April 9, 2010

Top 10 Reasons You're at a Bad Salon.....

I have been to MANY salons.  I can smell a good one from a mile away.  There was the time in eighth grade when I wanted the "Rachel" and that was not what I got.  I cried and even screamed for hours in misery fearing what they would say at school.  I didn't look like Rachel, I looked like a boy.  Then there was the time my mom took me to a salon she claimed was of better caliber.  To her that meant, a deal, to me another BAD place.  This time, I wanted the "Kelly" from 90210, and instead I got "Dylan".  When I was assistant fashion editor at the Improper, my boss sent me to try the nominee's for Boston's Best for three years.  I tried them all.  The best of the best and the worst of the worst.  I found my loves now at Jeffrey Lyle where I know I am safe and my hair is going to be treated like a princess.

  1. If the address ends up being a residential home, GET BACK INTO THE CAR AND DRIVE AWAY. This just can't be good.  I highly doubt that they have the most up to date technologies used in salons such as better, less harsh bleaching systems and training on finding ammonia free dye.  Basically, you are paying to get your color done at someone else's house!!! 
  2. If the price is too good to be true, there is a reason why.....Think about it.
  3. If the salon is not in Boston, beware. Just saying...
  4. If it is a major chain, Supercuts, perhaps, they may think they know what you're talking about when you say you want the "Rihanna".  It's usually the first stop for girls fresh out of beauty school.  Opt for more experience.
  5. If they don't have regulars coming in and saying hello, they probably don't have returning customers.  In any successful salon, you WILL notice regulars coming in and greeting everyone, indicating that they have been going there a long time.  They are happy to come back again and again.  I know everyone at my salon and their life story.  It's like seeing a good therapist and getting amazing hair at the same time!
  6. If you start to feel dye dripping down your neck on forehead, be careful and cover your eyes.  These dyes can cause blindness and it has happened.  This should never happen in a salon and your stylist should know the trick to avoid that from happening.
  7. If your scalp is burning, uh oh, BAD salon.  Getting your hair colored should not be painful.  It should be a fun, relaxing experience.  Pain is not always beauty in this case. 
  8. If you see a chunk of hair a few inches more than you wanted to cut fall onto to the floor just STOP right there.
  9. If your blowdry was painful and later you feel and smell bleach, lord have mercy.  They messed up.  How is your color.....all you dreamed it would be? Doubtful.
  10. If you feel like crying and that you wasted your money when you leave, you probably did.  It's okay.  You learned a lesson and don't make the same mistake again.   

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

HaHa. This is funny. I have had similar experiences.

Decoralora said...

Timely post, but one day too late...I arrived at my new salon and, gulp, it was a house, and inside were plenty of loud talkers who looked like they left the set of the Jersy Shore! I hoped for the best and showed my new stylist my wedding pic of my long golden blonde hair and asked him to "give me that color"..I didn't think I needed to mention the style so much as keep it long layers. Well 2.5 hours later I walked out looking like something from the 90s or more like Jane Fonda in Klute (remember her shag?)Oh boy....and my color was now multi like an animal. My hubby and son call it brindle (like the tiger markings on a pitbull)!! Time for a glass of wine!

Anngelle Wood said...

i love this (i'm also a stylist) though the sensitive scalp thing exists *but* there tricks to soothe any discomfort.

decoralora said...

I have to update my bad hair experience. Since I last wrote my college age son has been snickering at my hair--he says he just can't help it.
So this morning after my shower I pulled out the scissors and lopped off the bottom part of the do (read:mullet).
A full 2.5 - 3 inches!! It looks so much better, but still not me!! Bottom line...go to a competent and current stylist at a decent salon or you will suffer!

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