I decided to book a partial highlight service after a previous consultation I had with a stylist…read morethere. Initially, I thought everything was going well, but I noticed she was teasing the highlighted sections of my hair. She also told me she needed to overlap some areas on the ends of my hair, meaning she would be putting bleach over previously lightened hair. While I know that can sometimes be a technique, I also know it can increase the risk of breakage. I naturally have very knot-prone hair, so when it was time to rinse, my hair was an extremely tangled mess.
She proceeded to brush through my hair to detangle it, but it felt more like my hair was being ripped through than gently combed. Halfway through, she decided it would be better if I sat in a chair instead. She then spent roughly 20 minutes brushing my already compromised, wet hair. After that, she applied a root smudge followed by a glaze, and once again my hair became completely tangled. The teasing was the source of the issue, and I was never asked if I was comfortable with that technique.
As she continued brushing through the knots, I saw an alarming amount of my hair falling into my lap and onto the floor. She then blow-dried my hair, but the dryer was held so close that the heat felt excessive. She also cut my hair using thinning shears without asking me first. I came in with very thick hair and left feeling like I had lost nearly half of its density.
I did like the tone of my color--or at least what was left of my hair--but in my opinion, it wasn't worth it.
Trying to stay optimistic, I convinced myself everything was fine and scheduled a second appointment because I had an event coming up. I wish I hadn't.
When I arrived, I waited nearly 20 minutes while she finished with clients before me. There was no acknowledgment that she was running behind or even a simple apology. At the start of the appointment, I politely told her that I didn't want my hair teased this time. I could tell she was offended. For the next two hours, she barely spoke to me except to tell me where to sit. Unlike my first appointment, she didn't ask if I wanted my hair styled, barely blow-dried it, and didn't take any photos.
Considering the salon is very active on social media and almost every stylist posts photos of their clients, the difference in how I was treated felt hurtful. Overall, I left feeling disappointed--not only with the condition of my hair, but with the lack of communication and professionalism throughout the experience.
