Cheating on your. . .

[KristaTX]

Hairdresser! Who else has felt like you cheated on someone who does a basic service for you (e.g. hairdresser, doctor, dentist, mechanic, plumber)?

I've been going to this person for about a year. I had an appointment with her a few weeks ago, but she had to cancel because of food poisoning. And then she was going on a cruise right after that, but I desperately needed a haircut. So, I ended up going to someone else .

I sort of liked how the "new" person cut my hair, and she was less expensive. But she was young and not as interesting to visit with. But I had her cut my hair again this week. It's short, so I get it cut about every 5-6 weeks.

It's really been a dilemma (albeit a minor one in the grand scheme of things) for me whether or not to go back to the "old" person who I had developed a relationship with but who wasn't very consistent with the style. The "new" person hasn't proven to be particularly consistent either.

And so what happened today? The "old" one called and left me a message to check on me . It's actually sweet, but I also know she just doesn't want to lose the regular business.

I'm not asking for advice, unless there are some hairdressers (or other professionals) here who can give me their perspective on how you take it when a client does this. I'm just feeling silly for feeling guilty and for being hesitant to just call her (or even just answer my phone) and tell her that I went to someone else (twice!) but that I'm coming back .

 

[Shutterbug]

I am in the same boat as you..lol

Well I had gone to the same girl for years who cut my hair, she was good at it even though I had trouble hair...bushy and thick..lol Only problem was the days she worked was just a couple of days a week. I always had to figure out my schedule so I could get in.
Then about a year ago a girl in my car racing group started cutting my hair. She's an awesome hair stylist as well as driver. It was a monthly get together/ hair cutting party type thing.
Well its been two months now and my hair is getting thick. She hasnt been available to cut my hair. I am wondering now if I have to call the previous girl and "beg" her to take me back..lol I am already trying to think up reasons for being gone....super spy mission, kidnapped by aliens....

 

[SaraJayne]

I dumped my hairdresser a year or so ago. She's also a neighbor.

She moved to a place where all the little old ladies went to get their hair set and I went there for about 2 years...and finally switched to a new, younger, hipper salon, which I love. I felt guilty for all of 5 mins.

One of the main reasons I left (other than the "old" clientele) was the place didn't take credit/debit cards. The owner had had numerous requests to get a credit card machine from customers (and I even told her flat out I'd spend probably double what I had been if she had one), but she repeatedly said she wasn't going to get one.

So I took my money elsewhere.

 

[SpecialK]

I've gone to a different stylist in the same salon. The way I look at it, if they can't give me what I want I go elsewhere. In your case, I can't imagine the first stylist being offended if you explained it like you did here.

My sister, on the other hand, has such guilt about switching stylists it's crazy. To me it's business - not personal.

 

[MushyMushy]

ME!!! I'm pretty loyal to hairdressers and usually I stick with them until they leave me.

But I recently made a switch. My daughter had gotten a gift certificate to a salon on our town. I made an appointment with a male stylist there and just fell in love with him!

 

[LuvOrlando]

I know exactly what you are talking about. I think there is a certain amount of guilt when I change hairdressers. Since I was able to pick my own stylist in High School I have only had 4 stylists:

Sal was a friend that happened to be a guitarist. He did the best 1980's hair ever. My hair was down to my hips with curls that would flop and he'd perm it to keep it cool like no-one else ever could! That lasted from 16-22.

We broke it off when he got a REAL job and I followed friends to another salon where Susan lasted until she had a baby when I was 28.

When I got to Pa I followed my younger SIL to a local trendy salon. Gina had nice curly hair but just never trained up, so my hair was sort of blah from 28 -35. I was busy with young kids so it was almost always in a pony-tail anyway so I put up with it. I kept asking and asking her if he'd learned any new techniques since our last visit, but she either didn't care or didn't get the hint.

Five years ago a very DF of mine with equally curly hair introduced me to Ouidad in NYC. I fell in love with the style of cut. Right now I can't imagine ever letting anyone else ever touch my head.

Well, about 2 years ago I couldn't get into the City for my bi-annual cut (long curly hair doesn't need frequent cuts if it's done right) so I went back to Gina and boy was that a mistake. To this day I can't figure out if she messed with my hair on purpose or was just so much less skilled than my Ouidad guy but my hair was not pretty. Between you and me I think I got a spite cut... I won't be doing that again.

 

[MushyMushy]

I am so scared to ask, but how much is a cut with Ouidad? I read her book once and was very interested (DD and I both have unruly curly hair).

