Stylists supportive of long hair, or not?

Yep, that's my hair.   Thank you for your compliment.

DaveDecker wrote: Yep, that's my hair.   Thank you for your compliment.

I just found this forum today and have only read this topic, so forgive me if my post encompasses issues discussed elsewhere.

I am a hairdresser (of almost 20 years) and salon owner.  I have plenty of opinions about long hair.  (In fact I have so many opinions in genereal that I wrote a book!)

Here goes: 

As an artist, I want to do work that is attractive.  Some long hair is prettier than others.  I love to do formal hairdressing on pretty long hair.  But if the hair is trashed (due to outside influence or just because you weren't blessed) it is harder to make it look pretty.

I have fine, crappy hair that starts to disintegrate at about bra-strap length.   When it gets that long, it clings to my face and I look like Morticia Addams. I am a chubby girl, and most people agree that the look is unattractive.  For me, long hair is anything past my shoulders.  For my clients, it can be down to the floor for all I care, as long as it is pretty!

I have a male client with a waist-length mullet.  He comes in every 8 weeks. 

I have female clients with waist length hair and because the hair fills up the shampoo bowl, it becomes tangled, then I have to spend a long time detangling it, before I even get to it with the shears.  (To me a "cut" and  a "trim" are the same thing.  I open and close my shears: that's what I call a haircut.)

To avoid this dillema, most of my longest haired clients come in with freshly-washed, still damp hair.  I can spray more water if I need to get an even result, and they are spared the drama of the shampoo bowl.  Also, if I can spend less time on their hair, they can spend less money. (Shampoo, cut and dry: $50.  Dry cut: $25) Win-Win.

I do have the clients stand, (feet comfortably apart, hands on the back of the chair) while I cut.  Otherwise I would have to sit on the floor. (And do you have any idea how filthy that floor is?!)

I like to trim the visible split ends that pop out in the interior of the hair as well as keeping the perimeter clean and even.

I suggest that clients who want to increase the length of their hair return for to the salon 4 times a year. (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall)  Mostly because they can remember what season it is better that how many weeks ago they visited the salon.

Also, those of you who are boycotting the salon are missing out on what we call "Hairapy".  The feeling of community and support that comes when a group of people come together to make one another feel better about how they look and about life in general.  The salon is a great place to talk out the troubles in your life.  Having a battle with your tween-aged daughter about what clothes are appropriate?  Chances are someone else in the salon (client or staff) has been through it and has some advice.

When polled, people worldwide comment that what they enjoy most about the visit to the salon has very little to do with the actual hair services they pay for. They appreciate the intangibles.  The banter, the music, the people, the experience.  If you are riddled with anxiety, you are missing out on these things!

To pick a salon that is a good match for you, go visit some.  Pop in and look at the products they sell, and scope out the people working and visiting.  Does the salon look like "your kind of place?"  Talk to the receptionist (if available) or a hairdresser and ask them if one person in the salon has more long-haired clients than the others.  Get a feel for the hairdressers as people.  If you get along with them and feel comfortable, then you should be less anxious when you go in, and more likely to develop a relationship with someone who understands your needs.

Most hairdressers with more than 10 years experience have enough clients to keep them comfortably busy.  They don't need to push you to come in more often than you need.  Their chairs are filled with high-maintenance color clients on a 3-6 week rotation.  They are the bread and butter clients.  You are the garnish!



Edited by auramae - July 12 2006 at 8:11pm

missrini,

I suppose it is possible for a person to have hair in good condition, with no splits and an even hemline for more than a year, but I have not myself observed that. 

I read more of this forum yesterday after my post and I'm sure I don't  have to tell you that the average person in today's society is not following the guidelines suggested.  (Hell, I can't even convince some people that if your hair isn't dirty, it doesn't need to be routinely washed!)

Certainly if a person is not causing any thermal or physical stress to their hair, they would experience fewer split ends, etc.  (Assuming, of course that we are not talking about someone with inherently weak hair.)

