Breaking Up With My Hair Salon

sparrow13

sparrow13

Cathlete
So I am thinking of breaking up with my hair salon of many many years and it's stressing me out.

Let me rush to say that I realize on the scope of world problems this is nothing, and that I am in general not a particularly high-maintenance woman. I don't give a hoot about fashion, wear very little make-up and the last time I sported high-heels Bush 1 was in office.

But my hair is different. I love my hair. It's longish and corkscrew curly and bouncy and, as a friend once said, always looks like it just had really great sex. :p I can say this without arrogance because I spent many an adolescent/early twenties night sobbing in front of the mirror because I wanted long straight hair like all the other girls. That changed when I found this salon. My stylist knew exactly what to do to with my hair, color, highlights, length etc. and literally overnight my hair was magnificent. Eventually I would just walk in for my appointment, sit down, and let her do whatever she wanted. I read, and she worked her magic.

Now things are different, for a few reasons. One, my stylist had a baby - without consulting me I might add :) - and now works part-time hours. Our schedules rarely match now, so I have a new person. She's nice enough and does a great job but it's not the same cozy relationship I had before. Two, the salon has grown tremendously and the entire vibe has changed. It's much more urban funky now as opposed to its previous yoga-y, wellness, earthy feel. And, last, there are just too many men there now!! If this offends anyone, I'm truly sorry, but I am traditional enough about my hair salon experience to not want to sit next to a straight guy while I have the foils in my hair and the hairdresser is asking me if I want a wax today. Last time I sat there and had to listen to this guy ramble on about his PITA girlfriend. Plus, I find it a little bit creepy that these guys come to the salon in the first place. This is a fairly expensive place and the basic haircuts I see these guys getting could be had at the barber for 1/2 the cost, I'm sure. I find it icky to watch these middle aged guys get their hair washed by the attractive young shampoo girls. Again, sorry if that offends. :)

So anyway, there's the saga and silly dilemma, Should I break up with them because the experience is no longer something I really enjoy and risk not finding another good place, or just bite the bullet and put up with the negative vibe, because my hair looks so great??

TIA! I'm now going to go read some Camus as penance for my general shallowness in this area...

Sparrow


"The winds of grace are always blowing but it's you who must raise your sail." - Sri Ramakrishna
 
If it isn't working for you anymore then why stay? I've known many people who switch and since you're paying big bucks and it is one of those things kinda considered a treat (otherwise you'd be at SuperCuts paying $8), you might as well enjoy it.

I say go for it !
 
I agree with Jacque. It sounds like this is one of your only beauty indulgences, so you should certainly enjoy it. I know how hard it is to find a decent hair salon though. Good luck to you :)
 
I don't know, I think it's pretty hard to find someone new. I loved the way my stylist did my hair. I actually had to start carring some of her business cards because people would keep asking who did my hair. But she was a real flake. She would call and cancel appointments all the time or she wouldn't show up! Well she had to go. I didn't think it would be a problem finding someone new, boy was I wrong. I've hated my hair for months now. I've tried 3 different people who just can't get it right. :-(
 
I agree with the others - just make the break and move on. If you see your stylist at some point, you can just tell her that unfortunately your schedules just didn't mesh well enough. I know what you mean, though, I always feel a bit guilty in a way. Don't know why, really, we pay a lot of money for our hair - why hate it or stay if you aren't happy?

It took me forever to leave his barber - he did a bad job, but Greg felt a "bond" - they told dirty jokes, visited, etc. He felt bad, but, I finally got him to cut the barber umbilical cord, lol.

It is hard to find a salon and stylist that fits you - good luck in your search:)

Heidi
 
I say try another salon. If you don't like it you can always go back to the original place. I do understand your ambiguity. I've been going to the same stylist for almost 20 years and I love her like a sister, but she's been messing up lately and it's very upsetting. I know she's tired and run ragged so I haven't complained, but I may have to say something if things don't improve. I mean, the last 3 times I got my hair cut it was uneven! I think it's tremendously difficult to find someone who really knows how to cut and style curly hair. :-(
 
Hi Sparrow,

That's not a silly or shallow dilemma at all! :) It sounds like all of your concerns are valid and, from an outsider's perspective, it really seems like you're not happy with your current salon.

I'm with the others: I'd say to try a new salon or maybe even two, and see how things go. If you don't like the new stylists you get, you could always come back to this original place and hopefully even try to get the first stylist you had.

It might feel awkward at first if you decide to go back to this place, but I've found when I did this once before that that initial awkwardness doesn't last long. :)

P.S. Enjoy that Camus!;-)
 
Break up. It's your money and as long as you're paying big bucks you should get a big bucks experience. I'm actually going to start going to SuperCuts or First Choice or one of those other places. I'm cutting costs across the board and plan to have a chain salon stylist trim up the cut I already have. If they're cheap enough they can do the color (red) too but, If not, I'll do that myself. When I realized that, with tips, I was doling out nearly $1,200 a year on my hair I had to step back.
 
There's nothing wrong with trying a different place. If your hair doesn't look awesome when you leave, go back to your old place. Hairdressers know people do it, and even expect it. You can always go home again. ;)
 
I'm going to go against the grain here and say put up with it if your hair still looks great. I've left a couple of places for reasons like this, and regretted it. It's hard to find someone who does a good job. And in both cases, when I bit the bullet and went back, the person who did a good job was gone. At least if I'd been around she might have been able to slip me a business card for her new place. Sigh.

Having said that, it couldn't hurt to try one or two new places. Just try to keep tabs on your current stylist if possible, just in case.
 
I don't know, I'd be inclined to stay where you are just because your hair looks good. Though I don't think that it would hurt to go to another salon the next time and just scope it out and see how it is. You might love it. I just know how hard it is to find someone to cut your hair correctly. I have lived in CO for 7 years and it took me 5 years to find someone that I liked and did a great job with my hair. I know that if something happened it would take me forever to find someone else that I click with and who does a good job.

Good luck.
 
I travel over 30 mile (one way) to get my hair cut the way I want it cut.

It's worth it to me to get what I want. :)

Hope you find a stylist right for you......don't be afraid to stop people on the street and ask them where they go.

Sometimes it is the best thing to do.

Whatever it takes to keep your great locks!!!

*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.Terri *´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•*
 
>I travel over 30 mile (one way) to get my hair cut the way I
>want it cut.
>
>It's worth it to me to get what I want. :)
>
>*´¨)
>¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
>(¸.Terri *´¨)
>(¸.•´ (¸.•*
>

I think YOU'RE right to drive so far because your hair looks WICKED FABULOUS.

Everyone thinks I'm crazy because they all love my hair (even when they think what I'm paying is ridiculous) but I'm going to cheap-out anyway. If I can't get someone to do it right (I think I can) I can go back because my present stylist isn't going anywhere. Her mom owns the salon!
 
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