A Lovely asks:

I have (or rather, had) long layered hair with a lovely side fringe like this:


I went to the same hairdresser that I always go to, and uptil now have always been super happy with the result, but turns out my usual stylist had moved on so they gave me some other guy. He had a fringe, so I was like, well then he must know how to cut them! I went home and washed it because I always like to style it my own way, and now I want to cry.

My fringe has never looked worse, even when I hacked at it with a pair of scissors when I was fourteen.  My lovely side fringe is gone, and now I have a horrible straight across blunt mess that looks like an egyptian wig from the side.

I can’t go back to the hairdresser or go to another one because it’s too expensive. Please help! I miss my hair!

First of all, if you’re dissatisfied it’s the hairdresser’s job to fix it for free. Since the salon seems to have a flexible policy on clients seeing different stylists — i.e. they aren’t private contractors — the salon should take the hit for the mishap and let you come back for a fix with a different stylist. Don’t be ashamed to say you didn’t like what he did. It’s your hair, and you’re not an impossible client to please. You just want it to be right, and you are entitled to that. Plus bangs don’t take long to cut. They can undoubtedly work you in.

Your first step is to approach the situation with some tact. When you call to ask for a redo, be polite and empathetic. They’re much more likely to accommodate you in that case. Then, find pictures of what you want. Naturally you’re in a slightly unfavorable situation in that your fringe can only get shorter from here, but I’ll bet they can just texturize them (i.e. no length coming off, just weight coming out) for you and it’ll make a huge difference. In times when you don’t like your hair, the only compromise is to get to a place where you can tolerate it while it grows back out. It might not be perfect in the meantime, but the beauty of bangs is that, since they sit on your forehead and fall straight down for the most part, gravity works in your favor. In other words, they always seem to grow faster because they have nowhere to go but down, so they’ll be out of your way before long.

In the future, pictures are always a great way to make sure you have a cohesive idea with your stylist. There are tons of “types” of hairdressers out there, and some are epically good at inspiring confidence, some too good. They do have the best intentions at heart, but while a style might look really chic and fashion-forward in the stylist’s mind, you might not be the right candidate for his masterpiece. Let a stylist weigh in on your decision-making at every turn, but don’t let one steamroll you, especially if you know exactly what you want.

In finding your new stylist, ask around to your friends. The sneaky thing about the hairdressing industry is that it’s hard to do hair well, but relatively easy to get a license. If you care about your hair, I suggest doing the research to find a great one.

Do you have a quandary about your hair? Color, cut, homemade disaster? Feel free to submit!