Why do stylist chop off too much?

Why do stylist cut too much?

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frida1980

Well-Known Member
Last year I went into a salon, with really nice looking hair. It bounces and was about APL. I asked for a trim and stressed don't cut too much. She said my hair was felt really nice, although she didn't seem happy about it. And I left with much shorter SL hair. I have no idea why she did it, but she will never see me or my money again.

A lot of people have a story just like mine. So I decided to make a poll. It feels like stylist are committed to cutting off way too much hair off of longer haired women. Did they just make a mistake? Did they see short sections and just decided to make it even? Or are they just jealous?
 
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I think some are hair haters but the majority really believe they r doing the right thing by cutting so much. they dont know any better
 
Some do it out of spite and jealousy. Some I think really don't know any better and are just used to hacking hair off to a certain length. That's why a "professional" will never put a pair of scissors near my head.
 
Looks like a lot of stylist are fixated on evening out your length. Surprising.

I for one, would love it if stylist asked me before cutting so much off. They already know how long it takes to this length, and it's heartless to watch it go.

Ironically, the best trim I've gotten was from a white woman. She touched my hair, noticed and asked about my layers. She commented on some damage she saw and asked if I had some trouble straightening parts of my hair. (I was) She told me that others had neglected to trim the layers, which is why I was having so much trouble. Then she told me she needed to trim an inch, and that's all she trimmed. I was really impressed.

All stylist need to do this.
 
I think they cut too much in one area and keep cutting until all the hair is even. Unfortunately, the client ends up losing a lot of progress because the the stylist tried to correct a mistake. My stylist is good but she will murder your progress if she makes a tiny mistake. I'm mentally preparing myself for my Dec trim...I'll tell her that I want a half inch trimmed so I'll probably lose about 1.5-2 inches (which is what I really want). If I tell her that I want about 1.5 inches cut I'll lose about 2.5" :fistshake: Nah son.
 
i think its a combination of trying to even out your hair and jealousy as well. i have a story similar to op, where i just made it to apl. i'd vowed since last year not to trim often b/c my stylist would always try to even my hair, even though my hair grows longer on the right, i've grown to accept this. i specifically told her not to cut too much and not to try to even it out b/c it grows that way. she said ok. she styled my hair and wrapped it since it was soo late (close to 9pm) i unwrapped my hair the next morning to find sl hair. i was in tears b/c it took soo long to finally get my hair close to my goal. i vowed that if i wanted to have my hair trimmed to go somewhere like the hair cuttery. she is a good stylist but i'll never let her trim my hair again. she did exactly the opposite of what i asked, she cut my hair clear across so it was all even. my hair naturally grows in layers. i was soo disgusted. i've been hiding my hair and doing cowashes daily, and taking my vitamins. im making progress though. sorry for the long post. lol
 
I think stylist may cut off too much hair for the following reason, which have nothing to do with "hating"!!!

1. Mishaps happen do to miscommunication -Many stylist have a different perceptions on how much an inch or half an inch is (Even though many cutting combs have the inches marked on them). If a stylist is just eyeballing the trim 9 times out of 10 her inch/half an inch is going to be 2 to 3 times greater then what you wanted cut off. That's why it's so important to show your stylist how much (using a visual, such as your fingers) you want cut off. Never say to a stylist "just cut the split ends" or " Just cut the bare minimal", because each stylist interpretation of this may differ.

2. Stylist are trained to style!!!- So, even if they are trimming your hair they want it to look as if they styled it, therefore this may lead them to cut more then necessary.

To keep mishaps from taking place, clients should always consult with their "new" stylist before & during the appointment or update their "old" stylist with their new hair plans if things have changed. If you feel that you are not being heard LEAVE, you are not obligated to get your hair serviced by someone with whom you feel uncomfortable with.

I read so many post about "BAD" stylist, but if clients were more vigilant in assessing whose chair they are sitting in before they sit there these post would decrease greatly.
 
