Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with salon

Do I want (and need) a fancy hair education?

penpenne — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 14:46:31 -0800

I'm looking at several schools to become a hair stylist and would like to know your experience with cosmetology schools. Is this the correct training to begin a career in hair? I would love to hear about your experience and advice for a person who is curious about a career in hair. I am looking at a local institute, a community college program, and the Paul Mitchell institute for training. They are all nearby my home and seem to have great reputations. Cost is the main concern for me, as they are all approximately 1 year programs.
They are all cosmetology programs, so they have some classes/training focus on nails/make up. From my understanding the bulk of the training is on hair cutting and color.
I'm not sure if this is the kind of program that I need to enter to begin a career as a hair stylist- are there better (learning wise) routes? Or is a cosmetology program the standard way?

I'm also curious about "brand name" training. I've had my hair cut at the Vidal Sassoon Academy and I would love to have my training through VS if costs were not a concern. I've been doing a lot of research and trying to list pros and cons, as well as reaching out to some alumni but am still indecisive.

If you've had experiences at both smaller schools and places such as VS, PM, and Aveda, could you share your thoughts and comparisons? What your first impressions were, why you chose the school you attended, and if you would do anything differently? Were you able to find a job after graduating?
Is there anything you wish you knew before you started a program? Questions I should ask potential schools prior to enrolling?
Are the brand name institutes worth their higher tuition costs? (Easier to get hired with a recognizable name?)
What should I be doing now to prepare and understand the job?
How does apprenticing work?
Is this something you can do prior to entering a school or is it for graduates with their first gig?

Thank you!

Make me light ash blonde again

skjønn — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:07:32 -0800

Absolute haircolor disaster at the salon happened, perhaps somebody can help me pick up the pieces? I just want to preface this question by saying, I don't have the money to just go get it fixed at another salon, otherwise I would go do that right away.

What happened:
I have naturally dark ash blonde hair that I have been lightening to pale ash blonde since I was a teenager.

I recently went to a new salon to get my roots touched up. After she she bleached my hair she used "Paul Mitchell PM Shines" to tone it. She left the toner in too long and my hair turned purple. She freaked out, did a "french shampoo" (which I guess is shampoo plus bleach).

Now my hair has a reddish tint all over on top of blonde that looks terrible on me. I burst into tears whenever I see myself in the mirror.

I think what my hair needs is to be bleached again. I'm not sure when or if that is safe to do?

Can somebody help me sort out this mess?

THanks!

I'm told that my hair sucks. I live near Atlanta. Help?

deadmessenger — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:50:43 -0800

A couple of weeks ago, my wife took mercy on me and told me that my hair looks ridiculous. The words she used were "it's dated" and "sometimes I cringe when you go out like that." OK then, message received. Here's the problem: I have no clue what I would want it to look like. I can fit what I want into three very broad parameters: 1) I want something age-appropriate (I'm 41 and male) but not extremely conservative. "Politician hair" is the absolute last thing I want.
2) Medium length at the shortest. No buzzcuts, shaves, Caesars, high-and-tights, or anything else that might look like those from a distance.
3) I have a bit of grey, about 5% if I had to guess, but I rather like it.

So, based on that, I have two questions: First, am I begging for disaster if I go see a stylist with only those boundaries in mind; and second, can anyone recommend a salon and/or stylist in Atlanta (I'm in Cobb, so preferably there or ITP) that is known for doing a pretty good job with the completely clueless? I'm more than willing to spend a few bucks for some good professional advice, but would prefer to keep the whole thing under a hundred if possible.

(This was posted previously, but a hell of a lot can change in five years, so I'm looking for a more recent recommendation if possible.)

Arm wax of death?

manicure12 — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 12:53:06 -0800

Instead of tips on avoiding a sketchy salon experience, I need tips on what to do if I had one. I'll preface this with saying I should have spoken up the minute something felt off but I didn't. And now I'm here. So I just need advice on going forward, other than don't do this again :)

Today I was in desperate need of a salon day. I have a big meeting/dinner coming up and needed an arm wax and a professional polish color change. I went to a salon I had gotten so-so mani-pedi's at before because it was the only one with availability.

