Horrible highlighting job at salon. What next?
July 31, 2015 5:15 PM Subscribe
Need some hair advice (more inside).
Hi, everyone. So I thought I'd treat myself to some highlights (first time ever) at the salon after a rough few weeks. I have dark brown/black hair and was going for soft and subtle balayage highlights, but the end result is nothing close to that. It's very streaky and fake looking and the bleached part is a really unsightly shade of orange. I'm upset because I showed the stylist several pictures of the exact style and look I was going for, but she still got it really wrong. And it cost me over $200.
What can I do to salvage my hair? Here is what I was thinking:
option a) Go back to the salon and ask her to fix it (although I'm wary of this because I really don't trust her with my hair anymore). If I do go back to her, is it normal for salons to charge an additional cost for correcting hair? I spoke with her on the phone and she said I can only go to her if I do decide to come back, I can't choose any other stylist at the salon. Also, what do I ask her to do? Tone my hair, or re-dye it? And how long should I wait?
option b) Fix it myself. I know a lot of people wouldn't recommend this but in honesty, I can't afford to dish out another several hundred bucks. I was thinking of getting a toner or an ammonia free hair dye at Sally's or something and just coloring over the highlights. If I opt for this route, what colours should I be looking at to get rid of the orange and get a warm brown colour? Normally, I know ash shades would cancel out the orange/yellow undertones in dark hair, but I've heard horror stories about hair turning green after dying bleached hair with an ash dye. Should I instead go for a warm caramel brown with gold/red undertones? Also, how long should I wait before doing this? I got the highlights done yesterday. I know I should probably wait a bit before doing anything but if you could see what I look like right now, you'd understand my impatience.
Thank you in advance, Meta family.
Hi, everyone. So I thought I'd treat myself to some highlights (first time ever) at the salon after a rough few weeks. I have dark brown/black hair and was going for soft and subtle balayage highlights, but the end result is nothing close to that. It's very streaky and fake looking and the bleached part is a really unsightly shade of orange. I'm upset because I showed the stylist several pictures of the exact style and look I was going for, but she still got it really wrong. And it cost me over $200.
What can I do to salvage my hair? Here is what I was thinking:
option a) Go back to the salon and ask her to fix it (although I'm wary of this because I really don't trust her with my hair anymore). If I do go back to her, is it normal for salons to charge an additional cost for correcting hair? I spoke with her on the phone and she said I can only go to her if I do decide to come back, I can't choose any other stylist at the salon. Also, what do I ask her to do? Tone my hair, or re-dye it? And how long should I wait?
option b) Fix it myself. I know a lot of people wouldn't recommend this but in honesty, I can't afford to dish out another several hundred bucks. I was thinking of getting a toner or an ammonia free hair dye at Sally's or something and just coloring over the highlights. If I opt for this route, what colours should I be looking at to get rid of the orange and get a warm brown colour? Normally, I know ash shades would cancel out the orange/yellow undertones in dark hair, but I've heard horror stories about hair turning green after dying bleached hair with an ash dye. Should I instead go for a warm caramel brown with gold/red undertones? Also, how long should I wait before doing this? I got the highlights done yesterday. I know I should probably wait a bit before doing anything but if you could see what I look like right now, you'd understand my impatience.
Thank you in advance, Meta family.
If it were me, and she gave me chunky orange streaks when I wanted subtle baby ombre, I wouldn't let her touch me again. I'd do C): get recommendations for a talented colourist and spend more money to fix it. Because option D) is trying A) or B) and things turning out so badly (having it go green, bleaching it again, winding up with fried cotton) that you wind up having to chop it off. Which is fine when you actually want short hair, but it sounds like you don't. I think it's worth the money, because 6-12 months of bad hair days is a long time.
As far as recuperating the money you already spent, I don't know. You could speak to the manager, but they may just offer this colourist again, take it or leave it.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:41 PM on July 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
As far as recuperating the money you already spent, I don't know. You could speak to the manager, but they may just offer this colourist again, take it or leave it.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:41 PM on July 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
You're going to have to go to another colourist. The way you afford to do this is to get a friend to take photos of your hair, and send her your photos, the reference photos you sent, and a letter demanding a full refund. You simply state that the job was executed well below the expected professional standard of skill, and that if she does not give you a full and immediate refund, you will take these exhibits, and her, to small claims court.
