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[Night_Owl]

I really *loathe* going to the hairdressers, the whole experience, ugh - and always go for a quick dry trim - it takes about 10 minutes, if that, in and out quickly and I've given up having highlights.  Since meno I've lost so much hair and now it's very fine, flyaway crap hair, straight, just below shoulders.  Just wondering if anybody out there cuts their own hair, been watching tutorials on youtube.  Think I'm going to try it, it can't look much worse than it already does!

Guess the main pitfall is not getting it in a straight line and equal on both sides ...

[honeybun]

Have you ever watched the Billy Connely sketch about the man who cut his own hair 

It's really not something I would ever do. I couldn't even get my kids fringes straight so there would be no hope at all of getting it right.

Why don't you get someone to come to your house. That's what I do and she is very good.

If you have fine hair then a good cut is even more important.

Im inclined to say DONT DO IT 


Honeybun
X

[CLKD]

Oh Go on  - who is likely to see it?

I have a go at mine usually as soon as I get home from the hairdressers, in fact I'm going to find yet another place next time.  I've been to 5 in the last 6 years and none of them gets it 'right'.  If it is OK for a while then the stylist gets chatting and forgets to concentrate on what I want rather than what the scissors are doing 

[bramble]

I have someone that comes to the house as well. So much better and no stress. More like a chat with a friend than a haircut.

Bramble

[Joyce]

Having had my mum cut my hair for about first 14 years of my life, I have to say a hairdresser made a much better job. Much safer too as she tried to chop an earlobe off once & gave me a row for making a fuss.

As HB & bramble have said see if you can get someone to come to your home instead, much less stressful. You'll be in familiar surroundings.

[SueRoe]

Yes I trim my own fringe, occasionally lop bits off the sides and have been known to ask hubby or my sister to have a go at the back too. I object to paying the £££ the hairdresser charges every 6 weeks (my hair grows like a weed). HOWEVER it's OK if, like me, you spend a lot of time out walking in the wind or camping where everyone looks bloody awful anyway, but if I was still working I wouldn't do it. Also, it's a bit like that story of the carpenter trying to level the legs on the dining table and ending up with a coffee table, in that it's hard not to keep nibbling at it to get it right. If you're going to have a go buy yourself a hat first just in case!

[Ju Ju]

Going to the hairdressers was also something I loathed along with dental appointments, hospital stuff etc., but I have been going to see the same hairdresser for many years. He has cut my children's hair, seen them grow up, celebrated their successes and now cuts my husbands hair. They shared football stories, naughty jokes and so on. I have taught both his children, as a supply teacher, seen them grow up, seen him through a painful divorce, lung cancer and a new happy relationship. I consider him a friend and having my hair cut is almost a pleasure. But one day he will retire.........

[Night_Owl]

Thanks to all for the advice/comments.

Chuckling away here Freda re: carpenter story.  HB, I haven't seen the Billy C sketch, hilarious I bet - and yeh, you're prolly right, don't do it ...

I got the scissors out and parted off into sections, it was to be a trim, snipped off a few ends ... and then suddenly thought: I'm about to create more problems for myself here, so put the scissors away.

I used to go to a barbers which was efficient and cheap but they've stopped doing women's hair now.

gawd, I sound like such a cheapskate but it's just so not worth spending money on my hair.  You can't polish a turd, and all that.

Even so, think I'll try and find a mobile hairdresser.

[Scampi]

I hated going to the hairdressers - I didn't go for well over 2 years (so my fast-growing mop was waist length with absolutely no shape) after a particularly bad experience.

Just before Christmas I was so fed up with it (my hair was making me feel bad - I think yours is too) that I bit the bullet and went to a salon.  I looked on the internet and found one close to work where the gallery of stylists' pictures showed a collection of women who (unusually in my recent experience of hairdressers!) all looked to have at least finished college!!

