Please help, micro loops-what can I do?

[raffani]

Hi everyone, This is my first post but im desperate for some kind of advice....

I had Micro loops fitted on the 18th December 2013, 275 strands (supposedly 0.8g - not that i agree...) 22 inches in length.

I left the lady a deposit over Paypal (£60) after seeing her advertised on various Facebook selling pages in my area, she had loads of good positive feedback all over her wall, and lots of photos too. She sent me a receipt of proof of deposit n so on it was all good. Well she arrived a day late to fit my extensions after telling me they hadn't arrived...tho when i left my deposit she had told me she ordered them the same day, which makes no sense.... so i was already let down once by this lady.

She came round the following day and installed my micro loops, she was telling how she has 6 more clients today even tho it was already getting on 4pm, now don't get me wrong but surely she done a rush job? it took her about 2 hours to fit the hair, it felt very thin and didn't really look all that amazing for the price i had paid in total (£170 for hair and fitting) She had told me she makes no profit at all at the moment £170 is what she pays for the hair straight from her supplier. I thought this was a little untrue as iv seen the same amount of strands and lengths on eBay for a total of just £40....which annoyed me anyway seeing as i could have done it myself!

Anyway while she was fitting my hair she said she has to leave some natural hair to cover the loops for when i tie my hair up...tho when she went home i put my hair all up and you could clearly see loads of loops which didn't look nice at all.
I was expecting to be uncomfortable for a few days while my hair adjusted to the extensions, but by day 8 i had seriously had enough, my head was so itchy and uncomfortable i knew something wasn't right, i washed my hair 3 times in the first week it didn't feel like i could get them clean my head was so unbearably itchy it was becoming scabby sore and painful.

I contacted the lady to ask if its normal to be so itchy, she said it can take several weeks to calm down...well im sorry but i was almost at crying stage there's no way i could have held on several more weeks! I decided to go ahead and start taking the loops out myself, she didn't seem to be all that bothered about how i was feeling, so i figured IL do whats best for my head, and they all came out!

Not only did i seem to have been suffering some kind of reaction but the night i decided to remove the hair extensions i noticed around the micro loops where alot of gooey sticky glue mess, it felt as thought the silicone had been melted or dissolved, i had used all the correct products and followed her instruction sheet on how to keep them maintained.

My partner had treated me to these extensions for Christmas to cheer me up and give me a little confidence boost as i have gained alot of weight whilst suffering from m.e/cfs and severe depression. Not only do i feel guilty that hes wasted his money on something i couldn't bare to keep in my head but i could have bought a few new dresses instead and still had change for the price we paid which has literally all gone down the drain

My last complaint is when i removed the extensions and rewashed my hair alot and i mean ALOT of my natural hair had also come away into the bath, more that what looks normal for a weeks worth of hair shedding, my hair in the beginning before extensions was extremely thick, it is now very very thin. i will try to attach some pictures.

Basically if she refuses me any kind of refund what can i do next? or do i have to accept that its money wasted on a poor half arsed job Im so offput of having extensions ever again from now on.











(Sorry the pictures didnt come out so good its alot more red in real )

 

[hazeleyes]

Right well I'm not a hair geek or an extensionist but this looks like shoddy work to me. I'm sure one of the hair geeks here can offer you support with that and how to restore your hair and scalp!
One question : If you paid via PayPal why not raise a dispute with them firstly to show her your serious?

Now, I am renowned for getting money back when I am owed it fair and square

Having read the Facebook correspondence: first off I think by reading your messages your way way too soft on her- why are you asking so politely? If I were you I would send her the pictures, and all the hair which has been ripped out from the root and then I would absolutely demand a refund no debate about it! Either she refunds some or all of the costs or you will take her to small claims court, ask to see her insurance papers- ask to see who she insures with, if she insures with anyone that is- also you should ask to see her qualifications, find out as much info as you can about her business and then actually do seek legal advice if she still won't refund you.

Her way of writing and attitude seems and reads very unprofessional and almost uneducated (sorry to say that) that's not how I would want to run my business.

If she should of done a patch test and didn't this is her fault. In addition to this it looks like the rings were fitted so badly they have pulled out chunks of your hair from the root which may or may not recover!!! Although this could be the way you have removed them also?

Small claims court is only about £40 I believe so I would keep photographic evidence and start wheels in motion - tell her you will be claiming back expenses from her too!

People like this often rely on you not knowing your rights and not following things through- once they see your serious they soon change!

 

[S.H.E]

Its hard to tell from the picture but firstly, they look too close to the scalp and the sectioning has some stray hairs ie they are not very neat so this could be causing discomfort. I would say personally that the redness is from scratching and the beginnings of some trauma because of the sections - again, its hard to tell from pictures and really the technician should have come out to you to get eyes on it directly.

You may have to remove the names from the correspondence though.

Its difficult to prove these things once the bonds have been removed and in particular by yourself? There could be a case argued that you caused this yourself from a self removal when you are untrained and to be fair, you could have caused yourself some further damage, especially if your hair is coming out (you could have ripped it).

