Watching a stylist burn a clients scalp with bleach made me rethink my whole process

I was at this salon downtown last week waiting for my friend to get off shift. This girl at the next station was doing a foil highlight and she just slathered that lightener right on the scalp without protecting it first. Client was wincing and she kept saying it was normal. I wanted to say something but it wasn't my place. Made me realize Ive been rushing through my sectioning to save time and probably missing spots where I should be more careful. Has anyone else seen someone mess up bad and use it as a wake up call for their own work?

2 comments

2 Comments

hollyl4522d agoTop Commenter

...and that's exactly why I switched to doing my foils dry. Saw a girl at my local shop swipe a chunk of wet hair with bleach and it literally melted off when she rinsed it. Client had this bald spot right at the crown, she was crying, the stylist was trying to cover it with a comb over. Made me go home and practice on a mannequin head for like three hours that night. I still think about that when I'm sectioning, keeps me from getting sloppy.

scott.drew22d ago

Dry foils are the only way to go once you've seen something like that happen in person. That story is absolutely terrifying, and it's smart that you took it as a learning moment instead of just feeling bad about it. Bleach on wet hair is basically asking for trouble because the cuticle is already open and soaking everything up way too fast. I've had moments where I got lazy with saturation and caught myself right before disaster, so I get why that image sticks with you. Practicing on a mannequin for hours is the kind of dedication that separates good stylists from the ones causing bald spots. Better to be paranoid and careful than to have that kind of horror story happen to you.