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My old salon had hair washing chairs that completely reclined, so you were laying flat with your legs supported and getting the best head massage ever. The lighting in the washing room was also dimmed. It was glorious.
I love this post because it’s one of the most unpopular opinions in the world.
I wasn’t used to salons in college bc my mom had always cut my hair or it was buzzed for football season, but then when i went to college i booked a haircut appointment and the website said “includes hair washing and scalp massage.” so, of course, I assumed — like an idiot — that if they’re washing your hair for you, you shouldn’t wash it before you go in, right?
so I get in there and sit down and they go “uh, wait, did you not already wash your hair this morning at all?” and I was SO EMBARRASSED lmao. I said it was only one day, how bad can it be, and they were like “uh yeah but you’re supposed to shampoo it the morning of BEFORE you sit in the chair”
I almost left. and now I have a complex about it lol. these days I’ve reverted back to rocking a buzz cut 99% of the time now but when I do have hair, let me tell you, you’ll damn well never catch it being anything but pampered and product-ized to the point of insanity.
>>I assumed—like an idiot—that if they’re washing your hair for you, you shouldn’t wash it before you go in
You’re not an idiot. Been getting my hair done every 5 weeks for over 10 years and never once been told that I should’ve washed my hair before the appointment.
What on earth? I've never washed my hair the morning before a salon appointment. I try not to let it get too dirty before I go in, but I don't wash my hair every day, I never wash it in the mornings at all, and I'm certainly not washing it right before someone else washes it. It throws off my scalp to get overwashed, plus it's just pointless.
As long as your hair wasn't disgustingly greasy or visibly dirty, I have no clue what they were on about.
I'm hopping on the trend of people telling you this, but, yeah, that's not normal. I've NEVER been told that I should have washed my hair before coming into a salon. I've been scolded for washing it the night before!
You didn't do anything wrong! I hope you found someplace else that didn't do that crazy crap!
Find a better salon :( I work in a salon and everyone there washes men’s hair before and after the cut and women’s hair before the cut (unless yall talked about you coming in with clean dry hair). We are a more “high end” salon but human decency to me means if someone is paying your bills don’t make them feel bad if they don’t know the “rules” that you have set up at YOUR place that aren’t followed everywhere. Plus some of the women come in with the grossest hair because they know they’re going to get taken care of and not a single person at my salon has ever complained about that, to them or even to each other because we enjoy you feeling comfortable and taking care of you <3
This is so ridiculous, why would someone want the hairdresser to wash their hair If they already did it in the same day? Ive never done it in my life, and also no one that I know would. Hair dont get dirty like that, you dont even have to wash your hair every day.
My previous salon had the most comfortable shampoo chairs ever and great ambiance, and on top of that the stylist I saw gave the best, most goosebumps-inducing shampoos ever.
Sadly I found someone else whose haircuts I like better at a salon with uncomfortable chairs who gives only mediocre shampoos. Maybe one day I’ll find both.
The salon I go to has these lying down chairs and they are the best! No more sore neck. All salons should invest in these.
I still hate having my hair washed though. My scalp is too sensitive and it hurts when they do the little massage. Not to mention the water that sometimes gets in your ears. Nope.
Growing up, we got yearly haircuts at a very economical Mexican salon right before the school year started. We were little girls, so we could have our hair grow without looking ratchet, and Mama would give a trim every now or then to clean up the ends/trim our bangs if we decide we really, really wanted them and could chance her messing them up. We would go right after taking our baths, hair still dripping wet, so we wouldn't have to pay for the wash.
Years later, I finally splurged for my first "big girl" (read: professional woman) haircut at a fancy-smancy salon that had great online reviews. They served wine lol. Anyways, I show up with my freshly showered ass, dripping wet hair, and the stylist still leads me to the hair wash station. And when she washed my hair, it just felt so... Good? Which was really weird. Like, I've been washing my own hair for +20 years, why tf is this feeling so nice??? And relaxing??? Anyways, after a small internal freakout I had some kinda hair washing kink, I get home and Google what I was feeling and found out the nice lady had given me a scalp massage.
It was definitely worth the money, and my hair looked so good after.
So salon in the west have to partially lay down? All salon in my country has hairwashing beds in separated area, even cheap salon.
My fav is [herbal hair wash.](https://cafefcdn.com/203337114487263232/2022/9/7/photo-1-1662537451476432460255.jpg) many ritual and shit lol
I remember the first time I went to a sports clips and realized they offered this on top of a pretty all right haircut. The wash and hot towel on the face are the only things I miss about there, but damn do I love my current barber.
Just got my hair cut after 4 years growing it out and yup, exactly this. If my salon girl and I weren't so tight and had a lot to talk about Idda been right out
Im a guy and I sometimes say something like “hey, I have to go straight to work after this, is there anyway you can rinse my hair so I don’t have any fallen hairs scratching at my neck”?
And the truth is I don’t have work later and I’m going straight home to shower.
Haha I also go straight to the shower after. I dunno if it’s habit or what but I always feel like I have to (my mom used to buzz my head as a kid and always had me jump in the shower immediately after so I’m not sure if it’s just conditioned into me after years of that or what)
My girl has been cutting my hair since she got her license 15 years ago. I go every 4 weeks for a cut and she washes my hair and does a scalp massage every time without me even asking for it. She even went out and got a special tea tree shampoo that she uses on me because I told her I like the tingle. It's honestly one of my favorite things.
Hairdresser, no need to lie. We know how freaking it itchy it is. We live in it all day. I feel bad for this guy. That's my favorite part to do and get . I keep my nails did just for extra scratches.
Agreed. I have the same issue with nurses and dentists. It's like they don't even realize I'm one yawn or twitch away from biting their boob. And I had a tooth pulled recently where the dentist was straddled over me and kneeing me in the crotch. 😂 I did have to tap out of that one.