I am getting my hair relaxed this week and for the first time in my life -I'm going to instruct her not to cut anything at all. I've been wondering why I am not getting anywhere and then it dawned on me that these people keep trying to even me up. I'm so over it!:wallbash:
 
charmtreese said:
I think stylist may cut off too much hair for the following reason, which have nothing to do with "hating"!!!

1. Mishaps happen do to miscommunication -Many stylist have a different perceptions on how much an inch or half an inch is (Even though many cutting combs have the inches marked on them). If a stylist is just eyeballing the trim 9 times out of 10 her inch/half an inch is going to be 2 to 3 times greater then what you wanted cut off. That's why it's so important to show your stylist how much (using a visual, such as your fingers) you want cut off. Never say to a stylist "just cut the split ends" or " Just cut the bare minimal", because each stylist interpretation of this may differ.

2. Stylist are trained to style!!!- So, even if they are trimming your hair they want it to look as if they styled it, therefore this may lead them to cut more then necessary.

To keep mishaps from taking place, clients should always consult with their "new" stylist before & during the appointment or update their "old" stylist with their new hair plans if things have changed. If you feel that you are not being heard LEAVE, you are not obligated to get your hair serviced by someone with whom you feel uncomfortable with.

I read so many post about "BAD" stylist, but if clients were more vigilant in assessing whose chair they are sitting in before they sit there these post would decrease greatly.
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In the past I have never specifically stated how much I wanted trimmed. I would always leave the option up to the stylist as I felt they knew best but in the end, I'm left unhappy. On the flip side, I don't want to suggest 1/2" when I truly need 1" cut. Since joining LHCF a few months ago, I've been PS'n so in my mind, I shouldn't require major trims like previous times. Point being -- I need to better communicate my desires and goals.
 
I assume to make all the hair the same length as the hair at the nape? They use the bottom hair as the guide and end up cutting many inches off because many peoples napes are a bit shorter than the rest of their hair. If they would part from ear to ear instead of the base of the hairline, I'm sure so much wouldn't be trimmed off. But I don't fool with them anymore lol.
 
Thank you Charm. SO TRUE.

**Many times clients have no idea what an inch or a half and inch are either.

**You get what you pay for (this always applies, and if you get in the chair of a diva who will talk your head off while they are cutting - they are automatically cutting too much. LOL)

**They see thinned out ends. Sorry ladies but APL thin and APL full IS NOT THE SAME. Yup I said it.

**Good stylists know their name is attached to that head of hair (not making an excuse for anyone intentionally cutting too much, but a good one will let you know they need to take more than say the first digit marker on your pointer finger - before hand)

**If you don't want them to see your broken hair, tell them you want a BLUNT cut. Once they lift the hair and see how broken and uneven it is they will want to trim it (when they call it dead ends it is just nice speak for breakage)
 
I think it depends on the stylist, so I would choose "All of the above." I've been to many horrible stylists who, I believe, cut for all of those reasons.
 
HijabiFlygirl said:
Thank you Charm. SO TRUE.

**Many times clients have no idea what an inch or a half and inch are either.

**You get what you pay for (this always applies, and if you get in the chair of a diva who will talk your head off while they are cutting - they are automatically cutting too much. LOL)

**They see thinned out ends. Sorry ladies but APL thin and APL full IS NOT THE SAME. Yup I said it.

**Good stylists know their name is attached to that head of hair (not making an excuse for anyone intentionally cutting too much, but a good one will let you know they need to take more than say the first digit marker on your pointer finger - before hand)

**If you don't want them to see your broken hair, tell them you want a BLUNT cut. Once they lift the hair and see how broken and uneven it is they will want to trim it (when they call it dead ends it is just nice speak for breakage)
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SPot on! I think yes there may be a few jealous stylists in the bunch but lets be real. Some folks have very damaged tresses that they just dont' want to part with. If a stylist sees this damage and you're talking about "oh I only want 1/2inch trimmed" and they see 2 inches of damage, maybe they feel they are doing their service RIGHT. leaving your hair in a better condition than you came.