Not all technicians are bad, in fact most of us are very good and take pride in our knowledge and professionalism. Perhaps the moral of the story is that next time you go to a professional, ensure that they are certificated, insured and very well recommended.


Other than that, I am afraid I cannot suggest anything as you have removed them yourself it seems.

 

[Sasha99]

Don't let her try nd fob you off with saying she will contact the supplier, there isn't a problem with the hair it's the fitting by the looks of things, she is responsible for that not the supplier but you shouldn't have removed them yourself as she could say this is what's caused any damage to you hair, £170 really isn't much at all for extensions and if she's saying she isn't making any profit it's obvious shes just learning so I'd ask to see her insurance details etc

 

[hazeleyes]

Its hard to tell from the picture but firstly, they look too close to the scalp and the sectioning has some stray hairs ie they are not very neat so this could be causing discomfort. I would say personally that the redness is from scratching and the beginnings of some trauma because of the sections - again, its hard to tell from pictures and really the technician should have come out to you to get eyes on it directly.

You may have to remove the names from the correspondence though.

Its difficult to prove these things once the bonds have been removed and in particular by yourself? There could be a case argued that you caused this yourself from a self removal when you are untrained and to be fair, you could have caused yourself some further damage, especially if your hair is coming out (you could have ripped it).

Not all technicians are bad, in fact most of us are very good and take pride in our knowledge and professionalism. Perhaps the moral of the story is that next time you go to a professional, ensure that they are certificated, insured and very well recommended.


Other than that, I am afraid I cannot suggest anything as you have removed them yourself it seems.

Oh and I agree with taking the names out of correspondence!

 

[LMA]

I do agree that if I was you I would have sent her those photos etc.
Now I don't do hair/have never had hair extensions so don't know all the dos & don'ts. Did you do much research beforehand about aftercare and what to expect? As sometimes folk don't remember to put everything on their leaflets so something you unknowingly did could have worsened the issue.
But if you thought you were allergic I'd have suggested you see a doctor or ask a pharmacist for advice at the very least not say "Oh no gun gutted I nit had a Cliebt allergic to them b4"
I also agree about her responses. Whilst I know not everyone is a star at literacy, I would not personally feel comforted by her way of typing... Or the fact she wants to ask the supplier when from what I can gather the hair wasn't the issue (unless she means to ask about the silicon going gooey).

As said above, removing them yourself won't have done you many favours in your arguments. But you still have reasonable cause to make a complaint.

And are you serious about the prices? I know I haven't had them done before but I've been considering extensions for a while and looked at a few different priced extensionists and would not consider that expensive at all or dare to say how there's hair on eBay for £40 and could've done it myself! Good hair and products costs money and much more so for a good tech to put it in! X

 

[persianista]

Sorry, but what exactly did you expect for £170? You surely didn't think a genuine hair pro would be supplying and fitting 22" hair for that did you?
My advice would be to get them taken out, and go somewhere reputable, rather than risking your hair on a Facebook fly-by-night. Decent ext that length should cost upwards of £500 including fitting.
Buy cheap, buy twice.

 

[LocksOfLove]

£170 is ridiculously cheap, even if your using 'budget brands' advertised on here it's still ridiculously cheap so I dread how much she is actually paying for the hair. I am unable to see the photos but sounds like poor application to me, there's not a great deal you can do, try get your money back and raise a dispute on PayPal, may sound wierd but keep hold of the hair. Hope it goes well keep us updated.

 

[babychops]

If you go cheap you get cheap! A lot of people want to get extensions as cheap as they can and this is what happens unfortunately! X

 

[Kristalinx]

The itching could very well have been a maintenance issue. If you washed your hair 3 times within a week of having them put in then you have been given incorrect advise. Were you given an extension specific shampoo and conditioner?

I agree that they look as though they have been put in too close to the scalp. However your idea of what you should pay for extensions is very cheap and you shouldn't expect a reputable hairdresser without being willing to pay more.

 

[mau5fan]

Without sounding mean,but...£170??? Really? Sometimes I think that people who look for the cheapest deal had it coming anyway and it serves them right, because they could have paid more, gotten quality hair and quality service and thereby supported someone knowledgeable who cares about their clients. Anyway, I hope this is a lesson learned.

Since you removed them yourself there is little you can do, make sure you get your hair back on track! You mentioned depression-could the shedding be due to medication? Also, the bonds looked like they were placed too close to the scalp, hence the itchiness.

 

[babychops]

Where are the pictures? I can't see any? X

 

[AmberExt]

Its perfectly posible to spend about that much on loops from one of the most talked about supplier on here unfortunately if they were the supplier she will struggle to get a refund so id hope it was ebay.

The mention of gungy bonds suggests they had deteriorated so its reasonable to refer back to the supplier with that one. Its likely the glue was being an irritation to your scalp.

Its very difficult to critique bonds when they are photoed in such a way, but I can see triangle sections about equal to the bond weight and straight rows thou close to the scalp which may have exacerbated any irritation.