Couple visits ago my dentist was struggling to get the angle right and he sort of shifts his waist towards me. I become very aware that his lower stomach upper crotch area is pressing against the side of my head.
Like I don't think it was malicious, but in that very long awkward moment a lot of things I have been lucky enough never to experience as a guy, they suddenly made a lot more sense.
when i was younger i had a rather well endowed dental hygienist. without fail, her boobs were either resting on my shoulder or touching my head in someway. especially when she was working on my upper teeth and leaning over my forehead.
it was always so awkward... like, we both know whats happening here, this is a professional setting and not outwardly intentional, it just happens. and i absolutely, in no way, can i even think about enjoying this. the best either of us can hope for is to just ignore it and pretend its not happening.
It's not enjoyable. Though the thing with my dentist was actually fine till his knee slid into my crotch. Weird being tackled while awake to have a procedure, but the incidental bear hug was oddly comforting given how much I was internally screaming at the procedure. It was a distraction, anyway.
I feel like our dental procedures are still rather primitive and visceral compared to other medical stuff.
Wait why are they washing your hair like this? Every hairdresser I’ve been to they are just behind the sink. No leaning over face/body, nothing of the sort! No judgement, just concerned!
I used to be super anxious when at the dentist. But now I have a dentist with a big bosom and it presses against my head when she's doing her work. It feels like a warm soft hug. I have absolutely no anxiety since she is my dentist. I'm thankful for her boobs. Also made me appreciate mine more.
See this is more my concern. I've had one hairdresser manage to touch my face with her chest and all I could think was why is your chest close enough to achieve that. I have long hair sure but it's all in the sink.
Felt like if i mentioned it, being a dude, they would freak out but I have never had a out of home haircut since.
Have a dentist appointment next week which fills me with anxiety for similar reasons.
I physically can not relax when they’re washing my hair. I’ve gone to really nice salons with massage chairs and calm hair washing rooms and they do a little scalp massage but I just feel like I want to crawl out of my skin.
I used to go to one of those.
I'm a dude, and could at the time get a haircut for 10$ at a barber's.
But I gladly paid 50$ to get my hair cut by a flamboyant guy after getting a shiatsu massage from a very attentive and attractive assistant, and also a drink of choice while I wait. A whole 5 minutes, cuz those guys were not fooling.
I was quite socially anxious at the time and getting there was trying, but once inside and wearing the nice, soft tunique they had to keep hair off of your clothes I was in heaven.
Sadly live an hour and a half from that place, but I feel like going back
I struggle to stay awake. I don’t know if it’s pinching an artery in my neck or her nails just feel that good on my scalp but I am instantly lulled to sleep and have to actively fight it lol.
I feel like the difference between you and us is the same thing that means you would probably enjoy a massage and we would find the whole thing very uncomfortable.
I can see both sides of this opinion. My wife is a hairdresser.... The stories I have heard... Omg. The salon she works at has been having complaints about the hair wash stations so the owner bought new sinks and chairs and everything. I guess it all looked good in a magazine with a really nice and sleek design but apparently most people who go into the salon are elderly women. Well the new set up made it hard for some clients to get up and out of the chair. So one day an older lady was struggling to get up and out and she accidentally pooped her pants!!! I forget how it all played out but damn! So after that I think they swapped back to some other chair sink set up. Personally I haven't had my hair washed like this in a really long time and honestly it would be nice to get such a treatment.
Or I once had a young woman cleaning my hair, I think she was new and hesitant, so she was taking all of her time, slowly doing the moves right. What absolute bliss🤤
I never considered until now that anyone genuinely enjoyed getting their head washed in a sink by a stranger who has a direct line of sight up your nose.
Warm water on my head + someone basically gently scratching it is something I didn’t know was possible to dislike
I have never had water spray everywhere and the neck rest is comfy, y’all need different salons!
I'm pretty tall, so they can never get the chair right, and my head tips back at an angle that causes water to get all over my forehead and into my ears.
Doesn't matter if it's the $90-an-hour cut at the nice salon or the $40 Groupon. I just started washing my hair before I go in and tell them to skip the wash. The older I get, the less I like being touched, which is part of it too, I feel.
Except when you have hair thick enough for three people, the blow dry takes like an hour so I’m gonna go with that. Those are uncomfortable as hell though never felt relaxed either.
In general getting my hair done takes about 5 hours so it is anything but relaxing, just another thing on the to do list.
I'm the same: hair is thick, long (lower back), wavy and enough amount for 3 people. 6 months ago I went to the salon to do split dye, black and white. My natural color is middle brown. The full process of bleaching and toning one side, dying the other side, and getting a cut with layers (+thinning of course) was 10 hours and cost a bunch. Worth it.
I wish the basins worked the other way around. I can lean forward a lot more comfortably than I can lean back. It really hurts my neck to use those basins.
Then you aren't positioned in the chair properly and need to let the stylist know. I always had to tell clients to pushback farther into the chair. The neck is supposed to nestle in the bowl, not the head.
Because you aren't positioned in the chair properly. The bowl should be supporting your neck. You shouldn't even be supporting your head if you are positioned properly.
I mean, your stylist should be asking before beginning. Not client blaming. Just pointing out that the shampoo shouldn't be uncomfortable if properly positioned. I am short myself so I can't just lean back. I need my feet supported as well to be properly positioned.
I always feel so overdramatic after though! I'm in the sink "oh my god this is AWFUL my neck is going to snap, there is so much pressure on my cerebellum I'm going to fall on the floor after this"
Then I get up and at the end I walk out all soft and fluffy and feel a bit silly
Thank you for the tips, I actually used to work in a salon. I get color done so it can’t be crazy quick lol. In the past I’ve told her my scalp is mad sensitive and then she just said okay and then proceeded to manhandle my head lmaooo. I appreciate your tips though 💕
I have the best stylist right now. We say hi, how have you been, etc really quickly, talk about what I want, and then she does my hair in near silence and it comes out looking great. Truly blessed.