Before you allow a stylist to cut/trim/dust your hair, why don't you ask them to look over your hair and SHOW YOU how much (actually show you - with fingers) length they plan on snipping off. That will save you alot of heartache. imo.
 
Straight from several stylists mouths, I heard them actually say "I HATE doing long hair! It takes too much time and I need to charge more for long hair!" I was going to one of these stylists at the time and was wondering why I stayed at SL for an entire year. She kept saying my hair grew fast but I saw none of that progress. I am now blessed with a stylist that absolutely takes pleasure in seeing my hair grow and strive and she trims the bare minimum! The only issue is that she's about 1600 miles away! LOL! I visit there at least 2 -3 times a year. It's worth it!
 
bebezazueta said:
Straight from several stylists mouths, I heard them actually say "I HATE doing long hair! It takes too much time and I need to charge more for long hair!" I was going to one of these stylists at the time and was wondering why I stayed at SL for an entire year.
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And how long did you stay in this woman chair before you figured out she did not have your best interest (ie. growth) at heart :nono: Why do people continue to sit in these stylists chairs when they've made it clearly known you're hair is too much of a chore for them?

I don't understand. That's like if I sit in a stylist chair (and this has happened) and she tells me, "I'm natural too, but you should really let me press your hair. It'll be prettier" then I know she doesn't have my best interest at heart (ie. natural - non heat styled) Why would I sit in someone hair who prefers not to do natural hair? :perplexed
 
Mleah said:
Get a Creaclip and a Splitender and do it yourself. Only you knows exactly what you want..right?
Click to expand...

I've seen infomercials on this before. It creeps me out. Does it really work? It looks like it's just taking off the ends..is it taking off the complete split/damaged ends, or just so many cm or mm?
 
Nasdaq_Diva said:
And how long did you stay in this woman chair before you figured out she did not have your best interest (ie. growth) at heart :nono: Why do people continue to sit in these stylists chairs when they've made it clearly known you're hair is too much of a chore for them?

I don't understand. That's like if I sit in a stylist chair (and this has happened) and she tells me, "I'm natural too, but you should really let me press your hair. It'll be prettier" then I know she doesn't have my best interest at heart (ie. natural - non heat styled) Why would I sit in someone hair who prefers not to do natural hair? :perplexed
Click to expand...


To make it clear. After she made that statement I DID NOT GO BACK! I realized why I made no progress and got to stepping! So no I do NOT stay in a stylist chair after they make it known they don't have my best interest in mine.
 
frida1980 said:
Ironically, the best trim I've gotten was from a white woman. She touched my hair, noticed and asked about my layers. She commented on some damage she saw and asked if I had some trouble straightening parts of my hair. (I was) She told me that others had neglected to trim the layers, which is why I was having so much trouble. Then she told me she needed to trim an inch, and that's all she trimmed. I was really impressed.
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I remember when I hit APL, I needed a trim. I was scared of all the horror stories on here, so I went to a white woman at Hair Cuttery. Not only was she flat-out disrespectful in her attempts to "vibe" (or whatever the hell it was) with me, saying things like "OOH girl, you need a perm" to me, a NATURAL customer with a blowout...but when I showed her how much I wanted taken off, she still insisted on giving me a blunt cut. Last time I ever did THAT.
Glamorous_chic said:
i think its a combination of trying to even out your hair and jealousy as well. i have a story similar to op, where i just made it to apl. i'd vowed since last year not to trim often b/c my stylist would always try to even my hair, even though my hair grows longer on the right, i've grown to accept this. i specifically told her not to cut too much and not to try to even it out b/c it grows that way. she said ok. she styled my hair and wrapped it since it was soo late (close to 9pm) i unwrapped my hair the next morning to find sl hair. i was in tears b/c it took soo long to finally get my hair close to my goal. i vowed that if i wanted to have my hair trimmed to go somewhere like the hair cuttery. she is a good stylist but i'll never let her trim my hair again. she did exactly the opposite of what i asked, she cut my hair clear across so it was all even. my hair naturally grows in layers. i was soo disgusted. i've been hiding my hair and doing cowashes daily, and taking my vitamins. im making progress though. sorry for the long post. lol
Click to expand...
this happened to me THE LAST TIME i went to get my hair trimmed -- after i hit BSL. she wrapped my hair and the next day i was DEVASTATED.

