!' Up till then fun was had by all, I gave him the picture of the desired trim and style....No problem he said.... Laid back, chatted with my friends, admired their hair-dos as they finished. NO problem!....Then it was mine turn to admire my new style... everyone said to me ..You look great, that is soooo you!..I looked in the mirror...AAAAARRRRGGGG! What was to be an inch trim and style turned into a 6 inch haircut. Since then, I've purposed to do my own hair, trims and all, styles and all... And I'm now satisfied and I now get what I want!! ;0)

In the past, I've had the same thing happen with perms gillibean. The very last one I ever got, I went the next day and asked them to get it out. They combed the solution through it again, and it was straight. And any damage it did actually gave me more body, so I felt like I had actually accomplished what I wanted, LOL.

Now that straight hair is in style, my hair has developed a few bends in odd places. I think it's possessed.

garden6 - I was typing while you were typing..So you do it yourself now? Wow, I suppose I will have to do that too. And I'm normally not a PITA or anything, but I sure feel ripped off.

Prairie~ CORRECT!! I hated the feeling of helplessness when a beautician finishes and gives you the LOOK~ "why don't you adore my masterpiece on your head!".... I even cut my hair and bangs in gentle layers on the top, I use small hair scissors so I can be precise. Now after several years, I'm very happy with my trims and layers. A few times, I even enhanced my hair color, deep conditioning it the day before, add an egg to the colorant preparation, doing the ends absolutely last and leaving it on for 8-10 mins less than recommended. Then use a good leave in conditioner after the first wash. I trim my hair regulary every 3-6 weeks depending on the style I'm wearing. Have styled flips with layers, bobs with layers, curly with layers, plain old straight with no layers and now loose curls with gentle layers. Why, often my friends will ask me to stlye,trim or cut their hair. NO WAY, I only know how to do my hair using 3 sided mirrors and one fixed above head and when I sit in my own chair. LORD knows what would happen if any of those ingredients are missing, one would end up BUSHWHACKED as I have experienced at the beautician, beauty parlor, hair spa, however you want to call! The money I save, the frustration I save ...I spend it all on my gardens! How divine! ;0)

What I hate is to use the same person for a couple of years and * finally * she begins to understand your hair and you start feeling comfortable with her. Then out of the blue ... arg! What in the world has happened??? I mean, you sit down and she asks ... "what do you want today?" And I say "the same thing." Why oh why is that so difficult? Now here I am butchered, and we have to start all over again. sigh

(((hugs IO1)))

Prairie - Howdy! Long time, huh?

My two cents.....not that two cents are worth much but probably good for a laugh.

I have baby fine hair. No one can work with it. I've paid the big bucks and ended up looking like a poodle. I now do my own color and pay my DH with a backrub and a good dinner to give me a trim and help me get the highlights in (he'd kill me if he knew I was telling anyone).

I'm amazed at what $175 will buy me at a salon. Blotchy highlights, hair teased up to the sky (because they think the only thing you can do with thin, baby fine hair is tease it to make it look fuller.....it looks "fooler" alright). Never again.

Sometimes I splurge and go to a man's barber....they know the simple method. Straight cut across the back and trim the split ends. It costs me a whopping $10.

Geesh.......I might as well go to a dog groomer.....I'd get a better "do".

I'm too old to think I can do anything different other than work with what the good Lord gave me and I figure he had a good reason to make me the way I am. Thin hair and all. I tried to grow out the color about a year ago but have to admit....the roots were killing me. So, back to my bathroom sink I went and can't say that any hair dresser has ever done a better job. Thank you, dear hubby, for being "man" enough to help me with my "do" or "undo"....whatever.

"Fooler!" LOL!

knolan you summed it up in a nut shell!

I have nasty, thin, straight hair. No matter what I do it doesn't look full and lush like I want. I go in with a picture and end up looking the same - every time!! I faithfully go every month and she faithfully asks what I want done. When I show her the pic of the month, she says no problem, --I leave just the same as I did the previous month!!

Since I quit working, I highlight it myself. I've had some disasters and some that turned out rather nicely...it is always a crap shot...I never know what I will look like...but it grows out! I have no fear or whacking into my own hair if it isn't like I want it. I always fess up when I got in to the salon and give her a big tip for not hollaring at me!!

Seriously thinking about checking out wigs!

I'm lucky, my daughter's best friend is going to beauty school. She has promised to put more highlights in and she knows what I was going for, so I should count my blessings. Thanks for all of your support. I may look into wigs too sarv!

sarv, a wig is lookin better and better. It would definitely have a lot of merit if I attempted doing my own hair. LOL