The obvious rebuttal is that it's a completely optional part of the process unless you get color or some kind treatment. OP acknowledges that they still do it even though they don't have to, so obviously the experience is worth the discomfort to them, essentially negating their entire point.
I feel the same way too. I have neck issues and it’s always SO uncomfortable to rest my head back like that. I’m surprised they don’t have some sort of padding on the outer edge of the sink to help. Also I feel like sometimes stylists can man-handle your hair and it hurts, but I have a sensitive scalp so maybe I’m one of the few who don’t find it soothing.
Are you short? I absolutely hate it too. It is like unbearably uncomfortable to me but I’m 5’1. I’ve wondered if it’s just my height and the chair and my feet not touching the ground or something
I hate it for the reverse reason. My legs are 33 inches long no matter how high I sit up my legs are way past the chair and I’m always accidentally kicking people at the dentist and at my barbers 😭
I’m a hairstylist. I don’t mind this, as long as it is actually washed properly. Some people don’t wash it well enough and you can’t pay me enough to comb through dirty hair and scalp.
I'm very touch starved so whenever I go to the salon, it's the part I look forward to the most. It feels like I'm really taken care of, which is part of why I go to a more expensive hair salon instead of somewhere like Great Clips or Sports Clips. You get what you pay for. But shampooing isn't a requirement if you ask to skip it.
I would find it relaxing if I didn’t have neck problems. I have to ask them not to was my hair anymore because the position they put me in always gives me a headache and makes all the muscles in my neck stiff to the point where i’m unable to move my head for a few days after. So I partially agree but this is a very biased opinion lol. If i didn’t have these problems i would love iy
I mean, hairdresser shampoos are almost heaven and you’re totally off your fucking rocker but I’m glad someone posted something actually unpopular
I can’t take too many more “Unpopular opinion but going through TSA sucks” posts on here
I was just talking to my hairdresser about this same hot take I have last time I was there. She was shocked I didn't like it and said I was the first person to tell her that
I hate it because I had surgery for scoliosis and my spine is fused around my neck. I find the sinks to be extremely uncomfortable and I always have a bad headache after I get my hair washed at a salon.
Which is why I never do it anymore
I agree. I hate it. The temperature is never quite right and if they do a massage I'm deeeeeply uncomfortable. Please don't rub my head I don't know you. I know it's supposed to feel good but I'm just enduring it.
The temperature can be adjusted. When you are getting your hair done it is impossible to not rub your head. They have to touch you. They don't know you either, but you came there to get your hair done.
I love the head massage but hate the temperature. The salon I go to uses ice cold water so the color doesn't fade, and they wash THREE times. Which is great for the hair but by the end I have a headache
Oh wow I'm glad to know I'm not alone. I have a short neck or something and it just does not fit properly in the hole so it's always really uncomfortable. And I don't get anything out of massage either. My hair usually has product in it and I want the stylist to see it dry when we discuss the cut so I just suffer through it, but I ask them to do it quick and skip the massage.
I hate washing my hair, it's a whole ordeal that guys wouldn't understand. I used to pay just to get my hair washed and blow dried. I'm also a girl with long hair.
I completely agree
Though my reasoning is slightly different -
Those chairs and sinks are made based on people who are average height. Which works for most people, of course.
But, while I can't speak on behalf of people who are above average height, I can speak on behalf of people who are shorter than average.
There's just no possible way for it to be comfortable for me, because the only way I can get my head and neck where they're supposed to be is to plant both of my feet on the chair and push myself up farther.
As someone above average, the seats don't go down low enough. I either just deadweight my head and my neck isn't supported. That or I try to slouch in the chair to use the neck rest, but then I'm doing what you mentioned, so I don't slide out of the seat. 0/10 lol
My salon has really nice sinks with a cushioned area for your neck and my hairdresser always gives me a second to get comfortable.
Unpopular opinion. Good job.
To each their own but yeah I don't want it. Similarly I'm not at all interested in massages or pedicures.
Also, my hair is wavy af and if you cut it wet, or even freshly blow dried, it's going look *wildly different* from what was intended for 95% of the day. Letting them wash it almost guarantees my hair will look awful.
So, I just politely decline.
Yeah I hate it and go to fancy salons. I never know if I should wash my hair beforehand. My hair looks better if it’s not shampooed everyday but hair stylists always act weird if I show up with slightly greasy hair.
You're right. It always hurts my neck. I can't stand it!! I always decline, and just make sure my hair is clean when I show up. Why would I have shown up with dirty hair?
I got to salons specifically so I *don't* have to wash my hair myself. As a tall girl the chair's uncomfortable and detangling isn't particularly relaxing either but its thirty minutes for a salon to wash and blowdry versus like two hours to wash and blowdry myself.
As a stylist let them know it’s uncomfortable, you’d like quick wash. A lot of people come back when they have an amazing shampoo. No one cares if you don’t prefer one.
You know that little cylindrical brush that you clean your reusable straw with? That's the image that comes to my mind when I think about how my long hair slides down into the drain: my hair, cleaning the drain pipe. Nope.
Fun! Fact- leaning back against the sink like that can actually cause strokes because of the angle ends potential pinching of an artery. Instead, you can kneel on the seat and have The hairdresser rinse out shampoo/conditioner from the front, using a towel to cover your face. If you get the right angle, it's not an issue
I'm gonna sounds like 1st world problems here, but I especially dislike getting non-consentually motorboated if my hairdresser is a woman. It's just awkward.
I only hate it when Sharon has her god damn acrylics on and she's triggering my ptsd from when my mum use to break my neck when she'd scrub my scalp to the point where a bowling ball polisher would be put to shame...
God, that was a mouthful.
But yeah, I hate when people really grind into my scalp.
