I have learned, time and time again, just how imperative it really is to have a really good hairdresser. And yes, sometimes it is worth it to pay a little more for a more expensive salon.
I don’t know how men get away with it. They can pay $10 for a haircut and it still looks OK. No such luck with women. (Maybe I am over-generalizing? Maybe I should only speak for myself?)
Years ago I went to the mall for a haircut and had the worst experience ever. I was pregnant at the time and feeling very unattractive. I barely remember the details except for the fact that the guy who cut my hair couldn’t be bothered to hang up my coat; rather, he crumpled it into a ball and shoved it into a cabinet.
I don’t even recall what my haircut looked like, except that I was miserable when he was finished. So much so, in fact, that I was prompted to immediately seek another hairdresser to fix it.
I sought out an Aveda salon and found Jen, a skilled, thoughtful woman who made it all better. I have been going back to her ever since.
Through the years she has proven herself. After I had my first child and hadn’t yet lost all of my baby weight, I went to her for a cut. I thought I wanted a short, manageable haircut. I showed her a picture of what I wanted and she flatly told me no.
I’ll never forget what she said then. “I’m not going to give you that cut because you just had a baby, and you are going to feel like crap every time you look in the mirror with that hairstyle.” Instead, she gave me a softer-looking cut that was easy to take care of but was still feminine and forgiving of a few extra pounds.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciated her honesty.
Six months ago I moved to an entirely different town and different state. Jen is over an hour away now, which seems so far away. So, the last time I needed a haircut I thought I would try an Aveda salon in my own town. How bad could it be?
Not bad at all if you don’t mind mullets. Which I do, immensely. Especially on me.
After letting my hair grow out for about six weeks, I drove up to see Jen, and it was worth the trip, even the extra money I had to spend on gas. I will be making another trip the next time I need a cut (which I will stave off for a few more months!).
Sue Rose
10:29:19 AM on Tue Dec 4 2012
I so agree. After moving 900 miles away, I would drive back there every three months to see the best hairdresser I'd ever found until she had to move another 300 miles. I sure miss her skill and understanding.
Vanessa
08:20:45 PM on Wed Dec 5 2012
And how is this article supposed to be helpful to me? All it does is point out an obvious fact: it's not easy to find a good stylist. We know that.
Hmpfh
02:56:04 AM on Sat Mar 30 2013
Yeah, you should only speak for yourself.
I have tried haircuts of all different prices. The best ones have always been the cheapest or done by myself.
The worst were sometime the most expensive.
My guess is you've never tried to get a cheap haircut and you are just justifying overspending.