Corrective Color From Hell....

Last Sunday was my first Sunday off since November.  It was very peaceful.  Until I went in for our Salon meeting...and heard about this client.

She came in LAST JUNE and saw Rita for color.  This client, whom we've all spoken to, at various times regarding her hair color, had some "interesting" hair.  She had been going to a different salon, trying to get beige blonde hair.  Her ethnic background is Italian, specifically Sicilian.  Which means her natural hair color is DARK, her eyes are DARK BROWN and her skin tone is olive.  She has absolutely NOTHING in her visual genetic makeup to indicate she was ever a blonde.  And yet, blonde is what we want, because we shouldn't have it.

Because her previous salon was using high lift color (and because she also tried to maintain it at home with box color) her hair is a level 8-ish gold color.  In order to be blonde, she needs to be a double process...lift with decolorizer/lightener/bleach, then tone accordingly to get the right shade.  Well, we all know how easily distracted Rita got.  Apparently, while this client's lightener was processing, Rita was also getting her hair done (hence the newest rule that you can't get your own services done during working hours), which was clearly more important.  The paying client's hair lifted to WHITE...which is completely destroyed hair.  Rita applied the toner, which didn't make it any better.

Client paid, client went home, client endured EVERYONE talking about her hair color for approximately 24 hours, then came back to get it fixed.  To which both Rita and Tina proceeded to tell the client SHE needed to pick the color she wanted her hair to be instead of taking charge, listening to what she wanted, and making it happen.  The client eventually got so frustrated with the way things were going that she just walked out.  And didn't come back for 7 (SEVEN) MONTHS.

She came in last Sunday, wanting the sun, moon, and stars for her hair, and wanting "something" done about what happened 7 months ago.  The girls got her name & number for me to call.

I called Coral on Tuesday morning to find out what she wanted me to do.  Which was this:  She was to come to me and only me.  Stress the importance of the fact that there's nothing we can do about what happened 7 months ago except move forward.  Give her some "free" services, such as conditioning treatments to help "smooth" things over, offer slight discount (two small dollar amount coupons we've always got going), and that's it.

Did I mention she's going to the NH Inaugural ball TODAY and needs all this stuff done ASAP?  Can you see me rolling my eyes??

So, I spoke to her Wednesday morning and arranged everything for her.  She comes in Thursday, 15 minutes late for her appointment, doesn't bother to call.  Awesome.  Now I finally get to see her hair up close and personal.

OH. MY. GOD.  Everything done previously was WRONG.  Her natural level was determined to be a 5, it's really a 3.  Her texture was never determined.  She's medium, headed to coarse, with little to no grey.  She's got a small amount of gold banding going on because she's been maintaining it at home with box color.  Because of this, and what was done back in June, her hair is WHITE, particularly on the ends, which are horribly uneven.

The first thing I do is explain that I cannot make her hair "perfect.  Can't guarantee a thing.  Had she come in and dealt with me way back when, even after Rita got done with her hair, a lot of the damage could have been dealt with between now and then, and she'd have hair in much better condition than what she currently has.  As it is, her hair is so compromised, there's not much to be done, really.

I lifted her regrowth to level 8, which is as far as it can go, SAFELY.  Rinsed it out, combed her out,   trimmed her hair.  Dried her hair to damp.  Watched her ends break every time I combed her hair to section it as I was foiling in the toner.  It looked like it was snowing on the cape she was wearing.  Rinsed out the toner, dried her hair, gorgeous color.

She stressed & fretted over the color.  To the point that she's coming in early today (at 9am) to get her color re-done before she gets her "up sweep" done (up-do) to get ready to go to the ball.  She wants one all over color.  And, she wants it to match a picture we have on the wall.  Of nice, healthy hair.  Which she does NOT have.

Stay tuned for the next installment, later today....