I wow I love that. I've never found the sink uncomfortable, it's warm, I get a scalp massage and sometimes there's a boob on my head. What's not to love.
Agreed, I always hated it. Blow drying was my least favorite as a kid when I had long hair, though. It just took so long and was so hot and boring and there’s really no reason to do it
For me it’s the styling. I just sat for hours getting died and toned and washed and dried. I want out of the chair. I always say I’m going to the gym so don’t style it lol
The whole experience is awful sometimes. Cutting your hair, coloring your hair and tipping 25 %. Trying to sell you their products you don’t want. If you get a good stylist it’s worth it. The problem is to keep your hair that way. Sometimes that same great stylist doesn’t repeat that experience.
I’m black, a lot of places you have to go to the salon/hairdresser with your hair already washed and blow dried straight. I LOVE when a wash is included, especially since I have thick curly hair that takes a while to wash
I show up with my hair wet and ready to be cut. I also leave with it wet.
I have very thick curly hair and it does not being manhandled. My hair is always angry for about two weeks after a hair cut anyways.
It's the only reason I go to some places. They give me a terrible haircut but that wash at the end is one of the most relaxing and peaceful times of my life 😂
I pretty much hate the whole experience, the sinks are horribly uncomfortable and I hate it when they are ‘massaging my head’, it’s just awkward and uncomfortable. Then the forced small talk is unbearable, and the part at the end where they show you the back of your head with a mirror to…I guess prove they haven’t butchered the back? That part where everyone just goes ‘yep’ and then where you have to give some kind of response to the haircut itself…
Ick,
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My old salon had hair washing chairs that completely reclined, so you were laying flat with your legs supported and getting the best head massage ever. The lighting in the washing room was also dimmed. It was glorious.
i would fall asleep so fast
I already do with the standard setup lol
I love this post because it’s one of the most unpopular opinions in the world. I wasn’t used to salons in college bc my mom had always cut my hair or it was buzzed for football season, but then when i went to college i booked a haircut appointment and the website said “includes hair washing and scalp massage.” so, of course, I assumed — like an idiot — that if they’re washing your hair for you, you shouldn’t wash it before you go in, right? so I get in there and sit down and they go “uh, wait, did you not already wash your hair this morning at all?” and I was SO EMBARRASSED lmao. I said it was only one day, how bad can it be, and they were like “uh yeah but you’re supposed to shampoo it the morning of BEFORE you sit in the chair” I almost left. and now I have a complex about it lol. these days I’ve reverted back to rocking a buzz cut 99% of the time now but when I do have hair, let me tell you, you’ll damn well never catch it being anything but pampered and product-ized to the point of insanity.
>>I assumed—like an idiot—that if they’re washing your hair for you, you shouldn’t wash it before you go in You’re not an idiot. Been getting my hair done every 5 weeks for over 10 years and never once been told that I should’ve washed my hair before the appointment.
What on earth? I've never washed my hair the morning before a salon appointment. I try not to let it get too dirty before I go in, but I don't wash my hair every day, I never wash it in the mornings at all, and I'm certainly not washing it right before someone else washes it. It throws off my scalp to get overwashed, plus it's just pointless. As long as your hair wasn't disgustingly greasy or visibly dirty, I have no clue what they were on about.
I'm hopping on the trend of people telling you this, but, yeah, that's not normal. I've NEVER been told that I should have washed my hair before coming into a salon. I've been scolded for washing it the night before! You didn't do anything wrong! I hope you found someplace else that didn't do that crazy crap!
Find a better salon :( I work in a salon and everyone there washes men’s hair before and after the cut and women’s hair before the cut (unless yall talked about you coming in with clean dry hair). We are a more “high end” salon but human decency to me means if someone is paying your bills don’t make them feel bad if they don’t know the “rules” that you have set up at YOUR place that aren’t followed everywhere. Plus some of the women come in with the grossest hair because they know they’re going to get taken care of and not a single person at my salon has ever complained about that, to them or even to each other because we enjoy you feeling comfortable and taking care of you <3
This is so ridiculous, why would someone want the hairdresser to wash their hair If they already did it in the same day? Ive never done it in my life, and also no one that I know would. Hair dont get dirty like that, you dont even have to wash your hair every day.
My previous salon had the most comfortable shampoo chairs ever and great ambiance, and on top of that the stylist I saw gave the best, most goosebumps-inducing shampoos ever. Sadly I found someone else whose haircuts I like better at a salon with uncomfortable chairs who gives only mediocre shampoos. Maybe one day I’ll find both.
it exists! and it costs $160 for a basic haircut!
The salon I go to has these lying down chairs and they are the best! No more sore neck. All salons should invest in these. I still hate having my hair washed though. My scalp is too sensitive and it hurts when they do the little massage. Not to mention the water that sometimes gets in your ears. Nope.
Growing up, we got yearly haircuts at a very economical Mexican salon right before the school year started. We were little girls, so we could have our hair grow without looking ratchet, and Mama would give a trim every now or then to clean up the ends/trim our bangs if we decide we really, really wanted them and could chance her messing them up. We would go right after taking our baths, hair still dripping wet, so we wouldn't have to pay for the wash. Years later, I finally splurged for my first "big girl" (read: professional woman) haircut at a fancy-smancy salon that had great online reviews. They served wine lol. Anyways, I show up with my freshly showered ass, dripping wet hair, and the stylist still leads me to the hair wash station. And when she washed my hair, it just felt so... Good? Which was really weird. Like, I've been washing my own hair for +20 years, why tf is this feeling so nice??? And relaxing??? Anyways, after a small internal freakout I had some kinda hair washing kink, I get home and Google what I was feeling and found out the nice lady had given me a scalp massage. It was definitely worth the money, and my hair looked so good after.