More than halfway through the arm wax I realized I wasn't keeping track of if she was double dipping, and I've read enough issues of Cosmo to know this is bad, even if I can't remember why. And yes, she was double dipping. I should have stopped and said something but the wax was 90% over and I need better confrontational skills/confidence.

I also had her begin a mani-pedi, taking off polish and I had my feet in the pedi tub, she also started in on cuticle pushing on my feet. At that point I explained I was uncomfortable and grossed out so I was leaving. (Yes I paid for the wax and yes the manager denied that they double dipped.) So what do I do now?
1) I've already freaked out and washed my arms, hands, feet, and ankles in anti-bacterial soap multiple times and did a soak in water with tea tree/peppermint and then moisturized. I have no idea of this was helpful but it made me feel better. I'm envisioning both the pot of wax and the foot tub to be cesspools.
2) However, what else do I need to do? I realize I'm in danger of an infection and everything I see online caters to (a) people talking about how they got an infection or (b) people telling you how to avoid salons that will give you one. But nobody seems to have answers for my situation. I assume drinking lots of water and keeping up my immune system with lotsa vitamin C and such should help in some way?
3) I also want to report them to....whoever I would report them to. Board of health? This is a large metropolitan city. I will also be writing reviews on crowdsourced sites so other people know this salon is shady.

I learned my lesson emotionally but can you help me not-have-to learn it physically? Anything (else) I can do to ward off bacteria? Thanks!!!

Can you recommend a spa in Portland OR?

nickmark — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:26:05 -0800

Can you recommend a spa/salon in Portland, OR? I'd like to get my mom a gift certificate she can use for massage services, manicure, hair cut, or similar nice thing. She's in Portland and I'm not, so a gift certificate I can purchase online is ideal; I just don't know the establishments in the area. Any ideas?

I saw this older similar question; I'm looking for a place that offers more than just massage, which seemed to be the focus of the places recommended in that thread.

If you use a coupon at a chain hair salon does the stylist get paid any less?

aerotive — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:26:32 -0800

If you use a coupon at a chain hair salon does the stylist get paid any less? I usually go to a local/independent place but my usual person has erratic & limited hours, so sometimes I use chain. There's always a manager or someone else around there otherwise I'd just ask personally. I tip the same regardless of whether I have a coupon.

Would especially like answers from someone in the business.

Best/Cheapest Men's Hair Dye In New York?

The Whelk — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:07:55 -0800

Looking for a place in NYC where I (a dude) can get good, natural-looking hair coloring for about a hundred bucks. I would normally do it myself but it's the tricky business of going from darkish brown to blonde and I'd rather just let a professional handle it.

Perfectly-Arched

estlin — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 04:36:13 -0800

It's about time I did something about my eyebrows! Seeking guidance. I've read lots of comments here that suggest that "cleaning up" your eyebrows can brighten up your face dramatically.

- I'm in China right now, and I think, as an Asian, that stylists here would be more experienced at making people like me look good. But I hear that salons here generally use knife blades to shape eyebrows, cutting instead of waxing or threading or tweezing. Is this method as good? I also think many Asian women have very thin eyebrows, which I'd like to avoid.

- What should I look for in a salon to maximize the likelihood that I'll leave looking better than when I came in? (I'm in Beijing, the Wudaokou area, in case anyone has area-specific suggestions.)

- Should I just say I would like my eyebrows cleaned up, or should I get them shaped, or what? (I just added a photo to my profile, for reference.) I feel completely neutral about my current ones, but know that they can make a huge difference in overall facial appearance, so I'm worried about breaking what (I think) doesn't need fixing.

And then there's always Supercuts

NolanRyanHatesMatches — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:55:31 -0800

LonghairFilter: Man with shoulder-length hair ISO $0-$20 trim in NYC. I have shoulder-length hair and would like to keep the length more or less, but, after 1+ years of no touching-up, it's just a big giant mess up there and I'd love to get a nice trim.

