I PROTESTED AT THE SALON...................(kinda long vent!)

blackbarbie

New Member
.......................and I'm glad I did!!!:yep:
I had finally made up my mind that I was going to go on and get very slight long layers (if that makes sense) as it would be a good way to help me (1) get rid of some of the relaxed ends as i transition, and (2) enjoy my hair on the few occasions I would wear it straight.

I had gone to this salon once before and I liked it because it was convenient to my job, a reasonable price ($25 for a rollerset AND a deep conditioner) and the shampoo guy was extremely gentle when he rollerset me, losing very few hairs (I asked him to see the comb:grin:). When i got there and he started to shampoo, I told him I either wanted my ends clipped or layers, but I would let him know for sure by the time i was done under the dryer. He told me it was $25 for the rollerset, $5 to get my ends clipped, and $10 if i wanted layers. He gave me some books to look at.

I get done under the dryer and I sit in the stylist/owner's chair and as she was taking the rollers out, I told her I only wanted the roots blow dried and I wanted LONG layers. First she starts off by telling me it would be difficult to blow dry only the roots and then cut the layers and flip it up. I tell her that the part she sees wrapped around the roller in the front of my hair is my natural hair but that all of it is not natural, just the first 5 or 6 inches, that the majority of it was relaxed and that my ends were straight. She starts to mumble that it's really going to be difficult, but as she started taking the rollers out, she saw the straight ends. I was tired of arguing with her already and by this time, I just told her to go ahead and blow the entire length (I don't get it done that often anyway so it wasn't that big of a deal; she actually ended up only blowing the roots though)

I showed her 2 different pics. Once was a frontal pic of a lady that showed the layers flipped up and starting right above her breast. The other pic was of the back of a lady's head showing the layers flipped up.
Then she starts to grab her scissors. I move my head and tell her to "show me where you are going to start the layers". She then responds, "just like you showed me in the book mami", and then reaches for my hair again. I asked her again (tried to say it nice, but she was pissing me off by this time "no, you need to show me - ON MY HEAD - where you are going to start the layers; I told you I wanted the slightest layers, and still long enough where I can pull the shortest layer in a ponytail". By this time, she was mumbling in spanish again b/c i had gotten loud and was standing away from her in front of the big mirror. She said it again and then SHE got loud "mami, I gonna do it just like the picture you showed me".

I am thinking in my mind right now that I just want to get up and leave (but my ends looked like crap), so I tell her "the picture in the book IS NOT my head and i just don't understand why you can't point to the spot on my head where you will begin to cut the layers....Is that too much to ask?" She kept mumbling and finally pointed to a spot on my head about to my ears. Then I told her i wanted the layers to start past my shoulder. She was huffing and puffing talking about how she couldn't do that and some more choice phrases that probably weren't so nice. There were two other ladies/customers still left in there (everyone had left) and one of the ladies spoke spanish and the other spoke english. They were both saying that they wouldn't cut if they were me. The english speaking lady was saying that if we understood each other it would be fine and the spanish speaking lady said it would help if I spoke spanish and there would be no misunderstandings.

I was still standing up and i told them both that I didn't think it was a misunderstanding or language barrier, but I simply wasn't going to pay someone to do what THEY wanted to do to my hair and that was that. I finally sat in the seat and said "I'll tell you what; just bump my ends; I will pay you, and then I will go". She did that and when she was done, I gave her two $20 dollar bills. She gave me $10 back. I say "It's $25 correct". Then she says, 'no mami, it's $30; you natural". I told her i was just there a month ago and paid $25 and there is no way I could be completely natural in one month. She just looked at me crazy and we are staring each other down for a minute. Finally I just tell her "no problem; i guess you just gave yourself your own tip; have a good night".

I am still pissed, b/c at the least, I STILL needs my ends clipped, even if I can't get layers. The other place I was going to was good, but they charged $45 for a rollerset, but at least the lady did just as I asked her when it came down to clipping my ends......I still may go to her tomorrow just to get my ends clipped.

I wasn't proud of myself that I had to raise my voice at the lady, but I was proud of myself that i didn't let her take advantage of my hair! She had a bad attitude the whole entire time and after I gave her the money, I wanted to tell her so bad that the next time she has a bad day, it would just be best for her to stay home.....

