Hair Stylist Upheaval - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Hair Stylist Upheaval

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Hi ladies,

I haven't posted a new conversation in the forum for a LONG time, but now I find I've got a bit of a dilemma, and I could really use some advice.

I've been going to the same salon for about five years (since I moved to Austin). It's owned by a married couple. For the first three years, I saw the husband. I LOVED his cuts. As you can see from my avatar, I have a short pixie-ish cut, and the husband is the one who took my hair from very long to short. For those of you who have been on the forum for a long time, you might remember my post about it.

Anyway, the husband stopped doing hair due to health issues, so I began to see the wife. I have never been as happy with her cuts, but she is AMAZING with color, way better than the husband is. So after about 18 months of struggling with not quite liking my cut, I decided I might try to grow my hair out. Well, I've been growing it for about six months and I desperately miss my short hair. I just don't feel like "me" without it. Anyway, I called today to see if I could move my appointment up and I found out the wife no longer works at the salon because the couple is divorcing and the husband got the salon in the settlement. I was just in there three weeks ago! The receptionist said it was all very sudden.

Anyway, I feel terrible because I really like this couple, and I'm very sad for their family. The receptionist said the husband is now doing hair again. So I feel like I have to choose between them: great cut but not great color, or great color and so-so cut. Or should I try to find someone completely different? The salon is really far away from where I live, but it was worth the travel time to me. I recently went from blonde to brunette, and I'm actually really happy with the shade of brown the wife gave me (the husband tried to dye my hair brown once and it ended up kind of red). Due to money, I just do an all over color and no highlights, so getting a nice, rich color with just the right tone is important. But so is being able to do short, feminine cuts very well.

Ugh, I don't know. The whole situation makes me sad. But I really need to get my hair done and the holidays are coming up so I know lots of places will be booked. What do you guys think?

ETA: Sorry this is so long.

General

19 replies

Latest reply was from Ana

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ohhhhh....WHAT a dilemma!

Isn't it funny the way we feel we are "two-timing" our hairdressers if we go to see someone else?

Yet a really good hairdresser should take it in stride.

Have you tried to speak openly with either of them? What if you simply tell the husband, "I love your cuts but I have not been so happy with the colour. I really like the colour I was getting more recently."

Who knows? Even if the divorce is nasty, maybe good sense will prevail and his ex-wife will share the formula she used. Or maybe you can go to one person for cut and the other for colour. No reason why not. Then you are keeping them both in business!

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Hm, well, I think the bEST thing to do is "talk turkey" with the husband. It's possible that the wife left the color forumla there and he can replicate your shade without her, in which case your life is simple; you can get both your cut and color from him.

Otherwise you might want to find out where the wife is working now and go to one for color and one for the cut (although, that sounds kind of like a scheduling nightmare! LOL). If they aren't speaking maybe you can even carry messages between them!

(-:

bj1111

Veteran

agree with suz, ask if the wife will share color recipe. tho, i have a hairdresser who is an amazing colorist, but so so cutter and i would rather deal with the cut, since i tend to like how it grows out even if i'm not as satisfied at the time of the cut, rather than look for a new colorist, and my hair color isn't that complicated!

slightly ot, in our town, a couple divorced. husband kept the original salon, wife opened newvsalon across the street. don't think it was an amicable divorce.

Isis

Veteran

I would find a new hairdresser, one that can do color and cut. It'll take awhile, but it sounds so much easier than going to 2 people, and coordinating all those appointments!

In the long run, it'll be so worth the effort!

Kari

Veteran

Ana, it is SO great to see you here again! Oh my goodness, I was just mentioning to the Toronto ladies that you were one of the people I most missed hearing from.

So sorry to hear about the awkward situation with your stylists. In the long run it would be great if you could find one person who can provide both stellar cut and color; in the meantime, can you work with the husband and let him know what you did and didn't like about former colors to see if he can give you a better result this time?

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Thanks so much for all the replies. I really appreciate it!

I just found out about this today so I haven't seen either one of them yet. Right now, I don't actually have an appointment anywhere, but I did get the contact information for the wife at the new salon where she works. I never thought about going to both of them, but I guess that's a possibility, too.

Maybe I'll start asking around and gathering names. I already got the name of Sarah's hairstylist, and I have another friend who has a short haircut and gets her hair colored, so I'll ask her as well and go from there. It would be nice if I could find someone closer and who could do a great cut and color.

Kari, you're so sweet and your comment made me feel so good! There are so many new faces on the forum, I figured I'd just be a newbie around here again. Who are the Toronto ladies? Did you just visit Toronto recently?

anne

Veteran

Ana - no advice here, but just wanted to chime in with Kari and say it is great to hear from you. You are a YLF legend!

Queen Mum

Veteran

so good to see you Ana!

for years my mom went to 2 different stylists.... one for cut and one for color. I always wondered how she had the guts to do that, but her stylists didn't seem to mind....

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Welcome back, Ana!

Who dyed your hair brown the first time when it was short? I think that may have been the husband. I loved that colour. I vote stick with the husband. A cut is more important than the colour when it's that short.

Alecia

Veteran

Ana, just waving! I miss your posts, too. Though I'm one to talk, I haven't posted in forever and just comment from time to time. I hope everything is going well for you.

I agree with Angie that the cut is so critical, especially with a short cut. I'd stick with the husband.

san

Veteran

Hi Ana, I miss you! So great to see your beautiful self here again. I vote for trying to work with the husband and the wife. Ask if they can each do your hair like they did before the divorce. Hopefully they will have come to an agreement that they have made this business together and they will take care of their clients.

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

Ana, oh boy, I have missed you! Hope you are well.

Since the salon is far away and going through upheaval, now might be the time to switch to someone closer. 2 of my 3 stylists have left my salon in the last year, so I was *forced* to change, and although I thought I would be hosed and end up with terrible haircuts, the truth is I probably have a better cut now than I have in years. So maybe taking this a sign that it is time to change will be a good thing!

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Hi, Ana! This is quite the soap opera, isn't it? I was so inspired by your pixie cut way back when that I cut my hair too, so I am very concerned that you keep your fab cut above all else. I'd give the husband a try and see how you feel about the color. I wonder if he will hire a colorist now that the wife is an ex?

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Hello and thank you so much for the warm welcome back, everyone.

I really appreciate all the great responses! Angie, it was the husband who did my hair brown last time. I guess I didn't like it that much last time because it ended up being very reddish brown after a few washes, and I don't like much red at all in my hair (I think it just looks very fake with my skin tone). Anyway, I can probably address this with him and be very clear that I do not want it to be red. Laura, your comment made my day! I was just looking at the recent blog post you were featured in and I was thinking, "Wow, I love her hair!" and it made me miss my short hair even more. It's reciprocal inspiration.

Heather

Veteran

Welcome back, Ana!

I was going to suggest asking Sarah for the name of her stylist, but I see you are waaaaay ahead.

Wishing you the best of luck on what you decide.

bella

(website)

Veteran

Hey Ana, it's so good to see you. I don't have any advice but I hope that you stick around. I miss your outfit posts.

rachylou

Veteran

I would look for a new salon. I wouldn't juggle two salons; that spells stress and time to me. If I had to choose cut or colour, I would go with cut every time; cut is foundational.

ironkurtin

Veteran

You should divorce them both and go to Maya at Ritual Salon off 6th downtown. She gives me a better haircut then I ever got in NYC.

Just kidding about the divorce part, but Maya is amazing.

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Thank you for the replies and the wisdom of cut above color. I appreciate everyone's input.

IK, thanks for the recommendation!