The art of speaking 'hairdresser'.....

Why do I find it so hard to speak to a hairdresser, to tell them what I want and for them to understand and actually end up with the hair on my head resembling the image I started with in my mind?

This time I had wanted to copy the hairstyle of actress Tamsin Greig so I found a photo and printed it out to take with me, although it was unfortunate that the printer was either out of an ink colour of two or needed a good head/nozzle clean so the photo was a bit rubbish but, I thought, still showed the length and style.

The place I go to is local and easy to walk in and not have to wait too long without an appointment (usually). I'm really not the sort to have hair done every 6 weeks regularly, so I never book in advance, it has usually got to the stage of me not being able to do a thing with my hair and getting cross with it so it has to be done and done now!

This time they gave me a newly qualified young stylist as she said she was good with perms and loved cutting short........that's what I wanted and thought a very young stylist would be eager for a modern cut!
Well the perming went really well, she was incredibly slow but so precise and the rollers were actually secure  and comfortable on my head. After all the lotions, lots of rinsing and neutralisers followed by lots of rinsing and washing, rinsing and conditioning and yet more rinsing we were ready for the cutting. I had told her I wanted the whole of the back very short so I could just leave it as messy curls and the front longer so I could dry it straight. I think I told her to take a bit more off at the back at least three times but she was taking off such a small amount each time it didn't really make any difference and I was finding it embarrassing to keep asking so I gave up. Then she started blow drying it all out into what looked to me like a middle-aged woman's old-fashioned set, at this point I was quite vocal saying again how I wanted it just left as tight curls at the back and she assured me that she needed to dry it this way just to check on the cut......but she left me like that and said it was done and would I like hairspray!

I paid and went home to be greeted at the door by Hubby and Daughter. I walked straight past them and upstairs to rewash my hair and dry it my way! Thankfully the good perm and almost good cut meant I got 'almost' what I had in mind. Perhaps next time I'll find a different way to explain what I mean, wish me luck.
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