Article posted Wednesday, June 6, 2012 9:51am

Dear Miss Manners,

I’ve had a few bad experiences at the hair salon lately, the person who I’ve been going to for awhile seems to not get my hair and what I want anymore. I’d like to switch to someone else, but in a small town that can be awkward. What’s the polite way to dump your hair stylist?

Hair Do’s and Don’ts

Sister Bay, WI

Dear Hair Do’s and Don’ts,

People switch hair stylists for all sorts of reasons. It could be due to a price increase, difficulty in getting a preferred appointment time, or in this case, not being happy with how your haircuts turn out. Whatever the motivating factor, people often need to make a change when it comes to styling their lids. It is more common than you think and addressing the situation head on is the absolute best way to handle it. Instead of having his or her feelings hurt, your stylist might actually welcome honest feedback. If you’ve felt that your stylist isn’t getting your vision, say so. Give your stylist one more chance to address the issue. This might be all the creative spark that your stylist needs and you might end up loving your new do. If not, the next step won’t come as such a surprise.

If it is time to move on, you can simply say that you need a change and find another stylist. That way when you run into your former stylist in the grocery store, it won’t have to be uncomfortable in the least.

Good luck,

Mary Pat