It's safe to say that we've all had at least one horrible haircut, dye job, perm or all of the above during our lifetimes. Since I moved to Cairo, however, despite the availability of high quality salons and the above average know-how of local hairdressers, beauty salon disasters have occurred with disturbing frequency. I will admit that I get my hair cut and done more than the average person, and as an unnatural blonde, coloring treatments are a regular feature in my life - habits which undoubtedly increase my chances of disaster. Still, between all my stories and those of friends and acquaintances in Cairo, I feel the situation calls for an explanation - or at the very least the explication of a strategy to avoid Cairo salon drama in the future. Many salon disasters begin very innocently, the victim sitting comfortably in the posh surroundings of top salons such as Mohamed El Sahgeer or Kriss, completely confident that they will receive exactly what they want from attentive staff. Too often though, things go bad when a request for a simple trim with a few layers, but "leave the length, is reinterpreted as "give me the latest style from Paris! - the inevitable result being a cut too short, too layered and generally too complicated for everyday use. This has happened to me on more than one occasion and I am always shocked by my hairdresser's oblivious reaction to my anger. Without exception, instead of offering an apology or acknowledging that my requests were ignored, I am presented with all sorts of explanations ranging from outright denial to feigned ignorance. And I've never been offered any type of consolation from repentant management - a fact that made me stop going to Mohammed El Sagheer after two years and a bad cut too many. In the grand scheme of things a bad haircut isn't a big deal, especially in a city where easy access to inexpensive blowouts can help you through a rough patch. However, I believe that this issue is a matter of principle: as patrons of high quality salons, we should get what we are paying for, and that usually means getting what we ask for. But how? This is a question I ask myself after every salon disaster, on my way home with my horrible haircut trying to figure out what went wrong. I usually find that the road leading to a bad cut is riddled with more than just communication issues; more often, overenthusiastic hairdressers have their own ideas of what would look good on you, or new techniques they want to try, and you are toast before you even get to the chair. It is this tendency that needs to be addressed at the beginning of the encounter. To do this I recommend several things. First, if you ever get a good haircut from a person that listens to your requests, always go back to them; they are a rare gem. Second, if you are trying a new salon or your hairdresser isn't available, make sure you can communicate with your cutter. For foreigners who don't speak Arabic, it helps to ask for Lebanese hairdressers, as they often speak better English than Egyptian hairdressers. Third, bring a friend to reinforce the message of what you want and to keep an eye on your cutter as he or she works. Fourth, always ask them to cut less than you actually want cut off, and bring a picture if necessary. If after all that, you still don't get what you want, don't be afraid to politely protest, and definitely don't go back for a second round. At the end of the day, we all get through salon trauma just as we bounce back from most problems in life, big and small. Life in Cairo is hectic enough with a bad haircut, so next time you go to the salon, I recommend that you assert yourself and walk out with your beautifully coiffed head held high.