Here are some pics:
img_31532.jpg
IMG_3199.jpg


ETA: See,THIS is why i want layers! This is after putting 2 jumbo flexi rods in my hair last night. If I had layers that started at my shoulders, this style would look a lot better and hold better as well. Darnit, I was over my longing for layers after my incident last night, but i have the itch for them again now... :-(
IMG_3211.jpg
IMG_3201.jpg
 
Last edited:
First off you hair is GAWGEOUS and congrats on your decision to transition. Second of all, kudos to you for standing up for yourself. I agree that it's hard for us sometimes to speak up about what we want, but your demands were not outrageous. And luckily for you, you didn't end up leaving the salon hating your hair.
 
MizAvalon: Thanks hon!

Red Riot: I was trying to check myself and see if I was asking too much; heck I even said it out loud and told her i didn't think I was asking too much!! But you're right, even though I'm still pissed that she didn't "get it", I have to be glad that i didn't give in, get home and then have to kick myself in the butt for being a wimp and not standing up to her.
 
BRAVO Blackbarbie!!!! You did the right thing. One wrong move with those shears and you hair could be ruined. Wait until you can find someone to listen to you.
 
Your hair is beautiful. Why, oh why would she want to cut your hair above your shoulders?
 
GOOD GIRL. We have got to stop letting these stylists go bonkers in our hair. Good you stopped her girl, that beautiful hair of yours would've probably ended up in a bob!! I wouldn't have felt bad after at all, it's simple she is in a service business and unless she can serve she needs to find a different job. I dont think your request was so hard to comply with!! Aand how did she get from breast to ear anyways!!!
 
I was going to comment on what happened at the salon til I saw your hair.......:wow: :drool:

I'm glad you stood up for yourself because that lady prolly would have chopped you bald since she already had an attitude. :nono:
 
I'm glad you stood up for yourself because if you hadn't, we'd be hearing a totally different story in this thread... probably along the lines of you getting some hideous, unwarranted hack job at the hands of your scissor-happy stylsit, etc.

It wasn't a pretty scene, I'm sure...but you shouldn't feel bad about the way you reacted. If anything, the stylist should be the one embarrassed at having a client have to practically cuss her out when all she had to do is what she was asked. It makes no sense.

On the bright side, your hair is still beautiful and fully intact. You shouldn't let anyone touch it until you feel certain you'll get just what you want! Good luck!
 
You have long hair ,how the heck was she going to cut off all that length starting at your ears.

You did right stood your ground
That part about "I guess you just gave yourself your own tip" had me burst out laughing lol
 
:eek: Daaaang!!! Barbie done came out of hiding with some beautiful hair!! I'm glad you didn't let her cut your layers. It sounds like she may have been a little miffed at you...we know what hair haters can do to you :ohwell:
 
Girl your hair is so GORGEOUS. I'm SO happy you stuck up for yourself because most likely she would've chopped it all off...

P.S. You have a really nice bathroom:look:
 
gymfreak: my point exactly; once she started, that would have been all she wrote! Heck, I don't even let my stylist brother do my hair anymore b/c he doesn't listen to me and she thinks I am just going to give in cuz she was probably cussing me in spanish?:grin: (i know she was!!!)

missj: she said "mami, that's where I HAVE to start the layers".(above the ear) Not on my darn head you won't!!! I clearly told her LONG layers that started below my shoulders. BTW, i saw your Fro and that bad boy was HOT!!!

girlyprincess: I'm still sitting here wondering how my darn ears look like my breast too. I mean, my breast aren't the biggest, but they def. can't be mistaken for my ears!:grin: Yes, there was a reason she didn't want to show me what she was going to do in advance.

emjazzy: I wish i could hurry up through this transition so i can have some beautiful natural hair like yours, but I didn't want to hurry up to the tune of a BC because that's def. what she was probably going to try to give me!

diya: I felt bad at first when i raised my voice at her, but she started huffing and puffing when i was telling her what i wanted and that's what REALLY pissed me off. The two ladies that were in there were looking like :blush:....And get this; when she put the dryer too close to my face, i had my hand over it and said "ouch"!. That ***** told me to move my hand, and then I said "but you burned me and it hurt". That ***** moved my hand anyway. Yeah, she should have just stayed at home today with that B.A.A. (Bad Ass Attitude)

Intomyhair: :grin:I kinda laughed to myself when i said it, but I was still pissed at that lady. Shoot, I had so much courage, i told you I really wanted to tell her also to just stay at home the next time she had a bad day. I hate not giving people tips, but she just didn't deserve one.

cleve_gryl: Thanks! I wished i could have taken the pic in your avatar to the salon with me b/c that's exactly how i want my hair to when curled. But nooooo, mami couldn't understand that!!!:ohwell:

intergalacticartist: yep girl; if i hadn't stood my ground, i would have been a statistic! Can you imagine what she would have done if I had asked to be turned towards the mirror??? Thanks on the bathroom; painting it was my project last weekend!
 
well Im happy that you didn't get hacked like I did!!! Bravo!

