Sunday, June 22, 2008

So you're expecting a tip?

I did a rare thing yesterday, I went and got my hair cut. It's not that I don't WANT to get my hair cut, it's just when I have time, the line at the hair place seems to be wrapped around the building (ok, not THAT bad, but you KNOW what I mean)...so if I get my hair cut every 3 months, I'm a pretty happy camper. I've got a fairly simply hair style, long and slap it into a ponytail the majority of the time. K likes my hair long, it's easy, the hair stylist can usually take off what she wants to and it doesn't bother me as long as I can slip an elastic band around it...I'm good! So I found that we were a little slow with lessons at the barn and knowing that this will probably be my only shot at get my tresses beautified, I head to the beauty shop. I look in the window, 2 stylists are sitting in their chairs WAITING for customers...this is a good sign to me...in and out and back before I'm missed. Now since this was a last minute decision, I decide to forgo the traditional wash and cut and just go with the "cut". So I tell her what I want, I listen to her spiel about needing a malibu (yes I KNOW I need one, I just don't have the 1 1/2 hours TODAY to do one, so let's get on with it). So she pulls out your standard comb, a comb that little boys use, and attempts to pull it through my hair. Now I'm not gonna say my hair was a rats nest, it wasn't, it's just that I have baby fine hair and a LOT of it...it's like brushing cotton candy most days, so I'm used to using some force and pulling out knots, I'm no weanie when it comes to my head.
So this gal starts and combs and combs and combs (usually at this point MOST stylists pull out the detangler, but not my gal, she gets kudos for keeping on trying). So she's combing and combing and combing and at first she's pretty gentle, but then she start getting frustrated, I can tell because the tugs are getting harder, the comb is ripping more hair and it's starting to hurt. So I let her go for a little while and ABOUT when I'm gonna say something, she gets the big toothed comb (whew!)...but she does not go back to her "gentle" way, she really starts pulling and combing. Now at this point she was cutting also and we were about 1/2 way through the hair cut, but the more she combed the hotter my face was getting and my eyes starting watering and I'm ALMOST threw up the pain was so bad. Then she starts in about hard water and blah blah blah and all I'm thinking about is the pain in my head and do I:
  1. Endure to finish the haircut?
  2. Say something and hope she is just unaware of the extreme pain she is causing me?
  3. Tell her put down the comb, we're done?

Well, I went with #1 (knowing that I'm short on time and we're leaving for a week long horse show in 2 days), tears in my eyes, face red and thinking of every horrendous thing I could to befall this woman and praying that this will end and soon! At some point she asked me a question and did become aware of the pain she was causing, but she didn't let up much. I endured, I knew this was my last chance for a hair cut and she was doing a good "cut" job, she was just torturing me in the process!

My haircut was 2 days ago...my scalp is still sore! I did leave her a tip (I have worked in the service industry and know how lousy things can be), but I wasn't as generous as I normally am. I think I'll avoid her like the plague the next time! I'll find someone else that won't take out their frustrations on my cotton candy hair and my now sore, scalp!

2 comments:

Michelle Quinno said...

OMG, that's horrible!!! I don't think I've ever had a sore scalp and I have mine pulled through a cap for highlighting! DO NOT go back to the hair nazi!

Chef Gaynol said...

How awful!! I've got a really tender scalp and this sounds like torture. I usually have to take ibuprofen after a haircut. Try some! It should help your poor scalp.