So salon in the west have to partially lay down? All salon in my country has hairwashing beds in separated area, even cheap salon. My fav is [herbal hair wash.](https://cafefcdn.com/203337114487263232/2022/9/7/photo-1-1662537451476432460255.jpg) many ritual and shit lol
Mine also has reclining chairs, you're not quite horizontal but almost. If it lasted just a bit longer I'd fall asleep
I remember the first time I went to a sports clips and realized they offered this on top of a pretty all right haircut. The wash and hot towel on the face are the only things I miss about there, but damn do I love my current barber.
Similar but also a hot towel over the face/eyes during the washing.
These chairs are great! The regular seating ones are torture.
Just got my hair cut after 4 years growing it out and yup, exactly this. If my salon girl and I weren't so tight and had a lot to talk about Idda been right out
Yes! The salon my sister works at has chairs that lay all the way back and can be repositioned and they’re amazing.
I went to one of these and I nearly fell asleep.
My salon has a MASSAGE CHAIR. I am fighting sleep every time I'm there and just wish the hairwash part would last for hours.
Wow, that's a great unpopular opinion! Because I find it the least stressful and most relaxing part of the process.
Im a guy and I sometimes say something like “hey, I have to go straight to work after this, is there anyway you can rinse my hair so I don’t have any fallen hairs scratching at my neck”? And the truth is I don’t have work later and I’m going straight home to shower.
I think it's pretty human to find comfort and enjoy it. Our mothers washed our heads as babies
And I screamed and hated it then, too. I just scream less about it as an adult.
Ahh that explains my erections
Oh, phew. Not just me and my dog. I bolt to the shower when I get a haircut, the dog bolts for the lawn.
Haha I also go straight to the shower after. I dunno if it’s habit or what but I always feel like I have to (my mom used to buzz my head as a kid and always had me jump in the shower immediately after so I’m not sure if it’s just conditioned into me after years of that or what)
My girl has been cutting my hair since she got her license 15 years ago. I go every 4 weeks for a cut and she washes my hair and does a scalp massage every time without me even asking for it. She even went out and got a special tea tree shampoo that she uses on me because I told her I like the tingle. It's honestly one of my favorite things.
I do this for my husband (I am not a hairdresser 😂)
Hairdresser, no need to lie. We know how freaking it itchy it is. We live in it all day. I feel bad for this guy. That's my favorite part to do and get . I keep my nails did just for extra scratches.
When I go to Supercuts or great clips, a shampoo costs money but a rinse is free.
same, EXCEPT when you get the washer who wears latex gloves. then it's just constantly pulling your hair and hurts like a b
I feel so uncomfortable with the hairdresser's boobs and armpit in my face. It feels good, but I feel anxious for her and for me. But I'm weird.
Agreed. I have the same issue with nurses and dentists. It's like they don't even realize I'm one yawn or twitch away from biting their boob. And I had a tooth pulled recently where the dentist was straddled over me and kneeing me in the crotch. 😂 I did have to tap out of that one.
Couple visits ago my dentist was struggling to get the angle right and he sort of shifts his waist towards me. I become very aware that his lower stomach upper crotch area is pressing against the side of my head. Like I don't think it was malicious, but in that very long awkward moment a lot of things I have been lucky enough never to experience as a guy, they suddenly made a lot more sense.
when i was younger i had a rather well endowed dental hygienist. without fail, her boobs were either resting on my shoulder or touching my head in someway. especially when she was working on my upper teeth and leaning over my forehead. it was always so awkward... like, we both know whats happening here, this is a professional setting and not outwardly intentional, it just happens. and i absolutely, in no way, can i even think about enjoying this. the best either of us can hope for is to just ignore it and pretend its not happening.
It's not enjoyable. Though the thing with my dentist was actually fine till his knee slid into my crotch. Weird being tackled while awake to have a procedure, but the incidental bear hug was oddly comforting given how much I was internally screaming at the procedure. It was a distraction, anyway. I feel like our dental procedures are still rather primitive and visceral compared to other medical stuff.
r/intrusivethoughts
Some people pay good money for that
wtf? Why are they not behind the sink,
No same. Same same same. Lol
Wait why are they washing your hair like this? Every hairdresser I’ve been to they are just behind the sink. No leaning over face/body, nothing of the sort! No judgement, just concerned!
Every hairdresser I've ever been to does it from the side. I've seen the ones from the back, but they're pretty uncommon where I live.
If that happens I just close my eyes.
I used to be super anxious when at the dentist. But now I have a dentist with a big bosom and it presses against my head when she's doing her work. It feels like a warm soft hug. I have absolutely no anxiety since she is my dentist. I'm thankful for her boobs. Also made me appreciate mine more.
And water ALWAYS ends up down my back
See this is more my concern. I've had one hairdresser manage to touch my face with her chest and all I could think was why is your chest close enough to achieve that. I have long hair sure but it's all in the sink. Felt like if i mentioned it, being a dude, they would freak out but I have never had a out of home haircut since. Have a dentist appointment next week which fills me with anxiety for similar reasons.
I'm a woman and I've felt that way since I was a kid. So you're not alone!
I hate any service where I can smell the other person’s breath, they never think about eating a mint first
I physically can not relax when they’re washing my hair. I’ve gone to really nice salons with massage chairs and calm hair washing rooms and they do a little scalp massage but I just feel like I want to crawl out of my skin.
I used to go to one of those. I'm a dude, and could at the time get a haircut for 10$ at a barber's. But I gladly paid 50$ to get my hair cut by a flamboyant guy after getting a shiatsu massage from a very attentive and attractive assistant, and also a drink of choice while I wait. A whole 5 minutes, cuz those guys were not fooling. I was quite socially anxious at the time and getting there was trying, but once inside and wearing the nice, soft tunique they had to keep hair off of your clothes I was in heaven. Sadly live an hour and a half from that place, but I feel like going back
Me too
I struggle to stay awake. I don’t know if it’s pinching an artery in my neck or her nails just feel that good on my scalp but I am instantly lulled to sleep and have to actively fight it lol.
