Bad Salon Experiences: Is There Anything WORSE?!

I was prompted to write this post after watching a video on YouTube (eleventhgorgeous) of this very sweet and pretty girl with gorgeous long blonde hair suddenly become a very sweet and pretty girl with long weird-colored hair that wasn't blonde. She walked into the salon asking to get her roots touched up and she walked out hours and hours later with a weird brown shade that was nothing close to what she asked for. I've had TWO absolute horror stories when it comes to hair and then a whole bunch of just bad experiences. Let me tell you about just one of my nightmares in hopes that it will help some other blonde in preventing her worst nightmare from coming true: no longer being a blonde. GASP!

So I was about 23. I was new to the state I was living in and so of course I was dreading the process of finding a decent hair person to keep up my heavily highlighted blonde hair. I used to work at a certain department store in college and used to also use their salon so I thought now that I was living in a new state I would try this same department store salon. My hair was already blonde but my roots were in desperate need of some freshening up. Most people know what you're talking about when you ask for highlights but I still  took the time to cut out a picture in a hair magazine to use as a reference. I take it in. I sit in the chair all excited to have my blonde color refreshed and around the corner comes this lady in her 60's with glasses on that had really thick lenses. She practically shoves my hair picture up her nose to be able to see it. Red Flag #1 and Red Flag #1 ignored. For all I know this lady works in the bra department and wandered down to the hair salon on accident. I am going to fast forward to the part where I see my hair turning orange with what looked to be brown spots. I glance down at the hair picture I brought in to see if maybe on the other side of the girl with beautiful highlights there was a picture of a tiger. Nope, just a girl with beautiful blonde highlights. At this point I am freaking out, I can feel the lump in my throat and the tears are on their way. My blood is boiling and its about to get uglier than my hair up in here. I don't even remember what I said to my blind hair stylist, I just remember getting up and going to the receptionist and flipping the freak out. The only words I can remember saying were "LOOK AT THIS! WILL YOU LOOK AT THIS? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS?!" Even the receptionist looks horrified, she tells me that someone else is going to take over but it would be about 2 hours until she was free. My appointment was at 11 and it was now around 3pm. And my hair was orange with weird brown shades through it. OK, what choice do I have? So fast forward a couple of hours and the new hair stylist lady takes over. Only she's not a lady, she's a man who looks very much like a lady and his name is Denise. But whatever. Denise was a breath of fresh hair but informed me that there was no way she could put my hair through anymore stress and give me what I originally asked for without my hair falling out of my head. Thus, Denise has no choice but to just try to salvage my hair by making me a brunette. The exact opposite of what I asked for when I made the horrific mistake of making an appointment there. It was 9pm by the time I left and of course I didn't pay for all the crap I had been through. The owner of the department store came down to apologize and give me a bag of freaking trial size shampoos and conditioners for my trouble (trauma). Thanks dude.Unless any of that shit is gonna make me blonde and give me back the last 9 hours of my life, I don't want it.

So not only did I NOT get my highlights touched up, but I wasn't even a blonde anymore period. I actually sat in a salon chair for upwards of 9 hours to have something done that was the exact opposite of what I went in there for. Needless to say, I ended up finding a good hair stylist who #1 was young, #2 could see and #3 could perform a basic hair service that EVERY person with a license to do hair should know how to do in their sleep. But then she set me up on a really horrible blind date with her brother-in-law and that was the end of our hair friendship. 

TIPS to avoid similar catastrophes:

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS, if something doesn't feel right or if the hair stylist seems unsure of herself or is asking other people for advice on a basic hair service, kindly excuse yourself and save yourself from a potential trauma.

ASK AROUND, find salon reviews, if you see someone's hair you like at the grocery store or school, ask them who they go to! I have a bad feeling that when you call a salon and ask them to just put you with anyone because you aren't familiar with the salon, they will stick you with the person who has the fewest clients which may mean there is a reason why they have the fewest clients. I'm not saying this does happen everywhere, but its better to be safe than sorry!!!

ASK QUESTIONS of your stylist if she's doing something you aren't used to. You know your hair better than anyone. It's your hair, don't be afraid to ask or to tell them if they are doing something you aren't comfortable with. Remember, YOU are paying THEM. Spare no one's feelings.

Bring a picture with you, tell the stylist this is the exact color you want. Let them know that you are picky and they may try harder to please you. 

Don't pay for something that wasn't what you asked for. Granted, you have to be reasonable. You may not look exactly like the picture you took in but if its close then you shouldn't bitch. But if you look like hell on wheels when she's done, DON'T PAY. Demand to see the manager and explain how you were wronged. Try to get some free stuff while you're at it.