No more bad hair days!

[badseed1980]

Ok, I finally made up my mind that I can't stand my hair anymore. I've been trying to do something different with it most days for the past couple weeks--get it wavy without letting it get frizzy. Not so easy, with my hair. But when I use the straightening iron these days it just has no body at all, even though it's not like it's weighted down with product or oil. It's official: after almost a year without one, I really need a haircut.

I've decided to check out DHR Stylists in Harvard Square after hearing recommendations from drwex and other people on a post of tisana's from ages ago.

Do you want to know the main reason why I'm so reluctant to make appointments for a haircut?

Hairdressers yell at me. They scold me like a little kid for not getting my hair cut more often. I find it extremely annoying, and yet I don't want to piss them off by snapping at them for it, for fear they might fuck up my haircut on purpose or accidentally due to a bad mood. Therefore I get my hair cut as infrequently as possible.

I've decided that when I make an appointment (which I'll do tomorrow) and go in for it, I will say, "Look, let's get this out right off the bat: I have not had my hair cut in almost a year. Yes, I have the worst split ends you've ever seen in your life. Yes, I have no body in my hair. No, I am NOT willing to get it cut short. And by 'short', I mean, 'shoulder length or above.' So please be my absolute favourite hairdresser ever and don't scold me about not getting my hair cut more often, or ask me if I wouldn't rather have some short cut because I have a small face and fine hair. Thank you."

Then I will tell them the other important stuff. I'm writing it out here so I don't forget:

1) I am willing to take recommendations on products and methods of styling. I am not going to walk out of the salon with $50 in hair care products, but might walk out with one thing that will make a big difference, especially a styling product.

2) I wash my hair at night 90% of the time. I want a style I can do quickly in the morning. If I have to blow-dry it in the morning for it to look nice during the day, I can't do it.

3) Trim what you need to, but keep as much length as possible. This is important. If you think layers would be nice, tell me what you think would work and why, but don't do anything that will be likely to grow out really badly or look too shaggy.

4) I don't do trendy. I want something classic, elegant, fairly sleek, and fairly simple. I also don't do cutesy or overly edgy.

5) I can straighten my hair with an iron, blow-dry it straightish, or scrunch it curly. A style that could make the most of all three of those methods wouldn't suck. One that won't look ridiculous when it's air-dried is important, for those times when I am sans blowdryer.

6. I have never looked good with bangs. If you think bangs are what I MUST have, be prepared to spend a few hours with diagrams and high-tech imaging software if you want to convince me.

So...anyone else have experience with DHR that they'd like to share? Warnings? Recommendations? Advice on how long one must usually be prepared to wait for an appointment?

Comments

[brontosproximo.livejournal.com]

*LMAO*

This post is exactly how starfire91 has collected a fanbase. She cuts long hair the way the wearer wants it cut. Period.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Yay! I think you'll like them.
Both dee_cee and nepenthe01's wife went and loved them (very different hair, those two). What I liked is that I did pretty much what you said... I went in and said what I was looking for, how I wanted my hair to act, wasn't looking for a big change, just curls that behaved better and healthier hair.
I got Dale (there's only two stylists), and he was sweet and not at all pushy. I'm told Rob can get bitchy and maybe a bit catty about hair, but the person telling me this also admitted her hubby got off on the wrong foot with Rob, so I dunno.

I think if you tell them all that upfront, they're not going to yell at you or make you feel bad. I've had stylists do the same with me because I'm not willing to get my hair cut every two months and spend $100 on product each time I show up. He just gave me a friendly sort of, "OK, now don't go six months between trims again," when he rang me up.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

i wish i could help.... i just tell the folks at the two hair cutteries i trust
"trim, take as much as you need to get the split ends and even it up, and not one bit more. keep it long please" and they DO

as to quick fix hair? well admitting for a moment that i sell the things, i swear by hairstyx. Mai Fa brand is made to stay put, and that includes in baby fine hair. its hair jewelry and it looks proffessional.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

oh, forgot to mention.......

if you want the hair to grow back fast? get it cut on the full moon or just before.
if you want it to not grow much (keep the style looking new longer) get it cut on the new moon, or just before
old hair dresser legend, works though...

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I'll be doing it shortly before the full moon, if I manage to get an appointment when I want it. :)

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

First of all, I love your hair. I think the way it's been looking lately (long!) is great.

I've been going to DHR for about 15 years. I have Dale cut my hair. They are exceptionally awesome.

I think that long hair isn't what they love, it's not what feeds their soul...but they will do a very good job, and they won't yell at you.

In fact, I was intending to make an appointment with them this week, too.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I think that long hair isn't what they love, it's not what feeds their soul

I think that's true of all stylists. "Long and straight and simple and natural, please" just isn't much of a challenge for them, I guess. :)

I'm going to try to get it done on the 14th in the late morning. Hopefully it's not too hard to get a Saturday appointment with them.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

If they sell Aveda products, they're all good. I can't remember exactly which one my stylist at Salon Euphoria (downtown crossing) uses, but it always leaves my fine, sometimes-curly-sometimes-wavy-sometimes-almost-straight hair feeling nice (and not greasy). I think it's a leave-in conditioner-balm sort of thing, with a yummy smell.

Any stylist who won't work WITH you if you have a realistic expectation and describe exactly what you, and your hair, will and won't do...shouldn't be your stylist. I worship mine; she was the only one who managed to help me grow out short hair and not look like a Pomeranian on meth or Roseanne Rosannadanna.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about Aveda. They never did much for me. At least, their shampoos and conditioners didn't. But some of them DO smell good. The rosemary-mint ones especially. Mmm.

[apogeeperigee.livejournal.com]

Thought I would chime in....friend of a friend...was browsing around hell-jay and saw this.

I just got my hair cut there on Friday. They were indeed nice and not pushy or anything. This was my experience: I asked for my hair to cut and dried straight..and well, I could have done a better job! I have very long (was waist length)curly/wavy hair and getting it professionally done is a treat. The cut I wanted was a trim to make the ends even. He took off about 3-4 inches (which is what I expected) One side was nice, the other was CHOPPY (really uneven)...now I have to wait a bit before I can have it fixed so as not to lose any more length (and luckily it isn't that noticeable). I didn't notice this until I went home and finished the straightening. I got Dale, so I hope you have better luck than I had, but I do not think I will be going back there. Maybe this was an anomaly since it was a friday evening appt, because I chose these guys because they are pretty well recommended.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's pretty sucky. Are you going to contact them and say, "Hey, you screwed this up, I'd like it fixed with no charge, please?" I know I would.

[apogeeperigee.livejournal.com]

Actually...I am afraid to have them do anything else (I am one of those people that gets 1 haircut/year and HATE going to the salon). I will take this one as a loss and just let it grow out (luckily, my hair grows very quickly). I am grateful it isn't very noticeable...don't think they will get my business again though.

[lensman.livejournal.com]

heh I was just saying to apogeeperigee that it might be easier or quicker if one of the two of you took the slow elevator, rather than the slow LJ... ;-) Or in otherwords: co-worker friend meet co-worker friend...

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Uh-oh, another one? Heh. :)

[ayla-3388.livejournal.com]

Let us know how it turns out. I have always had a hard time with stylists!