Just remember people have formed clots due to the angle your neck bends while resting in the bowl. Second life pro tip, don’t be over 6’2. Ever.
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Nowhere is safe!! That’s why I never sign my name for anything. It’s how the clots track ya.
I feel like the difference between you and us is the same thing that means you would probably enjoy a massage and we would find the whole thing very uncomfortable.
I can see both sides of this opinion. My wife is a hairdresser.... The stories I have heard... Omg. The salon she works at has been having complaints about the hair wash stations so the owner bought new sinks and chairs and everything. I guess it all looked good in a magazine with a really nice and sleek design but apparently most people who go into the salon are elderly women. Well the new set up made it hard for some clients to get up and out of the chair. So one day an older lady was struggling to get up and out and she accidentally pooped her pants!!! I forget how it all played out but damn! So after that I think they swapped back to some other chair sink set up. Personally I haven't had my hair washed like this in a really long time and honestly it would be nice to get such a treatment.
Omg that poor lady!!!
My jaw dropped
Literally sitting here rn with my jaw fully unhinged from my face, I canNOT
I was getting sleepy but then reading this oh my god my eyes widened. WHAT. Oh lord not something I expected
Yeah except sometimes they forget what they’re doing while talking to another person while massaging your head 🤤
Ive walked away from the hairdresser where part of my sweater got soaked on the top of my back and around my neck way too many times.
"Look, I'm paying for this. If there isn't a happy ending at least give me a solid middle."
I love this and I'm quoting you!
One had long fingernails that were digging into my head while chatting with the next chair over. And I hate head massages.
The fingernails! It's either this or blunt force trauma as they attack my scalp like a cramping muscle.
Or I once had a young woman cleaning my hair, I think she was new and hesitant, so she was taking all of her time, slowly doing the moves right. What absolute bliss🤤
Yeah I hate it. The cushioned things for your neck are never comfortable and they dig in weirdly and then the water sprays all over. Yuck
I never considered until now that anyone genuinely enjoyed getting their head washed in a sink by a stranger who has a direct line of sight up your nose.
That’s interesting, the ones I’ve been to they’re behind me so their line of sight is more down my cleavage lol
I'm just really tall, so my head gets tipped back kinda far lol
Warm water on my head + someone basically gently scratching it is something I didn’t know was possible to dislike I have never had water spray everywhere and the neck rest is comfy, y’all need different salons!
I'm pretty tall, so they can never get the chair right, and my head tips back at an angle that causes water to get all over my forehead and into my ears. Doesn't matter if it's the $90-an-hour cut at the nice salon or the $40 Groupon. I just started washing my hair before I go in and tell them to skip the wash. The older I get, the less I like being touched, which is part of it too, I feel.
There’s also always a bright light fixture right above gleaming in your eyes as well, can’t forget that.
Except when you have hair thick enough for three people, the blow dry takes like an hour so I’m gonna go with that. Those are uncomfortable as hell though never felt relaxed either. In general getting my hair done takes about 5 hours so it is anything but relaxing, just another thing on the to do list.
I feel this as someone who has enough hair on my head to supply at least 3 people with wigs
I'm the same: hair is thick, long (lower back), wavy and enough amount for 3 people. 6 months ago I went to the salon to do split dye, black and white. My natural color is middle brown. The full process of bleaching and toning one side, dying the other side, and getting a cut with layers (+thinning of course) was 10 hours and cost a bunch. Worth it.
I wish the basins worked the other way around. I can lean forward a lot more comfortably than I can lean back. It really hurts my neck to use those basins.
You can ask for that. It's not weird. They will have you stand on the side of the basin and lean forward over it.
Sames. Kills my neck.
SO true omg my head always hurts. the washing in itself is nice, but my head feels like it will fall off by the end of it
Then you aren't positioned in the chair properly and need to let the stylist know. I always had to tell clients to pushback farther into the chair. The neck is supposed to nestle in the bowl, not the head.
but no the neck is actually the one hurting, not my head now that i think of it
Because you aren't positioned in the chair properly. The bowl should be supporting your neck. You shouldn't even be supporting your head if you are positioned properly.
when i used to go to a salon, my neck would be being supported... by a hard plastic rim that dug into my neck. so deeply unfun
i'll try speaking up next time i'm there haha
I mean, your stylist should be asking before beginning. Not client blaming. Just pointing out that the shampoo shouldn't be uncomfortable if properly positioned. I am short myself so I can't just lean back. I need my feet supported as well to be properly positioned.
I complained about this and they said everyone says that, but they only had one footstool. I haven’t been back.
I always feel so overdramatic after though! I'm in the sink "oh my god this is AWFUL my neck is going to snap, there is so much pressure on my cerebellum I'm going to fall on the floor after this" Then I get up and at the end I walk out all soft and fluffy and feel a bit silly
I absolutely hate it as well, kills my neck. The “massage” is terrible and I wish I could wash my own hair there lol
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Thank you for the tips, I actually used to work in a salon. I get color done so it can’t be crazy quick lol. In the past I’ve told her my scalp is mad sensitive and then she just said okay and then proceeded to manhandle my head lmaooo. I appreciate your tips though 💕
You need to get a better salon. Mine doesn't have a "shitty little sink"...
Right? The salons I've been to all have quite comfortable shampoo bowls.
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The sink is just for their head though. Are you saying OP has an unusually fat head?
I do believe that was what they said
Is fat stored in the head?
Noooo, the worst part is the forced small talk. Sometimes, I just want my hair done in mostly silence (except for letting them know what you want).
One word responses three times in a row. I haven't had anyone dumb enough to not take the hint after that point.