the thing that really killed me, and something a lot of people in this thread are stressing, is that not only was she someone i completely trusted with my hair (having gotten several GREAT trims from her last year after that whole APL mishap), but she is one of those people who previously would ask exactly how much I wanted taken off, show me the ends in her hand to reassure me that it wasn't too much, and everything. I think this is why I was more irritated than anything else -- if it had been a stylist with whom I was unfamiliar, I would have known there was something I could have done differently. In a situation like mine, what else was I to do?
 
The last stylist I had only trimmed off what was necessary. She was very good at letting you know how much she would trim off and would let you look in the mirror while she cut it if you wanted to. This stylist hair was between bsl and mbl and alot of her clients had long hair. But since I do my hair myself I don't go to her anymore. But if I every go to another stylist I will make sure that she has heathly hair that is longer than sl.
 
Sometimes (in defense of the stylist) they are truly cutting off ALL the damaged hair. You may not realize the back is so damaged it needs to be cut that short but it DOES need it. I went to the salon with my sister the other week to get her 1st hair cut after her HHJ. While she's gained great length she loves to wear her hair down and he loves to flat iron more than once a week.. she also LOVES heat. He hair is healthier... but the ends were very raggedy. From the front it looked good but the back was a different story. When the stylist cut it she was upset that it was so short... but I kept reminding her that it's HAIR.. it WILL grow and if she takes good care of it it will grow in healthier looking :yep: ... sometimes the stylists do have your best interest at heart because there is nothing worse than long raggedy-end looking hair :ohwell:

ETA: If you are really concerned about how much the stylist is cutting cut it yourself (which is what I do.. and I'm honest with my hair I will cut off 2inches if I feel it needs it) or go to the hairstylist only every six months and say you want no more than one inch trimmed :yep:
 
I do feel it's a combination of things. I think it's the way they're taught in beauty school, and they don't think outside of that box at all. I also think they try and "fix" damage or think that making everything look even will benefit you in the long run. But mostly I think it is a jealous mindset...they basically can't stand to see you happy, or getting attention for having something that most black women don't have. It's that same old tired "who do you think you are" jealousy mindset and so they "put you in your place" with a nice shoulder length cut.
 
ETA: If you are really concerned about how much the stylist is cutting cut it yourself (which is what I do.. and I'm honest with my hair I will cut off 2inches if I feel it needs it) or go to the hairstylist only every six months and say you want no more than one inch trimmed :yep:


But they still take off too much. Even if you go every 6 months, they will cut off that 3 inches of progress and then some. It just doesn't need it. A trim should include "catch-up time", which means that some of your progress remains. How is it that when you go to the white stylists at SuperCuts or whatever they almost NEVER cut too much...and generally even if they only take off 1/4" the hair looks sooo much better. Unfortunately it is a "black thing".
 
Nasdaq_Diva said:
I've seen infomercials on this before. It creeps me out. Does it really work? It looks like it's just taking off the ends..is it taking off the complete split/damaged ends, or just so many cm or mm?
Click to expand...
Splitender takes off about this much --<. I only use it every 6 months when the ends feel raggedy. It only snips the splits. It works best when I smooth and flat iron.
 
Nasdaq_Diva said:
I've seen infomercials on this before. It creeps me out. Does it really work? It looks like it's just taking off the ends..is it taking off the complete split/damaged ends, or just so many cm or mm?
Click to expand...

I have both the SplitEnder and the Creaclip. Trust me, they really work. The way the SplitEnder works though, it will not obviously even up your hemline, it just trims about 1/8 - 1/4 inch off of all the ends that stick up (the shorter hairs) all along your head from the root down the entire length. The Creaclip is a way to even up the back and know it is level because it has an actual leveler with the bubble on it. What I like is that you can do your own layers by pulling all the hair over to the front and you can actually see from the front.
 
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