Years ago I went the Bumble & Bumble Free Cut route but would rather avoid that this time around (long wait + not-so-great cut). I've been searching Craigslist/beauty for free cuts, SalonApprentice.com (which has a ton of options but none that really fit me), a few other places, but I'm not coming up w/ anything solid. The few hits I've found about cutting men's long hair usually come with the addendum that the model have his hair cut down to a short length.

All I'm really looking for is a place where I can sit down in the chair and say, "Hey, I have this long mess and I'd like to keep the long and get rid of the mess." And I'd rather not pay more than $20 for this. I know that I can probably walk right into Supercuts and get this done, but being NYC, going to Supercuts feels a bit like passing up a slice at Joe's of the Village and heading straight for the nearest Domino's.

Sooner is better than later, and I don't mind making an appointment, provided that I can get the haircut within the next week or two.

Thx in advance!

Etiquette concerning dying my own hair in between salon visits.

jorlyfish — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:23:07 -0800

How do I approach dying my own hair between visits to my stylist? I'm planning on going bleach blond (read: near-white) at the end of next month under the guidance of a new stylist who cut my hair a few weeks ago for the first time and advised me to wait a while for the dye since I had recently stripped some dark dye from my hair.
I'd love to be able to go to him every 4-5 weeks to get my hair cut and colored (I do need a cut that often, having pixie-short hair) but I'm a college student -- not poor but certainly not swimming in cash such that I feel okay about dropping what looks like will be about $150-200 on a cut and color once a month or so.
Should I express this to him at the visit? Obviously if I'm still going to him for cuts (which I would like to) he's going to see that I've done my own hair in between since I like to avoid glaringly obvious roots. Is this considered some big no-no? Like I said, this is a new stylist for me so we're not super buddy-buddy yet, but he seems like a good guy and I want to do the right thing.

It's a hair problem, too.

tel3path — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:19:03 -0800

Can I solve dark hair dye buildup by getting ombré coloring done in a salon, and then maintain it by doing my roots at home? I've been dyeing my hair brown. At the roots, it looks great, very close to my natural color.

At the ends, it's a different story. I just did not anticipate how awful the buildup would be. I started by doing the whole length. Then, chastened, I started doing the roots only and spreading it to the ends during the last 10 minutes.

The effect is still awful. It looks fake, lurid and horribly ageing.

I have been growing my hair for eleven years now and it is finally below shoulder blade length. Cutting it all off is not an option.

So, would it help if I got an ombré color treatment in a salon and after that maintained the roots and only the roots?

How to get my girlfriend a mohawk?

sendai sleep master — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:14:46 -0800

My girlfriend is hoping to get a mohawk. Any tips? This coming week my girlfriend is hoping to get a haircut that looks something like this. With that being said, neither of us has any idea of how to go about getting this new style. Would most hair salons be able/willing to cut a mohawk? If not what kind of place should we look into? She currently has wavy, shoulder length hair and we are in the Portland, Maine area on the off chance that someone has a specific place to suggest.

Any good, decently priced salons in NYC?

silverstatue — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:23:37 -0800

Haircut time! Where should I go in NYC, that isn't too expensive and won't make me cry? I saw a previous question like this, but it was from 2 years ago so.... can anyone suggest a good hair salon in NYC, preferably North Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan?

I used to go to Mousey Brown in Greenpoint but had a bad experience there last year (if anyone remembers my sad "Help me not look like Prince Valiant" question).

I'm not looking for anything crazy - just a chin length cut with layers and shaping (although I do have the thickest hair on earth). I would prefer to pay $60 at the most.

Where does this myth/rumor/fact come from?

nataliedanger — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:51:27 -0800

Are stylists telling the truth when they say that professional haircolor after drugstore haircolor will literally destroy your hair? I've been told by many stylists (most recently, a friend who's in cosmetology school and my grandmother, who is an instructor at another cosmetology school) say that if you've colored your hair with a box dye within, oh, six months or so, you can't get your hair professionally colored because it will *melt*. Yes, melt. And/or fall out, break off, turn into plastic, etc etc.

