Is it just me?

I suspect the world is divided into those who go and are fine with what is done to them, and those who come away feeling uncomfortable and unlike themselves and do what they can at home to look more familiar again.

I seem to remember Gordon Brown having some sort of makeover but it didn't last and he was straight back to parting his hair the way he always had.

No. Not just you. I think we’re just not brave enough. After 4 years with the current one I managed to tell her today that while the cut is superb I have hated the way she dries it. She laughed and listened, interpreted my hand waving. For the first time I left without hoping I would see no one I know on the way home. You have to wonder why I didn’t do it before .

I hate it as I'm never happy and I look like a bloke, so I cut it myself nowadays which is fine, I have a friend that cuts it every third or fourth time to level it up and it has enough movement to not show up bits I miss. I hate staring at myself in the mirror at the hairdressers, trying to drink coffee and making stupid small talk. At this age I feel old in a young salon and young in an old one.

Lol! I remember Jo Brand after her Susannah and Trinny makeover!

Me too Menopaws small talk is awful and I’m surrounded by people younger than my kids so what do we chat about?? Nightmare!

I hate the fact that you can't seem to just get your hair cut. I don't need it washing and blow drying, just cut it please.

I don't like going. My hair is never going to be my crowning glory. Its so fine and limp. It looks ok for about an hour after I come out, then reverts back to its usual state.

I hate going too. I don’t mind the chat so much as all the fiddling. I’ve grown out the colour and gone grey in the hope that’ll mean less time in the salon. As a footnote I thought I’d be a steel grey but it’s almost pure white. I get a shock every time I catch my reflection. It took almost 6months so like it or not I’m sticking with it.

I really like the girls in my hairdressers. Well, they were girls when I first went there: they're women now. They are really easy company, so I keep going.

I hate it too mollie , I've had mine cut shorter but am seriously considering growing it again so I don't need to go as often. As for the mirrors...

I sympathise. I used to be like that but I was encouraged to have a (free) consultation at a certain salon. The receptionist was empathetic and agreed that it can be scary having your hair done. That calmed me down for a start. Then the lady with whom I had the consultation chatted about how I would like to have my hair done. She was lovely and I’ve never looked back (apart from in their mirror to appreciate my new hairdo!)

I hate visiting the hairdressers. I would be okay if there were no mirrors. Can't bear sitting facing myself.

It's not just you, mollie. I hated having my hair cut at the hairdresser when I was a child and for all of my teenage and adult life until this summer I avoided going. This summer I broke my arm and couldn't manage my long hair so I had it cut. I wasn't pleased with the first cut which took ages at a 'proper' hairdresser establishment. After five months of trying to cut my own hair, I popped into a local barber shop where the female barber, who mainly does boys and men, just sprays a bit of water on and does the job extremely well in about an eighth of the time and half the cost. I'll be going back to her.

She asked me why on earth I'd cut my hair myself (and made a right mess of it)! When I told her "because I hate going to hairdressers" she admitted that she hated it too ?

I,m with lots of others on here,dont like going to the hairdressers,cant stand the small talk and certainly dont like seeing myself in the mirror.
I had a mobile hairdresser come and cut my hair,she cut it a bit too short at the time,since been back and given me a light perm as my hair is dead straight so needed a lift.
So now every day i put rollers in and it looks nice after,plus my hair is greyish so i wont be colouring it anymore,just go grey gracefully.{smile}

We’ve got six hairdressers in our little town and I did the rounds of all of them when we moved here. I’ve stuck with the one who can get to grips with my wilful hair. It’s been ten years now and I’m now happy with the way it turns out. Mostly.

I hate the hairdresser too. I hate that question 'what product do you use on your hair?' because they don't mean shampoo! I rush home and wash my hair to get rid of it and to get my hair back to what looks normal.

I also hate sitting with my hair all wet and scraped back and having to stare at myself in the mirror looking even more awful than normal. And don't mention the forced conversation and the cup of coffee they bring that you can never quite get to so it goes cold. Torture!

Sitting in front of those big mirrors is awful for me. I feel as if I need a miracle, not a haircut!

Well, I’ve been and I survived. As I walked in a huge woman walked out with the most awful hair cut and colour you can imagine - bright red, shaved on one side, floppy down the other. I didn’t find that inspiring at all as I tried to explain that I wanted just a couple of styling tweaks. Would they make me look as ridiculous as that woman looked, I wondered?? Anyway, tweaks added (not bad, not brilliant but acceptable with a bit more tweaking at home) and of course I left with some ‘product’ meant to help my poor dry scalp. I heard all about Christmas, saw photos of the new boyfriend etc. And of course I’ve booked another appointment for next month

Why don't you just ask for a dry trim pollyparrot. My hairdresser is always happy just to cut my hair. I keep it very short, and wash it every morning in the shower. Blow drying isn't necessary either. I like having my hair cut.

I'm happy with my current hairdresser and due to go again on Monday so am looking forward to that. I don't like unisex salons and generally give them a miss.

I have never much enjoyed the hairdresser, but have a regular cut wash and blow dry about once every couple of months at a lovely saloon in London. My hairdresser is a very experienced chap who is now turned 70, enjoys working and has maintained a fairly solid client base. The other stylists are all ages including a handful of slightly older folk. They are all delightful and very attentive and although I still don’t much enjoy the experience I do at least feel more comfortable and trust my hairdressser. My worry is that he will decide to retire!

The key to happiness at the hairdressers is to know exactly what you want from the haircut, and make sure you actually tell them.By doing that I have only ever had two ‘mistakes’ and think they were not very good as hairdressers, which you can’t really control.
I always have a dry trim, then style it myself at home.
Ask around friends and neighbours as to who they go to ( as long as you like their hair.)

Like Menopaws I cut my own hair - using guidance from You Tube and a good pair of scissors from EBay. What a relief not to have to go to the hairdresser, which I used to dread - resigning myself to whatever depressing look I ended up with. I keep it at shoulder length now, and I don't worry that it might not be entirely level - it seems to even itself up over a week or so. I think it's a good idea to ask a friend to check for long bits, but don't have anyone I know well enough - so I just don't worry about it!

Mollie, I am with you. I LOATHE going to the hairdresser. It has never been a treat! (I don't understand people who enjoy manicures or pedicures either. I accept I am strange in not liking being pampered.)

Even when I stuck with one hairdresser it was always a gamble as to whether I'd like what she'd done with my hair even though I'd show her photographs from mags.

I hate the small talk, I hate being stuck in a chair pretending I am ok with it, I hate the waste of time, I hate the expense, and I hate the set look of a new (disappointing) hairstyle. I too go home and ruffle my hair up.

I tend to cut my own hair now. I like it slightly messy and choppy. The last two home haircuts have been complimented, (before people know I have done it myself) which is nice. There are so many You Tube tutorials out there that I have become reasonably confident about taking the scissors to my hair, and it saves me from the ordeal of going to the hairdresser.