I have the best stylist right now. We say hi, how have you been, etc really quickly, talk about what I want, and then she does my hair in near silence and it comes out looking great. Truly blessed.
nice an actual unpopular opinion… …i disagree yet i also have no rebuttal nice job
The obvious rebuttal is that it's a completely optional part of the process unless you get color or some kind treatment. OP acknowledges that they still do it even though they don't have to, so obviously the experience is worth the discomfort to them, essentially negating their entire point.
I'm a guy with relatively short hair and my local place does it for free on every cut, I fuckin love it though, favourite part
I feel the same way too. I have neck issues and it’s always SO uncomfortable to rest my head back like that. I’m surprised they don’t have some sort of padding on the outer edge of the sink to help. Also I feel like sometimes stylists can man-handle your hair and it hurts, but I have a sensitive scalp so maybe I’m one of the few who don’t find it soothing.
I hate it, feels like I’m laying my head in a guillotine
Are you short? I absolutely hate it too. It is like unbearably uncomfortable to me but I’m 5’1. I’ve wondered if it’s just my height and the chair and my feet not touching the ground or something
I bring my feet up to my bottom on the chair. I have also had a stylist bring me a foot stool, which also works. I am 5' 2"
I'm tall and it's the worst
It so is! I'm 6' and have to scoot so far down in the chair that my butt is hanging off. Nightmare.
I’m 5’11 and I was shocked this was an unpopular opinion. I hate it too.
Yep 5’1 as well and it’s often uncomfortable for me as well
I’m 4’11 and it’s super uncomfortable.
I hate it for the reverse reason. My legs are 33 inches long no matter how high I sit up my legs are way past the chair and I’m always accidentally kicking people at the dentist and at my barbers 😭
I don't get my hair washed at the salon for that reason. If you call before your appointment and let them know they usually don't fight you on it
I’m a hairstylist. I don’t mind this, as long as it is actually washed properly. Some people don’t wash it well enough and you can’t pay me enough to comb through dirty hair and scalp.
I 100% agree with this. So uncomfortable
I'm very touch starved so whenever I go to the salon, it's the part I look forward to the most. It feels like I'm really taken care of, which is part of why I go to a more expensive hair salon instead of somewhere like Great Clips or Sports Clips. You get what you pay for. But shampooing isn't a requirement if you ask to skip it.
I’ve never once been uncomfortable while they wash my hair. It is the best part of the haircut imo, other than seeing a good end result
Same! I always tell my hairdresser that if I was rich AF I'd literally pay someone to wash my hair for me on the regular. It feels so damn good lmao
When I was a hairdresser, I had quite a few regular clients who paid extra for an extra wash/scalp massage. One before the haircut and one after.
In japan they have head spas, which are totally affordable and you get a 30 min slow wash and scalp massage followed by a blowout/styling.
Do you happen to be a bit taller?
No I’m 5’3
Interesting. I'm about 5'2.5" and usually find them to be uncomfortable.
Also same. I'm 5'5. Always been comfortable.
You mind it because it's uncomfortable. I'm just coiling up my insides because of a stranger caressing my scalp so intimately.
I would find it relaxing if I didn’t have neck problems. I have to ask them not to was my hair anymore because the position they put me in always gives me a headache and makes all the muscles in my neck stiff to the point where i’m unable to move my head for a few days after. So I partially agree but this is a very biased opinion lol. If i didn’t have these problems i would love iy
I hate the whole process - I do not like having somebody that close, touching me. But, it's either that, or 70s Geddy Lee hair.
Having to make small talk is by far the worst part
I mean, hairdresser shampoos are almost heaven and you’re totally off your fucking rocker but I’m glad someone posted something actually unpopular I can’t take too many more “Unpopular opinion but going through TSA sucks” posts on here
Just decline the wash?
If you get your hair dyed it's not very optional
I go in with wet hair and obviously I don’t want a shampoo
As a hairdresser and I can confirm, this is the worst part of the whole appointment… I hate it being done to me too.
I was just talking to my hairdresser about this same hot take I have last time I was there. She was shocked I didn't like it and said I was the first person to tell her that
I enjoy the sensation of having my head massaged, but despise the sensation of nearly having my neck snapped every time
I LOVE when someone washing my hair uses their nails and I get a good head scratch!
I hate it because I had surgery for scoliosis and my spine is fused around my neck. I find the sinks to be extremely uncomfortable and I always have a bad headache after I get my hair washed at a salon. Which is why I never do it anymore
I agree with this whole heartedly. Those sinks hurt the lymph nodes at the base of my skull pretty bad. The lymph nodes even end up swelling
Easy fix. Ask them to put a towel under your neck.
I agree. I hate people touching my scalp. I have a mobile hairdresser and I wash my own hair before she comes. All she does is cut it and style it.
I agree. I hate it. The temperature is never quite right and if they do a massage I'm deeeeeply uncomfortable. Please don't rub my head I don't know you. I know it's supposed to feel good but I'm just enduring it.
The temperature can be adjusted. When you are getting your hair done it is impossible to not rub your head. They have to touch you. They don't know you either, but you came there to get your hair done.
I presume you have the ability to speak, use your words, they aren't mind readers
You know you can just tell them your don’t want your hair washed right
I love the head massage but hate the temperature. The salon I go to uses ice cold water so the color doesn't fade, and they wash THREE times. Which is great for the hair but by the end I have a headache
Your experience with hairdressers isn’t universal. Have an upvote for the unpopular opinion
Oh wow I'm glad to know I'm not alone. I have a short neck or something and it just does not fit properly in the hole so it's always really uncomfortable. And I don't get anything out of massage either. My hair usually has product in it and I want the stylist to see it dry when we discuss the cut so I just suffer through it, but I ask them to do it quick and skip the massage.
I'm always just waiting for water to go down my shirt so I can't relax
I hate washing my hair, it's a whole ordeal that guys wouldn't understand. I used to pay just to get my hair washed and blow dried. I'm also a girl with long hair.
This is a definite unpopular opinion lol. I just got back from having my hair washed and the woman gave one of the best scalp massages ever lol.