Hey hon!!! (got your message!)
Nah, I had to get some base in my voice before i let that happen. And I wish i knew all the cuss words she was using on me; we would have been going toe to toe if I knew spanish:lachen:
 
Your hair looks very good! :yep:I can't wait til I can have hair your length!


Where did you go, so I know not to go there and let them cut my hair? :look:
 
devin: Thanks for the compliment hon! Yep, I'm glad I did too; otherwise, I would be sitting here :cry:

LilChocolateMa: Thanks! You're exactly right; i would have been sitting here with a head full of short a** hair, pissed, and :cry:

MizzEsq: Girl even though I was standing right there when she was trying to play that Jedi Mind Trick on me talking about she can't do the layers unless she starts them at my ears, the more I keep reading it (starting to cut at my ears), the more I get pissed!

audacious1: This is Elsie's Salon on Windy Hill in Marietta (it's almost down to South Cobb Drive). Elsie is the owner and is the only person in there that does hair so even though they have excellent prices, i won't be going back. I guess I'll have to go back to the one on Delk Road, even though they are $20-$25 more. If I go back there, i just pray that I get a shampoo girl that doesn't try to detangle my hair like she is in a marathon!
 
audacious1: This is Elsie's Salon on Windy Hill in Marietta (it's almost down to South Cobb Drive). Elsie is the owner and is the only person in there that does hair so even though they have excellent prices, i won't be going back. I guess I'll have to go back to the one on Delk Road, even though they are $20-$25 more. If I go back there, i just pray that I get a shampoo girl that doesn't try to detangle my hair like she is in a marathon!


:eek: But you should probably just bite it if you're confident in their skills :ohwell:
 
:eek: But you should probably just bite it if you're confident in their skills :ohwell:


Girl trust, I will be bitin' it!:grin: I would much rather pay more money and get better service than to pay a little and get treated like crap - any day. I still need my ends clipped and may even go there tomorrow to let them clip them. I hadn't quite decided.

Or I may use the graduated method of cutting (flipping my head upside down, gathering all my hair in a ponytail and just going straight across the ends) and clip them myself. I have done it before and it didn't come out too bad.
 
I was going to comment on what happened at the salon til I saw your hair.......:wow: :drool:

I'm glad you stood up for yourself because that lady prolly would have chopped you bald since she already had an attitude. :nono:

ITA!!! Blackbarbie your hair is gorgeous!!!!:yep:
 
Your hair is gorgeous, and I am so proud of the way that you stuck up for yourself. I need to do that when I go get my hair straightened and trimmed at these salons. (esp. dominican salons. ie. language barrier)

There is a fine line between being respectful and assertive and outright going crazy on a stylist. And sometimes you have no choice...


 
:wow:your hair is :gorgeous: Good thing you didn't let her cut, maybe you should go to a mainstream salon (mixed clientele) to get the layers in. When my hair gets to your length (:grin: keeping in mind I'm barely shoulder:look:) I'm going to the Asian salons:yep: to get it trim/ cut...
 
You go girl!!!! Better to be apologizing about momentarily raising your voice, than crying about the years of progress you lost in a heartbeat.

Take it from some1 who lived it, when a hairdresser messes u up w/ chemicals or scissors u live w/ it for a very long time. Good that u questioned her and was able to see that she was not clear on what u wanted b4 u went down the long dark road of hairdresser horror stories that many of us have traveled.
 
Your hair is gorgeous, and I am so proud of the way that you stuck up for yourself. I need to do that when I go get my hair straightened and trimmed at these salons. (esp. dominican salons. ie. language barrier)​


There is a fine line between being respectful and assertive and outright going crazy on a stylist. And sometimes you have no choice...​

ITA, Blackbarbie your hair is beautiful!!!
 
Wow!:nono: I'm glad you stood up for yourself, you can tell she wasn't use to that.:ohwell: I can imagine you staying it all with your facial expressions.:lachen:

Your hair is beautiful, more beautiful in person.:yep:
 
Back
Top