Hair Undone — Attraction in Wake Forest

I was able to make a last minute appointment there right before Christmas which I very much appreciated. I thoroughly looked online for the perfect place to get my first ever hair coloring. I was nervous but excited and felt like I was in good hands. I went for a consultation and showed them a few photos of things I liked. That part went well. I was not told a price but as I said, I wasn't familiar with the experience so I was patient.

Upon arrival I was greeted and everyone was friendly. No one else could come in, no wine or snacks due to covid (understandable). The problem came when my stylist saw the photo I had chosen and assured me it would look like what I wanted. It was supposed to be a 2 color fade, or ombre I think the term is called.

First she only mixed 1 color for my hair then luckily another stylist came and helped so she mixed the second color. THEN (and I have naturally dark hair), she proceeded to 1. Lazily play on highlights my friend did on my hair that had grown out over 5 inches (my hair was below mid waist) and 2. She did vertical strips instead of the blend. The colors were red/burgundy and deep purple. It didn't feel right but again, I had never done this and I trusted her to uphold her promise it would look like the photo and you would be able to see the color. I was left alone to let the color develop while they talked in the back room. I don't believe she left it on long enough based on what she said. Afterwards she cut my bangs COMPLETELY wrong and I had to style them on the opposite side myself. WORST BANGS I'VE EVER HAD! While she was styling (and curling which I didn't want done but she loves curls so I was whatever about it) I received an e-mail from my doctor. I already felt horrible but I just wanted to look nice for Christmas... the e-mail had some bad news about my health. I started to cry and was visibly upset. At this point I just wanted to leave. She asked what was wrong and I told her in an obvious hushed tone that I had received bad news about one of my organs. She tried to console me but I noticed shortly after that she was speaking to the receptionist... they both kept looking at me.

My hair ended up looking NOTHING like the photo but I was ready to leave. Instead of what I wanted I just got hues of color you can only see in the sun (barely) and they didn't last a month. She took photos and I paid $263 for it!!! I cared more about my medical news and wanted to leave so I just paid it. But wait! It's picture time! She took pictures and I walked outside. A few minutes later the receptionist came out all lovingly (I did really like her) and said "if there's anything we can do for you just let us know) I appreciated that but what do you think happened there? Apparently my stylist shared what I told her in confidence ABOUT MY MEDICAL HEALTH and thought it was her story to tell? I'm sorry but that is beyond unprofessional!!! Not okay at all! I left crying, with hair I payed way too much for, and messed up bangs. The ONLY credit I give this place is for booking me right before Christmas and the receptionist being so nice. It would take a lot for me to go back.

PLEASE FIX MY HAIR THE RIGHT WAY AND DON'T SPREAD MY PERSONAL BUSINESS AROUND THE...

Loved my stylist! But can not recommend because I do not like the way this salon is run. There are NO PRICES for services, it's $105 an hour, and how long a service will take is a guesstimate. A deposit of $55 had to be made before appointment would be taken. They keep your credit card on file (big red flag, definitely do not like this! I don't care what they promise, this is unsafe) There is a very long and odd questionnaire that must be filled out before booking an appointment for any hair color or highlights. The questionnaire is "good" for 30 days, then must be filled out again. Touchup highlights would be $265 ESTIMATED. If the stylist takes longer the price is higher. This was all layed out in a contract /questionnaire. I told the receptionist I'd never seen this in any salon before. (I've had my hair done in MD, CA, TX and NC, I'm over 60 so I've been to a lot of salons across the country, even on cruise ships etc) I said I've never been to a salon that had long questionnaires, signed contracts and by the hour pricing only, no prices for services. The receptionist seemed offended and said she'd been "in the business 15 years and this is standard practice ". No standard I've ever heard of. I have heard, though, of complaints of people trying to cancel or change appointments and being charged (they've kept credit cards on file for this purpose). No one answered the phone when I repeatedly called, so I had to book online and there was no option for consultation. I love, love, love my stylist, but I'm definitely not comfortable with this salon. It's long past due for another haircut and I'm nervous to go back because of the salon, not the stylist. (Plus I got a new credit card number I don't want floating out there.) I definitely would never get highlights here, which is a shame. All the 5 star reviews on Google seems odd as well. Kinda different on other review searches. I loved my stylist! Not loving the way this salon is managed, or the front desk attitude. Very poor customer service. A detriment to the stylist, who was awesome. Otherwise, I would have already gone back several times and enjoyed more services. Now I don't want to even go back for a trim. Though there are excellent stylist here, I can not in good faith recommend this salon, which makes me very sad. 5+ stars for stylist, negative stars for...

The fee is $105 per hour based on time spent. However, this doesn't refer to the time the stylist spends with you, but rather the time you spend at the salon. The root touch-up today cost $185, and my previous appointment was 12 weeks ago. At that time, I was charged over $200, but my hair was fully dyed, and it’s very long. That price felt reasonable. However, as a first-time customer, I paid half of the service cost upfront, and this wasn't deducted from the final total. I had to correct this later. I like my colorist, but I find the payment policy difficult. This time, I spent a long time waiting for the color to develop and the conditioner to take effect.

The service included root coloring with one color, hair washing during which the new bright color was toned down chemically, and a blow dry. No haircut. A total of $185 (not including tip).

Update from the salon 9/24 by email:

”We stand by our current pricing structure, which is consistent for all clients. We appreciate your understanding and wish you all the best at your next salon”.

Update 10/4:

Now that Hair Undone has clarified its practices (posted on Nextdoor), I will simply note that I will avoid salons that charge by the hour in the future. I can't estimate how long color and treatment products take to process, and the visit may end up being unexpectedly expensive. Processing times are also part of the hourly rate.

Another lesson is that if you have to sign a written agreement with a salon, you must remember to ask for a copy...