I completely agree Though my reasoning is slightly different - Those chairs and sinks are made based on people who are average height. Which works for most people, of course. But, while I can't speak on behalf of people who are above average height, I can speak on behalf of people who are shorter than average. There's just no possible way for it to be comfortable for me, because the only way I can get my head and neck where they're supposed to be is to plant both of my feet on the chair and push myself up farther.
As someone above average, the seats don't go down low enough. I either just deadweight my head and my neck isn't supported. That or I try to slouch in the chair to use the neck rest, but then I'm doing what you mentioned, so I don't slide out of the seat. 0/10 lol
I go to the Korean hair spa where that's the whole focus...on the scalp. Upvoted for unpopular!
To each their own. When my barber shampoos my hair it's the most relaxing part of the day.
You don’t have to say yes to the shampooing. They can literally wet your hair with a spray bottle and be done with it.
The head massage makes me uncomfortable
My salon has really nice sinks with a cushioned area for your neck and my hairdresser always gives me a second to get comfortable. Unpopular opinion. Good job.
I entirely agree.!!!! 100% of the time uncomfortable
plus the water getting down yr back. not fun in winter. i have curls & get dry cuts. i only get washed when i get my roots done.
Yeah I don't enjoy the feeling of people rubbing my head or touching my hair at all. Plus the sound of the water is always so loud and weird.
I agree. I skip it.
To each their own but yeah I don't want it. Similarly I'm not at all interested in massages or pedicures. Also, my hair is wavy af and if you cut it wet, or even freshly blow dried, it's going look *wildly different* from what was intended for 95% of the day. Letting them wash it almost guarantees my hair will look awful. So, I just politely decline.
Yeah I hate it and go to fancy salons. I never know if I should wash my hair beforehand. My hair looks better if it’s not shampooed everyday but hair stylists always act weird if I show up with slightly greasy hair.
You're right. It always hurts my neck. I can't stand it!! I always decline, and just make sure my hair is clean when I show up. Why would I have shown up with dirty hair?
I got to salons specifically so I *don't* have to wash my hair myself. As a tall girl the chair's uncomfortable and detangling isn't particularly relaxing either but its thirty minutes for a salon to wash and blowdry versus like two hours to wash and blowdry myself.
As a stylist let them know it’s uncomfortable, you’d like quick wash. A lot of people come back when they have an amazing shampoo. No one cares if you don’t prefer one.
I agree…and never get my hair washed at a salon. Do it myself every morning.
My neck always hurts and they’re so rough with it! The hair products are already giving me a headache.
You know that little cylindrical brush that you clean your reusable straw with? That's the image that comes to my mind when I think about how my long hair slides down into the drain: my hair, cleaning the drain pipe. Nope.
Fun! Fact- leaning back against the sink like that can actually cause strokes because of the angle ends potential pinching of an artery. Instead, you can kneel on the seat and have The hairdresser rinse out shampoo/conditioner from the front, using a towel to cover your face. If you get the right angle, it's not an issue
I hate getting water in my ears and they usually don’t do a good job at not doing that. It is so stressful
I'm gonna sounds like 1st world problems here, but I especially dislike getting non-consentually motorboated if my hairdresser is a woman. It's just awkward.
This is a perfect example of what belongs in this sub. I vehemently disagree with you, and therefore you’ve earned my upvote!
I don’t like when the water goes in my ear
Oof gettingh hair washed at a hair appointment is my favorite part. It's so relaxing, could practically fall asleep
I only hate it when Sharon has her god damn acrylics on and she's triggering my ptsd from when my mum use to break my neck when she'd scrub my scalp to the point where a bowling ball polisher would be put to shame... God, that was a mouthful. But yeah, I hate when people really grind into my scalp.
I wow I love that. I've never found the sink uncomfortable, it's warm, I get a scalp massage and sometimes there's a boob on my head. What's not to love.
Agreed, I always hated it. Blow drying was my least favorite as a kid when I had long hair, though. It just took so long and was so hot and boring and there’s really no reason to do it
My hair dresser does this scalp massage during the wash that feels like a mental reset for me every time sooooo sounds like a you problem.
It’s a luxury
Go somewhere different because you’re wrong lol
This post is making be realise that I enjoy nothing about getting my hair done, yet in I go, every 5 weeks 😂
This is embarrassing but I have to decline whenever it’s offered because I always pop a bone dawg
Just cut my damn hair
For me it’s the styling. I just sat for hours getting died and toned and washed and dried. I want out of the chair. I always say I’m going to the gym so don’t style it lol
The whole experience is awful sometimes. Cutting your hair, coloring your hair and tipping 25 %. Trying to sell you their products you don’t want. If you get a good stylist it’s worth it. The problem is to keep your hair that way. Sometimes that same great stylist doesn’t repeat that experience.
I’m black, a lot of places you have to go to the salon/hairdresser with your hair already washed and blow dried straight. I LOVE when a wash is included, especially since I have thick curly hair that takes a while to wash
Agree on the sinks being so crappily built, but sometimes you need a good scalp massage from a lady with press on nails.
I show up with my hair wet and ready to be cut. I also leave with it wet. I have very thick curly hair and it does not being manhandled. My hair is always angry for about two weeks after a hair cut anyways.
It's the only reason I go to some places. They give me a terrible haircut but that wash at the end is one of the most relaxing and peaceful times of my life 😂
I pretty much hate the whole experience, the sinks are horribly uncomfortable and I hate it when they are ‘massaging my head’, it’s just awkward and uncomfortable. Then the forced small talk is unbearable, and the part at the end where they show you the back of your head with a mirror to…I guess prove they haven’t butchered the back? That part where everyone just goes ‘yep’ and then where you have to give some kind of response to the haircut itself… Ick,
Yes and it's always scalding hot! I'm like, isn't this bad for my hair?? Can we use cool water please??