Common sense tells me that there is *no* way this can be true, as I have never heard of someone's hair "melting" and I'm sure that many people go to the salon and don't mention that they've used box dye. I'm also skeptical of anyone who has a potential financial gain for saying such a thing.

Additionally: I can't find anything on teh internets suggesting that this happens. Sure, lots of warnings about getting a color you didn't expect and how stylists are more knowledgeable in what will work best with your hair type, but nothing about this whole melting thing.

However, some beauty schools are obviously teaching this as fact, which makes me think that there is some kind of reaction that's possible... I've even been turned away by colorists because of my supposedly inferior dye job, so clearly it's not *just* about money. I'd love to find out if there's any truth behind the rumor.

Mefites: have you ever heard this before? Can you point me in the direction of some articles or at least semi-legitimate sources on the melting hair phenomenon?

If I could give her Scissorhands, I would

sestaaak — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:23:56 -0800

One of my best and oldest friends had a rough few years, went to rehab, made a fresh start, and is about to graduate beauty school with flying colors. I'd love gift suggestions for a very hip hairstylist just starting out that tells her how insanely proud I am that she bravely learned something new, busted ass to become good at it and has created new self-confidence in a sober future. Any suggestions? I'm assuming she has the hair tools she needs or knows best about what works for her. Are there memberships or subscriptions that would be good for a stylist to have? What is new in the world of smocks, work aprons and high-end scissor holsters? What else? Is there anything I can get engraved? Her style is pretty edgy - if she could style Rihanna, that would be right up her alley.

I plan on taking her to dinner when I next go home to California and being a model for her portfolio, but until then am seeking something I can wrap and send with a heartfelt letter about how I'm so happy for her and support her no matter what. I can spend up to $150. Thank you!

How do I keep my hair looking this awesome?

fermion — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:39:46 -0800

As a Christmas present, my awesome mom paid for me to get glorious purple highlights done at an excellent salon in my hometown. How do I take care of them and keep them vivid for as long as possible? This is the first time I've ever had my hair dyed, so I really have no idea what I'm doing. Do I just buy the shampoo and conditioner that say "for color treated hair" on them? I assume I should try not to wash too often (my hair is long enough that I usually only wash it every other day in any case.) Should I wear a hat to protect it from UV radiation? Use special conditioners to keep the bleached/dyed hair from frizzing and tangling? Re-dye it at home every now and again (and if so, with what, and how?)

Worth noting: my natural hair color is very dark brown, so it had to be pretty severely bleached in order for the color to take. Stylists have always told me my hair is very healthy, so presumably the 2/3 of my hair that is non-bleached and non-colored is still fine.

Cutting hours that have already been scheduled?

KimikoPi — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:58:21 -0800

What are the regulations or laws in California relating to employers sending you home from work (because it's slow) after your hours have already been scheduled? California: My mom works in a salon where she needs to work at least 30 hours/week to keep her health insurance, which is fully paid by the company. Each week, she and everyone else is scheduled to work 30 hours, but when they're at the salon, they are often asked or told to go home early when it's a slow day. Basically, the company doesn't want to pay their hourly wages when no customers are coming in. Lately, everyone has been asked to go home early. Unfortunately, this affects those who need to work 30 hrs to keep their insurance benefits.Can anyone point me to any resource on this particular issue? I would SOOOO appreciate it!

I need my nails buffed and my mind buzzzed.

slightly sissy tea hound — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:36:35 -0800

I am looking for a nail salon in Manhattan or Brooklyn (Brooklyn is preferred) that is affordable, clean and serves wine while we get our nails done. Ideally it would charge under $60 for a mani/pedi.

Did I get a crappy manicure, or is this normal?

vytae — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 07:23:43 -0800

Is this how a manicure is supposed to look? I've never had one before, but I am sorely disappointed. I just got my first manicure yesterday, and I'm trying to gauge whether my expectations were too high or this salon just sucked. She trimmed my cuticles, but they look ragged rather than smooth. The polish doesn't go all the way to the edges of my nails, and in a few places you can see where only one coat of the polish covered a noticeable (1/8" along the back edge) area of a nail. I'm terrible at painting nails, but I know I would have gotten better coverage if I had done it myself. I even spoke up as my nails were drying and she was running the water for my pedicure, saying, "This looks a bit uneven." She offered to touch it up, and slopped a bit more polish and topcoat on the 3 fingers that were so awful I specifically pointed them out. But I still feel like it looks bad, and didn't feel comfortable pushing the issue any further.

So I guess my question is, is the polish supposed to have a smooth, clean line of 2 coats up to the cuticle and the sides of each nail? Or at least a smooth rather than ragged/wavy line where the polish starts and ends?

Possibly relevant details:
The facility bills itself as a salon/spa, and has hair and massage services too. They are not a chain. I thought I'd get better results avoiding the cheapo strip-mall places, but didn't want to spring for top-of-the-line spa, either. I had thought this place seemed like a nice compromise between the extremes.

They offer 3 levels of manicure, Express, Basic, and Spa, with the differences explained to me as how much time they spend massaging and whether or not you get paraffin treatment. Since I just wanted my nails to look nice afterward and didn't need all the pampering, I went for the Express treatment. Along with a pedicure, the whole thing took about an hour. $50 for the combined mani/pedi, in Minneapolis.

So -- expectations too high? Or did I pick the wrong place to go? I'd love any tips on how to get a better experience next time, whether choosing the salon or speaking up more with the nail technician or something else.

where to get a great hair cut in/near SF?

dahliachewswell — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:57:23 -0800

Where to get a great hair cut in or near SF? I have very long hair and I've decided I'd like to chop it to a bob, but I want to go to someone who can do a great job and give me advice on what will look good since I've never had this haircut before. Any recommendations for amazing salons or stylists in the SF Bay Area (SF, east bay, wherever...) or up north in Santa Rosa/Petaluma/Sebastapol areas? I'm not made of money, so salons at all price points appreciated!

"I'm Gettin' Gray From Bein' Blue"

noxetlux — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 19:25:35 -0800

Recommend me a salon or hairdresser that excels at semi-unnatural hair coloring in Cambridge/Medford/Somerville/Boston Metro North-West! My life has been the stuff of bad country-westerns the past month - I had to put down a beloved dog, had knee surgery, and got dumped. I need a change! Since I'm still hobbling about on crutches, any major life makeovers will have to wait a couple of months, but I'd really like to update my look.
I'm interested in having my hair dyed a dark rich ruby and then having blonde or platinum streaks added to the front. Having colored my own hair for years (both 'natural' and un) I could attempt this myself, but I'd like to end up with something professional and moderately attractive.
Do you know/frequent a salon or hairdresser who has experience with this and won't make me feel completely uncoo? No Judy Jetson unless you can personally recommend a particular stylist, please...I feel plenty bad about myself already.
I live in East Arlington and though I work near Northeastern I'd prefer something outside the city. Thanks!

Votre salon préféré?

hampanda — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:01:37 -0800

Parisian mefites! Need your recommendations for good hair salons that speak English. I'm here for a couple more days before I head off to other destinations where salons are non-existent and I could use your help to point me to some good salons that 1) speak English 2) are good at cutting Asian hair 3) not exorbitantly priced. I'd be up for a salon in the 13th or Belleville if you can recommend a trusted stylist, or almost anywhere else accessible by Metro. I just want some layering and a trim, but with my current short style, would prefer it not get butchered because I'll have to live with it for 2 months. $60-$80 Euros would be great, but willing to pay more for for a stylist I can easily communicate with - my French is beginner-level, not good enough for hair. Hope me!

