Another haircut adventure

It had been too long.  One of the great things about wearing my hair long-ish (I can’t think of it as “long” because this is nothing compared to the waist-length hair I had in my younger days) is that I can get away with an incredibly long time between hair cuts.  My first experience getting my hair cut in Austria did NOT go well, so after that, I waited and got it cut again when I was home in the States.  That was great, but I haven’t been home in over a year, and it was (past) time.

So, I decided to be brave and try again here in Vienna.  I asked around and got three good recommendations.  Unfortunately, I ignored all of them.  Instead, I went to a place I found on my own.  They sell the (ridiculously expensive) hair products that I like, the salon is clean, busy and professional, the owner speaks English well and was nice enough to give me a consultation free of charge.  So, I made an appointment with her.

I thought, “This will be great!”  I knew exactly what I wanted — a haircut I’ve had before.  I brought pictures.  Pictures of ME with the haircut from before.  That has to work … right?!?

What I wanted

What I wanted

The haircut I wanted was a pretty drastic difference from what I’ve had recently — chin-length instead of long.  My hair, which is usually easy to maintain, does not like the water here (great for drinking, tough on hair) so I just wanted to chop it off and make things simpler.  Besides, this way, I didn’t have the uncertainty of “will that look good on me” because I’ve had it before.  I know it works.

I was so hopeful.

My experience in the salon was great.  They were (of course) right on time, and I talked to the stylist, who was surprised at how much I wanted cut off, but who chopped off most of the length anyway and sent me off for a thorough (American style) shampooing.  In fact, the salon was very reminiscent of fancy salons I’ve been to in the US — they even offered me espresso or prosecco while I waited!  When my hair was all clean, I had another great talk with the stylist (the owner) who really seemed to get what I was asking for.  She cautioned me about all of the things I knew to be true about the style I was asking for — I wouldn’t be able to put it back in a ponytail, she’d have to cut out a lot of the fullness in my hair to keep it from being poofy, etc.  I was ok with all of it — that was what I wanted.

She cut and cut.  It took a while.  It really looked promising.  I felt like she was leaving the front a little long, but I was even ok with that, because the back felt short enough.  She finished the cut, blew it dry, and cut some more.  But when she was done, it just wasn’t right.  It was still way too long, and, despite her warnings, it came out pretty fluffy anyway.  I was kind of hoping that when I came home and did it myself, it would look more like how I wanted it, but no luck.  It’s too long.  It actually reminds me A LOT of the failed haircut I had here 2 years ago.  It’s like the standard-issue Austria haircut for Americans.  I don’t like it.  Seriously — why is this so hard?  I see Austrian women on the street with good hair . . . where do they get it cut?!?

What I got

What I got

Alas, no luck again for me with Austrian haircuts.  Still, unlike my first haircut here, I feel like it looks better now than when I went in, it’s just not what I asked for.  I’ve learned my lesson.  I’m going to wait until I’m home to get my hair cut.  And if I *do* decide to do it here again, I’m definitely going with a salon recommended by a friend with great hair.  No more being clever and adventurous for me again . . . at least, not with my hair.

4 thoughts on “Another haircut adventure

  1. Couldn’t agree more!! I just wrote a similar post lamenting about my own recent hair adventure. I wanted a trim, yet came out with a mullet. I would suggest avoiding any and all hair places off of Praterstrasse. I’m sorry about your experience, but I will say the curls look great.

    • Thanks. 🙂 My hair actually has some natural curl to it, and I don’t know how she did it, but she managed to cut about 8″ off and REDUCE the amount of curl I have in my hair (how?!?)! The day of the picture, she used the curling iron in the salon, but since then, it’s pretty much straight, which I am not really used to.

      But thanks! 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *