Getting haircut today

shiny

I'm getting my hair cut today; can't believe it, but it's been two whole months.

Last time he did it, I think he left the highlights on too long. So I'm going to ask him to go a little easier this time, so my hair doesn't start breaking off. Even though usually in the spring I tend to like to lighten up. It's fall/winter when I go a bit darker and sometimes even get lowlights.

Also, I've been thinking that he didn't cut it short enough last time? He only took off an inch, but I had gone a LONG time between cuts. (November to late January, yikes). I guess he was thinking I just needed a 6-week trim. I like it when it's super-super short in the back, and just long enough in the front I can barely tuck it behind my ears... then it grows out from there.

So last time the cut was on the longer side, but I don't think it was necessarily too long; just different. I quite liked the cut, in fact. So I'm debating.....

What I do know is that riht now it is feeling awkwardly long, which is driving me batty. It hits my jawline and makes my face look square and draws unwanted attention to my neck, which at my age I don't want to draw attention to. It needs to be either a bit longer, or shorter - not *at* the jaw line. I keep trying to tuck it behind my ears to eliminate this issue, but because it's been so long since the last salon visit, my hair at the crown is too lifeless and flat for that to look right.

So my options are

1) to have him just trim it - so it's like it has been the last two months - like this:

http://s386.photobucket.com/al.....orm169.jpg

2) cut it short and spunky again, like it was last spring - though a different hairstylist actually did this particular cut:

http://s386.photobucket.com/al.....outfit.jpg

http://s386.photobucket.com/al.....ook079.jpg
... but not with the sweep bang... that was a PITA to keep straight and required too much flat-iron torture.

... you can also see the difference in the color between these two cuts. This last go-round was quite light, especially for Jan/Feb! I did like it for a change-up though.

Thoughts?

P.s. I slept horribly last night and I'm basically typing like a zombie today. I hope I do not fall asleep in the shampoo bowl. A real risk, because the shampoo guy does this really great head and neck massage....

17 years ago

General

11 replies

Latest reply was from Laura

Lee Hovey

Active Member

I love your hair the lighter color, it lighten up your face and plays nicely off your skintone!

17 years ago

julijuli

Active Member

I like it in pic #1 - so I guess that's just a trim. It looks sassy and polished all at the same time!

I wanted to ask you if you are going to a Sassoon salon? We just got one here in Seattle and I was thinking of trying it out once I get a job! Would love your thoughts on their haircuts...

17 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Juli, I'm not going to a Sasoon salon, but the person who does my hair has been sasoon trained. (Sassoon? Sasson? Sasoon? I never remember the proper spelling).

Pic #2 was a haircut done at a Sasoon salon. I had been going there for awhile, got a so-so cut (shoulder-length, basic bob), then the woman doing my hair quit suddenly.

I next went to the Sasoon downtown, and two different people did my hair (one did the color, the other the cut.) The color was horrible - basically my hair turned out all fried and frizzy and breaking off!!!

So I went back to the Sasson near my house, in tears. A guy hairdresser there convinced me to go short like photo #2. He talked me into it because 1) I admitted I was ALWAYS wearing my hair back in a pony anyway; and 2) it would cut off all the broken ends to start fresh. And he gave me some sort of dye job that wasn't highlights but helped the condition of my hair.

For the time I went to him, he gave me the best haircuts!! He would do it slightly different each time, which was fun. I would just tell him "do whatever you want - I trust you!" and I never got a lousy cut.

I actually followed him to another salon, which was a long drive from my house, when he moved shop to be closer to his family. Then he took a job in NYC.

So I tried a different hairdresser at that salon, and once again wound up in tears. I wanted something sophisticated ala Posh Spice - and I got Martha Stewart instead. Ugh. This was a few weeks before my Paris trip last summer, so I was quite upset. YLF members may remember that!!!

So next I walked around my town (we have numerous beauty salons), knocking on doors and interviewing people!!! I wound up with my new hairdresser, who owns the salon and he was sassoon trained long ago, early in his career. He took one look at me and knew exactly what had gone wrong, and explained it in a way that made sense to me, and convinced me he knew what he was doing.

He says this cut takes more skill. When I'm there, he has his trainees watch while he cuts it. I've been going to him ever since. If he moves away or closes shop, I'll get very depressed!!

Anyway, just because it's a Sasson salon (say that 3 times fast as you can), doesn't guarantee you a great cut, in my experience. It is true that they all go through the same training though, so it may increase your odds.

I do think the "precision" cut is exactly what I need, since my hair is so fine and thin. When it's done right, it's the best cut I've had in my life. When it's done wrong.... well, then it's a mediocre cut just like I've had for most of my life, except way more expensive.

Mediocre cuts for me: when the hairdresser takes less than 10 minutes to cut my hair. True it is fine and thin. But, that's the beauty of a precision cut - it should take more time than 10 minutes!!!

Another thing I've learned about medicore cuts: lazy hairdressers will often just follow the line of your last cut. But hair doesn't grow out evenly!! I think it is a sign of a great stylist if they approach your hair with a fresh eye each time. I prefer when my cut is slightly different each time, because then I know that no laziness was involved.

Ask for recommendations, I think that's the best way to find a good stylist. I can tell a well-done Sassoon cut now from 20 feet away. LOL. And from my experience, it seems there are many hairdressers who take the training, then if they are talented, go elsewhere. There was a lot of griping at the local sasson I went to - and it ended up going out of business.

Oh - and the reason I first went to Sasson, was my close friend, who's Japanese, had gotten the best haircut. So I do think Sasson is a great cut for anyone with Asian hair in particular. Thick, straight, full hair - you can do all kinds of interesting things with it. My hair, of course, is just the exact opposite, but there you go.

17 years ago

Maya

Veteran

Hi Shiny. I think your hair looks good at both lengths. I guess you can pick based on which is easier to maintain. I'm actually not a big fan of the very light hair because it looks like it has been colored. I think hair color should either look natural or completely wacky (like blue or magenta). It doesn't look as healthy as the other pictures which makes it look fake, but that could be because of how long the dye was left on, as you mentioned.

17 years ago

Anonymous

I like the style and color of #3 the best but without the sweep bang, as you say.
My second choice is #2.

17 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I’m not going to be of any help I’m afraid because I like all three lengths too. Go for what’s easiest to maintain and which will make you feel most refreshed. It's Spring! I also like your hair both lighter and darker. Sorry, I know I'm not helping.

17 years ago

julijuli

Active Member

Thanks Shiny - good info to know. I have thin,fine hair that tends to get wavy when it's wet or humid so perhaps Sassoon (or however you spell it) wouldn't be the right place for me either. I definitely wouldn't want to spend all that money and not LOVE it.

I was going to someone that was good at first, but then she fell into a rut and started giving me mediocre cuts and didn't have any creative ideas on how to refresh my look. For 85.00 a cut - I expect a little more!

Guess I'm going to have to start interviewing people and observing people on the street a little more in order to get some recommendations!

Thanks for the advice.

17 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Okay so I'm back! Maya, I read your post right before I left and didn't have time to respond. I agree with you that it was veering into the "too light" zone. Mostly I was thinking that it would've been fine for summer, because even when I lather on SPF I still get a bit of color. But in dead of winter - something seemed a tad fake to me about it too. But i did like it for the formal event.

So... I told him I didn't want it quite so light this time. Well, while he agreed that perhaps going that light in spring/summer rather than winter is a better plan, he convinced me that highlights are appropriate for me and I'm "thoroughly meant to be a blonde." (his words).

He held my hair up and showed me the roots, and explained that the shade he dyed it last time is actually just a bit lighter than my natural hair color. You can barely see the roots as they grow out. Heck, the roots were a good inch long already. He said he can't stand when women want to be blonde but then they get dark roots growing in, but that's not my problem.

He was also very adamant that he would not dye my hair darker. He said it is not right for me. Yes, he's very opinionated like that - I like that about him. He's fun.

So anyway... the color I got, he swears is not as light as it was last time .... but you can tell me. Still seems quite blonde to me. To which he replies, "because you ARE blonde, dear!"

(Hmmm... maybe I am going rapidly white, and he doesn't have the heart to tell me, LOL.)

As for the cut, I went shorter than last time, but not quite as short as #2. Ultimately I settled on a compromise.

Now I need to go out so I can enjoy my blow out....

17 years ago

bella

(website)

Veteran

I'm too late so I probably won't be of help. I just wanted to say, can we see a picture of the final product?

17 years ago

taylor

Veteran

Shiny,

Remember hair is really more art than science. You can blow your hair out the same every day...and somehow it looks different.

Same with cuts and color we as stylists can do the same thing each time...comes out slightly different. We look at your hair with different eyes. Yes there sre some lazy stylists I suppose, however I have worked in this business a long time w/lots of different stylist over the years..hundreds really, and I can tell you most of us want to please you...But again ...more art than science. We love when you say."do what you want, I trust you...." Wow do we shine!!! And remember photos always help.

17 years ago

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Photos, please! We want to see your new 'do!

17 years ago

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