I hate what my stylist did to my hair, now what?

We’ve all had that nightmare where we wake up with our hair completely fallen out or shaven off. I recently had one where I dyed my hair a garish purple and no matter what I did, I couldn’t dye it back. Now what do you do when that nightmare is your reality?

Hair stylists may be superheroes in plastic aprons, but sometimes they are just as human as you and me. This means that sometimes they get it wrong. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to do in that dreaded moment when you look up to the mirror in front of you, to see that your hair stylist has messed up, big time.

Step 1. Don’t panic.

Step 2. Repeat step 1.

Step 3. At this point your hair stylist will have noticed that something is wrong. When they ask if you like it, don’t just grin and nod.

Step 4. Be honest but not rude. Something like, “It’s not really what I had in mind” or “It looks different to what I was expecting” is a great way to start the conversation.

Step 5. Explain to your stylist what it is that you don’t like about the style. Is the colour too bright? Is the cut boxier than you would’ve liked? Whatever it is, a professional should be able to come up with a solution.

Step 6. Be flexible on how to fix it. Not all hair problems can be solved in one sitting. Your stylist may ask you to come back to fix a dye job, or you might need to compromise on the haircut you had in mind.

Step 7. This might be the most important step. DO NOT D.I.Y. You may walk away thinking “I can fix this myself at home”, but please don’t. Not only could this make the problem worse, but you could end up permanently damaging your hair.

Step 8. If it’s not urgent, take a breather and see how you feel about the style after a few days. Sometimes it may just be the shock of the new style, and you could end up really liking it once you’re used to it.

Your hairstylist wants you to be happy about your hair, just as much as you do. So, if something goes wrong, remember that they’re on your side. Take a deep breath, speak up for yourself and be open to work together for a solution that will leave you smiling.

Love, MPL