I saw the original messages and whilst she could have sounded more interested you only gave her 1 hour late in the day between wondering if you'd take them out to actually doing it, I understand if you couldnt cope but the girl didnt have much chance to help. Pulling 275 loops out of irritated hair folicles will pull out your own hair.

Anyway you need to keep her on side if she bought off ebay she can open a case And return for a refund even after fitted but provoke her to change her phone and fb page and thats that if you dont have her address.

I hope you get it sorted, its not nice for you and its not how it should be but I think you were unlucky with a combination of things but I do wonder if it was the extensionist posting the replies would be the same? Especially for what sounds a fairly new girl

Sent from my GT-P3110 using SalonGeek mobile app



Sent from my GT-P3110 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[LMA]

Where are the pictures? I can't see any? X

At the end of the post. You have to click "more" to see the full post, due to the length. That's how it is on my phone anyway. X

 

[Elaine Armani]

Sorry if I come across as rude or harsh, but firstly paying £170 for 275 strands of micro ring hair extensions should have been a red flag for you, there is no way in hell you could get a great fitting and good quality hair for that price... I highly doubt she wasn't making a profit to herself but anyway, in regards to the itching, it looks like they're way too close to your scalp, also her sections are messy and you have hairs crossing all over the place, that is what is causing the itchiness, but those scabs i would say are most probably from scratching too much. As for your hair falling out, how did you take them out? i'm guessing you pulled them out, now there is the answer to why your hair was coming out because you pulled it out while you were trying to remove them.
If I were you I would of showed her those pictures you have attached and asked if she could rectify the problem. You're untrained and removed them wrong, which pretty much slims the chances down for her to do anything about it.
I really wouldn't push my luck but explain to her that they were extremely uncomfortable and you had no other choice but to remove them.
If I were her I would of been 100% happy to rectify the problem but not so much after them being unprofessionally removed.
Sorry if that wasn't much help, but for future, you definitely get what you pay for.

 

[babychops]

O yeah thanks, looking at the pictures the sections look awful, lots of cross hairs, too close to the scalp and it looks like you have different rings in, some are round and some are flat? Did she offer to come and take a look at them? It wasn't a very good idea taking them out yourself but I can understand if you are in pain x

 

[raffani]

Im sorry but i came here for genuine advice not to feel humiliated or belittled
She offered me these at a special price, she had also been installing 18inch micro loops 200 strands for £95.00 to other clients with no complaints?
Im not a pro on extensions but i did do my research. I didn't go with this lady because her prices were cheap, i didn't really have a limit on the cost i could have spent it was just the fact that she had good feedback from many in my area and home extensionists seem to be hard to come by where i am. Yes i should have ended up going to a decent salon but i preferred a home extensionist due to personal reasons.
I researched how to remove the loops with pliers and there was hardly any resistance in removing the loops so i don't think it was me that cause the hair loss.
Its a risk whoever you get your hair done with, i have never seen negative comments left on a professionals website because it instantly gets deleted or removed so they look good, how can u ever know the negative history of hair gone wrong?

 

[raffani]

I had messaged her all day explaining how much pain they were giving me and how uncomfortable it was, she just told me to bare with it as it can take several weeks to calm down, i was at my wits end and already suffered many sleepless nights. She never once offered to come and check them out or offer to remove them for me. After seeing the amount of hair loss after just one week im kinda glad i removed them when i did, any longer and what if there was heaps more of hair falling out???

 

[raffani]

I just wondered if and how i should go about claiming something back, surely if shes fully qualified she should have some kind of insurance and if she isn't qualified i could go to trading standards or something similar. She has told me shes been very busy due to it being Christmas time and such i just wonder if anyone else has complained in the past, me having a reaction seems to of come as quite a shock to her i would have thought she'd have good knowledge about the possibility's of allergies n such when training.

 

[LocksOfLove]

I just wondered if and how i should go about claiming something back, surely if shes fully qualified she should have some kind of insurance and if she isn't qualified i could go to trading standards or something similar. She has told me shes been very busy due to it being Christmas time and such i just wonder if anyone else has complained in the past, me having a reaction seems to of come as quite a shock to her i would have thought she'd have good knowledge about the possibility's of allergies n such when training.

I understand your frustration - it can't be nice. But you've kinda screwed your self in line with a refund without her looking at it and removing them your self. If she has insurance you've made it invalid with doing 'home removal' as they (and her) will most likely blame it on that. You can keep messaging her but I highly doubt she will refund you, if she does it will probably only be partial as there was nothing wrong with the hair but the application. Also the sticky bonds and itching could be down to poor aftercare (not saying it is but it's possible) the application is wrong but she could have rectified it.

Loosing hair is natural as you natural hair shed daily which gets trapped in the bonds or rings and when removed may look like you've been loosing loads of hair and it's falling out but it is a natural process and an unprofessional removing extensions (as in yourself) could have made it worse.

I'm sorry if I sound blunt or mean but I'm only saying it from a professional point of view.

I hope it gets sorted xx