 

[KristaTX]

Well, I texted her. On top of being a chicken, I'm just not much of a phone person . She seemed fine with my explanation, and I told her I'd call in a couple of weeks to schedule an appointment for next month .

 

[Mandychelle79]

My mom uses the same person visit after visit. She likes the salon she goes to. I used to go there but its out of my price range. However if im getting my hair "fixed" from a bad cut or doing something drastic ( I tend to get a LOT cut off at once) I will go to her since I trust her not to do what I want if its going to be bad. She will flat out tell me that its not good. But for the inbetween cuts to keep the shape I will use whoever.

My sil cuts hair so she will do mine on occasion and i trust her to do the major changes too.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I do . I used to have a hairdresser at a salon I LOVED (quiet little private booths and they gave out complimentary beer/wine and not at all expensive [the hours were horrible though, never open Saturday or Sunday and closed by 7 p.m. during the week so I actually had to use vacation when I wanted to get my hair colored ]). Anyways the lady I had asked the typical small talk questions about where I worked, etc. At the time I was working for an RV dealership. I told her that and she proceeded to tell me for the next 2 hours about an awful experience she had there. It was so uncomfortable. I went back a couple of months later and she was STILL harping on it the entire time. I quit going to her and ran into her about 8 months later after I had started going to a different (and better) hairdresser at another salon. She didn't say much except "Nice hair" and walked away (and this lady was my Mom's age!) . I now dye my own hair (too expensive otherwise and now I've had so much practice that it looks just like it does from the salon) and only go and get my hair cut every several months. She's too talkative but I haven't figured out how to cut my own hair well...yet .

 

[graygables]

I'm also getting ready to ditch my stylist. I've been going to her for 14 months and she's always rocked my hair until the last 3 visits. This last time she did not listen to me AT ALL with my frustrations. I want "flippy" and "volume" and "height". She cut me WAY to short in the back so it's more "spike" than "flip", then she used thinning shears on the front part of my inverted bob and made it thin as can be. I've told her I do NOT like straight hair, but she used a flat iron. After she was done it looked OK, so I thought I could make it work. Once I got my hands on it, though, one section of the hair is a full 1.5 inches shorter than the same section on the other side (and, no, it's not an asymmetrical cut, it's just a chop job). Worst part? It cost me $65 and it wasn't even an Aveda salon anymore, so smelled crappy.

She's such a sweet girl and I really like her. We bonded over being transplants to FL from about 20 miles from one another back "home". She guided me through growing out the bangs I'd had for 44 years. I feel so guilty, but I just can't pay that kind of money for this kind of hair anymore.

 

[englishteacha]

I've gone to several stylists in our area since living here. Stylists here are pretty transient and move around a lot from salon to salon. I've felt guilty once or twice, but I've really never found anyone who does a "fabulous" job on my hair. Part of it's just my hair, though. I'm hypothyroid and go through times when my hair falls out. Kind of hard to have fabulous hair with fuzzies all over from hair growing back! I've found a pretty good stylist now, and there's another woman who works there who is also good, so I think I'll stick with them.

 

[Buckalew11]

I'm 45 and I have had the same 2 hairstylists since 7th grade. One was my boss for 11 years and the other her sister and they work next to each other every single day.

I do not know how to dump my stylists.

Actually, I'm afraid of them dying someday. They are 53 and 52 now. They still seem 20 and 21 to me though.

I'd put them up against any hairdresser I have ever seen. And Paul Mitchell and Jean Braa were really awesome.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I ditched the girl I used to go to for a cut. I wanted to change my color and I wanted someone who would give me recommendations with confidence and that girl did not have that trait. Briefly felt guilty, but I'm fine now. I'm really paranoid about running into her with my new blonde hair, though.

 

[MushyMushy]

I'm 45 and I have had the same 2 hairstylists since 7th grade. One was my boss for 11 years and the other her sister and they work next to each other every single day.

I do not know how to dump my stylists.

Actually, I'm afraid of them dying someday. They are 53 and 52 now. They still seem 20 and 21 to me though.

I'd put them up against any hairdresser I have ever seen. And Paul Mitchell and Jean Braa were really awesome.

You almost sound like me, except I did dump my childhood stylist! This woman started doing mine and my mother's hair right out of beauty school. I think I was around 6. This woman is beautiful and so nice, but she has a mind of her own and is extremely opinionated. She also HATES long hair. It was all well and good for her to control my hairstyles while I was little, but she and I had constant power struggles until I was in my early 20s. My last straw was when she took a big chop to my hair that I'd finally grown to a length I liked.

I still see her around town and we're very friendly and all. If it hadn't been for her stubbornness about short hair, I'd still be going to her like you are with yours.