Is there a place on the site that discusses the hair growth cycle of growth, rest & shed?  That can play a huge role in the possible length your hair can attain.  Some people's growth phase is considerably longer than others.  The current belief is still that average hair growth is 1/2 a month.  I am sure you all have known people well under and well over that average.  I know people that it takes 12 weeks to get a half an inch of new growth at the scalp.

Also, I assume that somewhere on the forum is a thorough discussion of "henna" with lots of info about the different ways that term is marketed and the possible downside of some "henna" products.

The biggest challenge to hair growth that I see in the real world of the 21st century is the impact stress and poor diet have on our overall health.  Any nutients ingested go first to critical functions (like heart, brain & lungs) and what ever is left can be distributed among the other body functions.  Hair, skin and nails are at the bottom of the totem pole.

I am glad that you experience a feeling of community with this forum and I hope that your physical world is also filled with loving, supportive folk. 
We are tribal by nature and everyone deserves to feel that they belong somewhere!

Have a magnificent summer!

As for "your type of salon", I am inclined to think that most of you would be most comfortable in a smaller, more intimate salon where people are individuals than in a large "hip" salon where everyone is sheep-like in their sameness. 

Edited by Karen Shelton - July 15 2006 at 4:29pm

Hi,

Edited by Karen Shelton - July 15 2006 at 4:38pm

Bummer...I thought I left this post, but I don't see it.  Forgive me if it shows up twice!

********Admin Team Note***********

If you wish to get more info on the name of the book, the website where to buy it or other details please bmail this person privately.

To post it here violates our directive against advertising of any products or services. It has been edited out due to our posting guidelines.

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I guess the only answer I have is that some plumbers/electricians/cooks are better than others, too.  I don't believe that all of them are awful any more than I believe that all hairdressers are.  (Just foolish humans who occasionally say or do something stupid.)If a client comes in and asks for something that I think will be unattractive, I explain to them why I think that and offer some alternatives.  If they are dead set, then I do what I am told.  (This applies only to cutting. If someone wants a chemical service that I think will compromise the integrity of their hair, I say no.  I have some professional ethics that I can't be talked out of.)When a client tells me they are growing their hair longer, I make a deal with them.  The first time they come back complaining about what a PITA it is to grow out their hair and how much they hate it, I talk them out of it and we go on with the plan.  If they continue to hate it over repeated visits, then I will cut it shorter.  (It's kind of like not letting your kid quit piano lessons the first time they gripe about it!)I really don't think that hairdressers, as a whole, have a strong opinion about hair length.   Much like society as a whole, there are some jerks and some great people.   Please don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!


Edited by administrator - July 15 2006 at 11:21pm

Sorry for the violation.  I was answering a request and did not mean to violate policies.  If anyone has any questions about my book or my business they can PM me.

Re: anne6000:  I would say that the average hairdresser has no less experience with long hair than they do with curly or fine or thinning hair.  Pity the poor cosmetology graduate.   The states mandate that we have a certain number of hours of instruction (usually 1500-2000) and in that time the school can barely teach us how not to maim or mutilate someone.  There is really very little time to teach artistry and nuance.  All of that has to be done in the real world and usually takes years of on the job training (and a certain amount of natural talent to match with the learned skills.)
That is why people with more years of experience usually have a larger clientelle.  They have built a business by satisfying customers more often than not.  Often people seek out a hairdresser with hair like them (curly, fine, etc.)  I think the reason there are fewer hairdressers with (let's call it extra-long) long hair is that we see so many new styles every day and we stannd in front of a mirror for 8-12 hours a day and we get bored!  There is always some cute new style or color and we can't wait to try it on ourselves!

Thank you for understanding about our policies.  If we let them slide at all - even a tiny bit - almost instantaneously - we are covered in advertising posts and things quickly get out of hand. 

Edited by Karen Shelton - July 16 2006 at 12:29am

While I agree that Martin does a great job, we used to carry his videos...like we still do Patrick Cameron's (because he was one of our very first vendors almost 10 years ago in our e-store).