You don't have to be polite or couch this in feelings or anything but straight up. It's a demand not a request. You are advising her of what you are demanding, and the consequences for not complying.
Of course, you don't have to actually take her to small claims court if you can't be arsed, but I'd give this more than 50% odds of working. And you don't have any other awesome options.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:55 PM on July 31, 2015 [8 favorites]
You don't have to be polite or couch this in feelings or anything but straight up. It's a demand not a request. You are advising her of what you are demanding, and the consequences for not complying.
Of course, you don't have to actually take her to small claims court if you can't be arsed, but I'd give this more than 50% odds of working. And you don't have any other awesome options.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:55 PM on July 31, 2015 [8 favorites]
Most salons would offer a refund or having another stylist fix it. That's not cool of them to insist on the same one. I think small claims court is a good suggestion since it's an appropriate escalation.
posted by pando11 at 5:59 PM on July 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by pando11 at 5:59 PM on July 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
Talk to management and request that a senior stylist/colorist fix this for you. They should do it for free. My first thought about her saying that you aren't able to see anyone else is that she's trying to prevent management from finding out the extent of her fuck up.
Don't try to dye over it or tone it yourself. Bleach changes the structure of your hair and how it takes to dye, so you could get some really unexpected results if you try to dye over the highlights.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 7:20 PM on July 31, 2015 [6 favorites]
Don't try to dye over it or tone it yourself. Bleach changes the structure of your hair and how it takes to dye, so you could get some really unexpected results if you try to dye over the highlights.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 7:20 PM on July 31, 2015 [6 favorites]
This happened to me last year and while it was mortifying to go back and ask for a fix, it's what's standard when a client doesn't get the right outcome from a dye job. If you really don't want her touching your hair again (and really, why would you), talk to the manager and ask for a refund. If the manager says no, insist, and say that you'll be leaving negative reviews on Yelp, Facebook, Google, and with your local BBB. Escalate last. Let the salon manager/owner have the chance to do the right thing. If you come in with guns blazing immediately you'll likely not get what you need.
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:29 PM on July 31, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:29 PM on July 31, 2015 [5 favorites]
A $14 box of Umberto U-Color semi-permanent toner/color in the correct shade will likely fix this without adding any extra hair damage. Call them on the phone or seek professional beauty supply advice on what exact color to buy to fix your specific problem. Someone needs to look at your hair and the dye job to advise you.
The problem is you are a "color correction" customer now, and there are as many ways to fix this as mess up your hair further, all for the privilege of paying hundred'$ more. So, I mean, you can decide if you are willing to role the dice again.
The problem was your first colorist didn't account for your undertones, or she mixed the dyes incorrectly, chose the wrong type of dye brand for your natural hair color and undertones, used the wrong strength of developer.... all of those mistakes, or any combo, will give an orange result on dark hair with red undertones.
I have dark hair with red undertones. I would not fix this professionally, instead, I would use the same toner a professional might use to even out the orange and bring my hair overall back into balance. I'd keep using the U-Color every few weeks for as many months as it takes to grow out the gross part.
OR - just have it all dyed back professionally to your natural color.
Highlight are hard to fix without further stripping out the hair color and damaging it further. I wouldn't.
YMMV and you should check with several professionals to get opinions. Do that before deciding who will fix this, and what you want that process to be. Think twice, dye once.
This happens to the best of us, so don't feel badly. Sorry you can't get your money back. I don't think small claims is worth it, but a demand letter sent certified IS worth your time. If the stylist offers a partial refund, take it.
posted by jbenben at 8:35 PM on July 31, 2015
The problem is you are a "color correction" customer now, and there are as many ways to fix this as mess up your hair further, all for the privilege of paying hundred'$ more. So, I mean, you can decide if you are willing to role the dice again.
The problem was your first colorist didn't account for your undertones, or she mixed the dyes incorrectly, chose the wrong type of dye brand for your natural hair color and undertones, used the wrong strength of developer.... all of those mistakes, or any combo, will give an orange result on dark hair with red undertones.
