Bad Hair Dye and Color Jobs

Everyone has those friends who cry every time they get their hair cut. But for some clients, color can cause an emotional rollercoaster, too—whether the hair dye and color jobs turn out good or bad.

Twenty years into living blonde, one woman transitioned her hair color with the help of color analysis expert Carol Brailey. While she looked vibrant and beautiful in her new shade, the client didn’t feel that way, Brailey wrote in an article for HuffPost. For her, it was a true “hair coloring gone wrong” scenario. She was uncomfortable and worried the change wasn’t good for her after all. After having misgivings for days, the client changed her hair color back to the blonde it had been before.

Emotions ran even higher for one woman who asked her friend, a stylist, to color her hair. The client didn’t disclose her previous hair treatments, and so her bleaching didn’t go as planned. She believed her hair was ruined by a botched dye job and sued her stylist friend for emotional distress.

Alleged botched hair jobs are common complaints against hairstylists. Sometimes you legitimately mess up and give your client a botched hair dye job. But more often than not, clients just feel like you ruined their hair by coloring it. Why are they so quick to accuse stylists of bad hair dye and color jobs?

“It’s likely we are hardwired to feel emotionally connected to our hair,” explained psychologist Vivian Diller, PhD in an article for Well+Good. That emotional tie can lead clients to feeling impassioned and even being melodramatic about their hair color.

What’s a stylist like you to do? How can you work your coloring magic while minimizing the risk of botched hair dye complaints?

How to Avoid Accusations of Bad Hair Dye and Color Jobs

We offer four ways to minimize your risk of “hair stylist ruined my hair” allegations.

1. For a good result, never skip the consult!

Whether you’ve colored this client’s hair once or a hundred times, you’ve got to do a thorough consultation. Chat with clients personally or at least give them a hair color consultation form to fill out beforehand. Ask them hair color consultation questions like:

• What’s the look they’re trying to achieve?
• If you’ve colored them before, what worked well about their last dye job? And what do they want to change this time?
• What treatments have they done in the past?
• Do they want their color to match something they’ve seen before? Do they have an inspiration picture?

It’s especially important to know about past treatments. Don’t assume your regular client hasn’t had anything done since they last saw you. Ask about any texturing, coloring, or highlighting they’ve done in the last few months to avoid unintentionally damaging their hair–like in the lawsuit from the intro.

2. Set expectations like you set hair.

Sometimes those hair dreams are unrealistic. If stylists aren’t honest with them, clients may walk away feeling like they’ve received a “messed up hair color” or “bad hair dye and color job.”

Common ways your clients’ hair requests may be impractical or impossible:

• They think their color transformation will be instantaneous, but it’ll really be a multi-session journey.
• Your client wants to walk out with hair like Megan Fox, but their color has to adapt to their own hair type, skin tone, and lifestyle.
• They want their hair colored like a pic on Instagram, but that inspo image has definitely been filtered.
• The color they want is going to look GREAT—but it’ll need maintenance to combat fading.
• They want to be a blonde bombshell TODAY, but because of recent treatments they’ve had, that kind of lightening will compromise their hair’s integrity.

Knowing your client may want something that can’t be done, it’s up to you to gently (but firmly) tell them what’s possible. Work with them to set practical expectations so they aren’t disappointed or crying about “dyed hair gone wrong” on social media.

3. Testing! Testing! 1, 2, 3, testing!

You’ve got to love patch and strand tests. While the skin patch test ensures your client won’t face irritations and allergies with a whole head of dye, the strand test solidifies the coloring plan. They’re a go-to for avoiding accusations of bad hair dye and color jobs.

By showing your client exactly what their hair will look like in that color, you give them a last out before committing to the look. Treat these tests like you do fastening your seatbelt before you drive: a safety essential!

4. Consider using a hair color waiver form.

Once you and your client are on the same page, consider using a hair color waiver form, like this one from Marlo Beauty Supply. A legal doc may seem extreme. But having clients complete a color consent form puts expectations and agreements in writing. Some things you might include:

• The agreed-upon shade.
• How long it’ll take to get there.
• How much it’ll cost.
• Required maintenance.

By committing on a form, your clients are less likely to have second thoughts about their color. And if they do blame you for a botched hair dye job, you’ve got proof that they consented ahead of time.

Don’t fear claims that come out of the blue.

Even when you follow every step to the T, you can still have clients upset with their color. You agreed upon silver blue, and now they’re adamant they asked for icy blue ombre.

With WellnessPro Insurance, you can be confident you have support facing bad hair dye and color job claims against your business. Visit wellnessproinsurance.com to learn more about our hairstylists and barbers coverage.