[Insert dumb blonde joke here]

pecknpah — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:55:50 -0800

I am getting my hair cut and I need pictures to show the haircut I want: short and sexy, maybe layered, lots of volume, natural blond with natural-looking blond highlights, and preferably bangs. Help! Right now, I have very straight layered hair a couple of inches below my shoulders. My hair has gotten a lot more brown as I've gotten older, and I'd like to lighten it up. I had bangs as a kid, and I'd like to try them out again. I'd also really, really like to have a head turning and even sexy haircut, so I'd be willing to go pretty short, though not a pixie cut or anything.

As a really visual person, and someone who's not that great with describing things, it would be really helpful to have pictures that could help illustrate what I want and clarify it to myself and the hair stylist. So far googling hasn't turned up any pictures of celebrities with hairstyles that I like in their entirety, if that makes sense.

Any help would be appreciated.

Men's haircuts in/around Havertown, PA?

Sandford Police Service — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 15:57:45 -0800

Men's haircuts in/around Havertown, PA? My friend has recently relocated to Havertown, PA. He would like to find a good men’s hairstylist—someone who, as he put it, “really understands men’s hair.” He generally wears his hair short enough that he gets it cut every 3-4 weeks or so. If it helps, he's in his early 30s, hair is curly/very wavy and coarse, and it's starting to thin—which I think is what he meant when he said ‘understands men’s hair.’ He has also had a significant number of very unfortunate haircuts in the five years I've known him. (His judgment, not mine.) I've searched the archives and read/saved these three posts. I even used the Art of Manliness webtool for barbershops. Not sure if I trust yelp since I've read about some of their shady reviewing stuff.

Do you have updates since 2008? Anything closer to where he is? I'm used to approaching the area either from within Center City East or from Moorestown, so I'm lost when it comes to navigating or transit time w/r/t everything west of UPenn. I'm really unfamiliar with the area, and I don't want to be suggesting really impractical areas, but I'd like him to get his wish without too many 'trial runs.'

Thank you for any help/advice.

[this is my sock, so I can show him the thread and not collide worlds]

Help my hairs.

sucre — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:35:25 -0800

Haircolor conundrum: can I go back to brunette life after a (very short) fling as a blonde? Hair. Why does it cause such trouble?

I am a natural brunette. Lovely chestnut hair which shimmers in the sunlight. A month or two ago, I decided to color my hair a semi-permanent, darker reddish brown. It was quite nice but washed out within about two weeks, leaving me with a slightly orange-ish, but not unpleasant, tint.

A few weeks later, I am tired of the tint that the semi-permanent color has left, so I buy a box of dark brown dye from the store. I think it was Garnier Nutrisse. It turned out VERY dark, and I was not very happy. It lightened very slightly as I washed my hair a few times a day. It was improving but I was still unhappy. I am naturally quite pale and the really dark hair made me look, well, a little too goth for my liking.

Three days ago, I visit the Aveda Institute for another dye job. This time, I want to be a blonde for the first time in my life. The idea had crossed my mind before but I had never tried it. So I choose a dark blonde from a picture and the ladies go to work. My boxed color and natural color came out of my hair "beautifully" as they bleached; everything came out evenly and I was left with a macaroni and cheese look. Then the dye went on. My hair was an interesting dark blonde which had the very slightest green/yellow tinge. I wasn't sure what to think at first but it grew on me after a day or two. Because I did all-over color at the salon, I thought I should do some highlights too (but didn't have the time/patience/money to go back to the professionals for this). I used some of that Sally Hansen creme hair bleach which is meant for womanly mustaches and arm hair and the like (which I have used many a time in the past). The highlights worked out fine.

Now, today, Monday, I'm not sure what to do. I kind of want my brown hair back, even if it's not exactly my natural color. Is it safe for me to dye over this blond with a box of brown dye? I'll certainly do a strand test beforehand. Basically I feel like an idiot. I'm a brunette. It's part of my personality. I feel very unlike myself right now and very self-conscious. My boyfriend has suggested that I add some more highlights but I don't think that will help me feel more secure. He thinks I could look great as a blonde but that the current color isn't quite right. I have basically given up at this point and just want to look like myself again!

I know I've messed up, but can you help me? Any experience with dyeing darker (at home) over a blonde dye job?