I have dark hair with red undertones. I would not fix this professionally, instead, I would use the same toner a professional might use to even out the orange and bring my hair overall back into balance. I'd keep using the U-Color every few weeks for as many months as it takes to grow out the gross part.
OR - just have it all dyed back professionally to your natural color.
Highlight are hard to fix without further stripping out the hair color and damaging it further. I wouldn't.
YMMV and you should check with several professionals to get opinions. Do that before deciding who will fix this, and what you want that process to be. Think twice, dye once.
This happens to the best of us, so don't feel badly. Sorry you can't get your money back. I don't think small claims is worth it, but a demand letter sent certified IS worth your time. If the stylist offers a partial refund, take it.
posted by jbenben at 8:35 PM on July 31, 2015
The stylist is likely independent and rents a chair in the salon space. If this is the case there is no "manager" to demand a refund from.
posted by jbenben at 8:36 PM on July 31, 2015
posted by jbenben at 8:36 PM on July 31, 2015
Horrors. I'd get in touch with the salon (not the colorist) and explain how you feel about shelling out a lot and not getting anything like what you requested. Give them a chance to try to make it right. Anyplace charging prices like that should be more than happy to correct this at no further cost to you.
posted by bearwife at 10:00 PM on July 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by bearwife at 10:00 PM on July 31, 2015 [2 favorites]
Clairol Shimmer Lights can help tone down some of the orange-y streaks.
posted by Elsie at 3:23 AM on August 1, 2015
posted by Elsie at 3:23 AM on August 1, 2015
The stylist is likely independent and rents a chair in the salon space. If this is the case there is no "manager" to demand a refund from.
Ah, you're right. I didn't even think of that because it's not common where I grew up, but that's totally a possibility. Though I think that the manager of the salon, whether they're actually the manager of the stylist or not, would take some responsibility for the salon's reputation and try to find some kind of solution.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 4:01 AM on August 1, 2015
Ah, you're right. I didn't even think of that because it's not common where I grew up, but that's totally a possibility. Though I think that the manager of the salon, whether they're actually the manager of the stylist or not, would take some responsibility for the salon's reputation and try to find some kind of solution.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 4:01 AM on August 1, 2015
I had a highlight job from hell several months ago and ended up spending $500 in total when it was all said and done. It should have cost about $140 with tip for a simple partial highlight at this Aveda salon, but the woman was sloppy and relied on her 'new and miraculous toner' to do the work for her. I had to hunt down a color specialist at a better salon and even then, it took two appointments for my hair to look good again. I feel your pain.
I wouldn't go back to the same stylist. If you have chunky streaks (thick slices that weren't toned properly or that didn't process long enough) then this stylist isn't very skilled at color. You're now in need of color correction, which is tricky and difficult, it requires skill. You need to call around and find a color specialist, someone who only does color, or who does mostly color. Color correction after a bad color job is just expensive, plain and simple. If you want to battle it out with the original stylist and salon, by all means. The salon owner or manager should have a solution for you, speak to them directly. If they don't, you're dealing with a low end salon and I'd move shop.
posted by Avosunspin at 9:58 PM on August 1, 2015
I wouldn't go back to the same stylist. If you have chunky streaks (thick slices that weren't toned properly or that didn't process long enough) then this stylist isn't very skilled at color. You're now in need of color correction, which is tricky and difficult, it requires skill. You need to call around and find a color specialist, someone who only does color, or who does mostly color. Color correction after a bad color job is just expensive, plain and simple. If you want to battle it out with the original stylist and salon, by all means. The salon owner or manager should have a solution for you, speak to them directly. If they don't, you're dealing with a low end salon and I'd move shop.
posted by Avosunspin at 9:58 PM on August 1, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you for your help, guys.
I ended up getting a different stylist at the salon to fix my hair (after a significant amount of back and forth with the staff) and he did a good job. Still not what I wanted, but at least it's not a hot mess anymore.
Lesson: research salons before making an investment!
posted by KTN at 9:22 AM on August 7, 2015
I ended up getting a different stylist at the salon to fix my hair (after a significant amount of back and forth with the staff) and he did a good job. Still not what I wanted, but at least it's not a hot mess anymore.
Lesson: research salons before making an investment!
posted by KTN at 9:22 AM on August 7, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 5:24 PM on July 31, 2015 [16 favorites]