I've been continuously growing my hair out since 2004. I'll grow it long and then donate it. In early 2007, I donated 14 inches to Locks of Love, and 12 inches in 2009. My hair is to my waist and I was excited to donate it again....until I started reading all of these terrible things about Locks of Love. Mostly that they don't use most the hair donated. Fine, I'll donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
I've been cool with it long my hair was while now. I can do all sorts of cool braids with it. This morning I woke up and decided today was the day. I wanted it cut. I asked around for recommendations and couldn't find a salon I was happy with. Finally I decided on one walking distance from my office, that friends have had hair cuts at before. and they had an opening today. My impatience was my first mistake.
I show up early like a good customer. I have to wait 15 minutes. Get some bad looks from the hipster hair stylists. Whatever. Not a big deal. My hairdresser finally gets to me. I tell her what I want done and I tell her no less than 12 times NOT TOO SHORT—that was the most important thing. I tell her I want about 12 inches cut off and that I want to donate it. I make it clear that it has to be longer than my shoulder and I show her on my shoulder blade how long I want it. I tell her that it needs to be long enough to put into a pony tail and that since I braid my hair A LOT, I want it long enough to make a small braid. I also told her I wanted it all one length, no layers because they stick out when I braid it. We agreed on the length—about 4 inches longer than my shoulder and she cuts. I told her about the time I had it cut short and how I cried when it was shorter than shoulder length and how that was the worst haircut ever.
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| Side fishtail braid. |
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| Side fishtail braid. |
I didn't know anything was wrong until she turned me around to look in the mirror. I went to grab my hair to pull it up and there was nothing to pull into a pony tail. (I really thought it was the right length when she did the first cut. But she just kept cutting and cutting and cutting until there was nothing left.) It was so much shorter than we discussed. I can't braid it. We talked about braids for about 10 minutes and she cut it EXACTLY AS SHORT AS MY WORST HAIRCUT EVER. I'm positive I told her if it was that short I would cry. But my previous worst haircut ever was a $12 special at great clips. This was a $55 cut. It's boxy in the back and too short. Of course it will grow back, and in a year or two it will be the length that I like (I like about six inches shorter than what my hair was before I donated it.)
But now I'm stuck with an expensive salon bill and hair I can't style. She cut over 14 inches of my hair off. (though the pony tails are completely different lengths. My hair was even when I came in.) I don't know where that haircut went wrong. I was expressively clear that I wanted to keep it as long as possible. And really I'm just miffed. When I say cut 12 inches, I want 12 inches taken off—not 14.5.
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| My super long hair. |
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| No where near the same length. And can you see how choppy it is. She didn't even blow dry it right. |
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| This is not 12 inches. |
Day 2
Some things take getting used to. Not my hair cut. I was hoping I'd like it more today. Nope. I hate it more. Definitely the worst cut ever. The hair is longer in the front than back. (I told her I wanted all one length, so I could braid it. No layers.) It's like she tried to make a back cut bob with my almost shoulder length hair. But it's not angled enough and it doesn't work at all. It's also choppy. It's obvious where she cut and not even. If it was shorter it might be a hipster choppy hair cut, but not with this length, it just looks like a beauty school fail. It's like she wanted to give me a longer version of the woman's hair she cut before me. She had a jaw length back cut stacked bob. It's not even the same length on either side of my face. No matter which way I part it. Worst hair cut ever. Wish I could throw it in a pony tail or braid to hide it, but I can't do that either.