Feeling extremely anxious, I went to the salon ... the receptionist (also a more mature lady!) was lovely.  Almost in tears with fear and anxiety I explained my problem - the bad experience I'd had, the dread of having my hair done it had left me with.  She sat me down, gave me a cuppa and went off the get the salon director to have a chat with me.  She couldn't have been nicer - talked over what had happened to me in the past, what I wanted, what she could do ... she booked me in for an hour's appointment and said she would do the whole thing, including the washing.  I already felt so much better.

On the day of the appointment I arrived and was immediately greeted by the salon director.  She made me feel so comfortable.  Almost before I knew it, I was leaving the salon with half the hair I had gone in with, a huge smile on my face, and a new spring in my step! 

8 weeks later I returned to my newly-found hairdresser with a picture of a style I liked - shorter again.  She explained why it wouldn't work exactly as it was on my hair, but her wonderful cutting skills produced something at least as good - so many people commented on it!  It's now grown to the point of being annoying (but still has a lot of shape due the fabulous cut), so I'm going back to see my new scissor-wielding friend on Friday of this week for it doing again - and some highlights!  6 months ago I would have laughed in your face if you'd told me I would be actually looking forward to going to the hairdresser, but I genuinely am!

The point of this ramble is - find a hairdresser you get on with.  It takes a bit of effort (in may case - a lot of effort and anxiety!), but it really is worth it.

[Kathleen]

Hello Night_Owl.

I also went through a phase of avoiding hairdressers so I bought something from the internet that allows you to cut your own hair. It is a clip on comb that has a spirit level attached. I don't want to advertise but the product name begins with C and there are also tutorials on line. My daughter, who is not a hairdresser, cut my hair using this clip a few times and the result was okay.

I did start going back to my hairdressers but six months ago my friend said she'd try cutting my hair for me. I showed her the clip but she said she didn't need it and instead just used kitchen scissors! Probably because she is very artistic and talented she did a great job and I received lots of compliments from people who thought I'd been to a salon.

I accept that you can't polish a turd but in my experience there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Take care.

K. 

[getting_old]

I've moved around quite a bit so haven't had the opportunity to establish a really good relationship with a hairdresser. Sometimes I've got lucky but the majority of the time I've come out with frizzy hair and a wonky fringe that I've had to tidy up myself! My last experience was having my hair coloured / cut by someone who was highly recommended - the end result was a colour that everyone hated, and a slightly wonky fringe, so it's back to DIY until I feel brave again.

[CLKD]

Could you go along to a College where they need models for hairdressers to practice on? 

Or buy some poodle clippers 

[Night_Owl]

Thanks ladies for advice/comments.

Kathleen, I've checked out that clip comb, looks intriguing, may get one of those for future use. 

As it turned out I went to a local, low key, backstreet hairdressers for a wet cut, discount for new clients so a very reasonable £12.  Very quick visit, 4 inches lopped off, square cut, all one length, centre parting (no fringe) and it's made all the difference.  Two years on, I've nearly grown out a disastrous set of highlights that were more like block colour.

Next decision will be colour - it's a very flat, dark-ish mousy non-colour with about 20% grey - I only ever do the wash in, wash out colours, never attempt the permanent ones - maybe T-section low-lights, tint, no bleach at this same salon.

Read that Joanne Lumley cuts and colours her own hair - really?!   

[CLKD]

Oh well done you!  I am planning on looking on-line at the fees for a salon locally which is known to be very expensive …… as I need a change of scissors.  DH liked the result of a very light hi-lights but I felt it was too 'blonde' - now does that say something about men preferring blondes  but my eye-brows were still dark.  I didn't like the result nor his reaction so I never went as light again.

[Night_Owl]

CLKD, OH is definitely a man who prefers blondes (eg. Pammy Anderson) - and loved the block highlights that have painfully taken so long to grow out.  I don't have a blonde bubbly personality and felt all wrong, plus it was horribly tangly - so I'll never go that light again.  No way can I get my hair coloured just to please OH, too bad I'm afraid. 

Eyebrows are disappearing these days, very sparse, I dye them brown which makes a big difference.