I took 4 detailed photos of what cut/style I wanted. All with different angles for perspective. I…read morecan't recall exactly how much of my hair was cut off, but it's the shortest cut I'd ever planned. At least 12 inches, because they donated some of it. The vibe was good! I was excited! I felt like the stylist really understood what I was wanting. She did not. Even with the photos. And when I addressed the issue with the owner, she kept mentioning being unable to give a refund. I didn't want a refund. I wanted to feel good about myself. My hair is a huge part of that! I had been recently diagnosed with a type of frontal alopecia, as well as a type of post-covid global (total) alopecia, and had spent over a year trying to treat and restore my steadily thinning hair to its former glory. I'm not usually a fan of high-maintenance and long hair, but I'd been growing it for years and it was down to the small of my back by then. The pictures showed a "pixie bob" style cut with the length about at the chin. Think Aeon Flux. My stylist seemed confident and assured me she understood the goal. "Nothing shorter than the jaw line" is what I kept repeating. When all was said and done, the back was SO SHORT I almost cried. And it was ugly. Even styled, it looked nothing like the photos I brought. Initially I just thought she really messed up. A couple of weeks later, I noticed that I looked more like Triss from Insurgent when she chops off all of her hair than I did Aeon Flux. Looking back, I remember asking about her tattoos on her forearm. She said they were the symbols of the factions from the Divergent series (Books and Movies). Apparently she's a super fan. When I eventually saw the movies again, I finally noticed why my hair looked like the movie's star actress! I was beyond disgusted. My stylist was nice and considerate, but those are good traits for many different industries. If you wanna work in beauty, cosmetology, and especially hair design, I think there are more vital skills. Like, idk, being able to translate a photo(s) and description from a client into a satisfactory cut/style?
The owner's assumption that all I wanted was a refund was probably the most offensive and shameful part of the whole ordeal. With everything I was going through (and still enduring; my scalp/hair issues weren't being treated because it eventually showed its true face as scalp pre-cancer, and had to be cryogenically frozen for now, and at 39yo, I was told I have to wear a hat every time I go outside now, or risk full blown scalp cancer :/), that haircut wasn't just maintenance for me. It was my last chance to feel confident and beautiful despite everything going on. I accept aging gracefully. Truly. I also accept that I will face many challenges with my health at early ages. What I can't forgive is the hours on hours I spent over several months convincing myself that cutting all of my hair off was the best chance to regrow healthy hair. And even more time studying cuts and styles of all kinds that would not only suit my face, but my overall appearance and personality. When I finally chose the perfect one to restore my confidence, it was probably the most substantial decision I'd ever made towards my mental, physical, and overall wellbeing. And the result was a disaster.
Finally, the salt in the wound. I was kind in the salon that day. I kept myself from crying to try and spare my stylist from feeling bad. And I wanted to take time to be sure it wasn't just a reaction to having so much cut off. When I was in the salon, I overheard someone say the owner/other stylist there was amazing with pixie cuts. When I knew it wasn't an adjustment issue, and I reached out to the owner via text, I never asked for a refund. I wanted a solution. My hair was already short. But I hated it. I figured if anyone could help transform that mess into something I could feel more confident wearing daily, it could be the owner with pixie skills. At a minimum, she could have helped me come up with a fix and execute it properly. The goal was never to shame my original stylist. I just wanted her to offer to help me find a fix. And instead all I got was more humiliation and shaming by being accused of being a basic chick only seeking a free service apparently.
So. If you go here and like it, major kudos to your success. If you've never been here, like I hadn't, then heed this advice. I sincerely hope I'm the only one to ever experience this kind of soul-crushing devastation, truly. I wouldn't wish this experience on my worst enemy. I keep my fingers crossed that after 4 years of trying to find a dependable stylist I can become a repeat customer to, but so far it's been slim pickings. And I'll never return to #NirvanaHairLab ever again.
