Time for a Public Service Announcement

So often people in the general population make assumptions that can get them into trouble. Today's PSA will address one of these assumptions:
The Assumption that a hairdresser:
-knows how to cut hair properly
-will follow the style you already have if you say you just need a trim, but want to keep the same style
-does not want to take people back about 20 years in hairstyle with the cut she will do on your head

I have experienced an unfortunate reminder of this concept yesterday after I tried to fit a much-needed haircut into my already busy day. Neither of the 2 hairdressers that I usually see were available on short notice, so I took the only appointment that was available, with someone new. The basic hair-doo that I went in there with was one of the typical ones of today: the medium length chunky layers that flip out at the bottom. You know the look, I'm sure, since every other woman in society has that cut. Mine was grown out of shape and needed to be trimmed up, so that's what I told her I wanted. I figured it was a no-brainer for her since she probably does a lot of these cuts. (most of the women that work at this salon have some form of this style)

She proceeded to chat and cut and things weren't looking quite right but I couldn't quite figure out why. Usually I get my hair washed before the cut but that day she and I were both in a hurry so we decided to cut it dry. I figured it just looked different because of that. Also, I took my glasses off while she was cutting, so that rendered me basically blind.

Toward the end of the cut I could tell that she was having some trouble knowing the right stuff to do. I had to point out that she had only layered one side of my head, for instance. (An important clue that this was *not* going to be one of my favorite haircuts) Finally, after she had worked and worked at it, I figured it must be right, so off I went back home where my husband tentatively asked me one of those guy questions that went something like, "So.....are you happy with your haircut?" Very diplomatic of him, don't you think?? Smart man!

Well, as I looked at my hair, washed it, played with it, and tried to make it look right I realized that she gave me a haircut that is partly what I wanted, and partly a circa-1984 "bob." That's right--she hacked all the bottom hair off in a nice, neat, non-in-style straight line, rather than leaving my nice flippy layers. Not a happy situation.

So, now I'm looking very seasonal, starring as a human scarecrow.....

My hair doesn't do a bob very nicely, I'm afraid. And the length she cut it at (chin length) is, I fear, too short for her to fix it. My husband really likes my hair to be medium length or longer, so I don't know if I want to try to fix up this mess and have to go even shorter.... Plus, if a hairdresser at the hippest (well, it is a small town....but still) hair place in town doesn't know how to do what I needed, wouldn't I be a fool to go back to her on Monday and ask her to try to fix it? My hair does grow pretty fast. 6 weeks of humiliation wouldn't be the worst thing that ever happened to me.....

So, a word to the wise: Don't let it happen to YOU!