I visited Simi Hair Lab for the first…
I visited Simi Hair Lab for the first time today. My hair is currently in poor condition after years of bleaching, which I explained clearly to the stylist at the start of the appointment. I had originally booked for a blonde balayage, but was advised this would not be possible due to the condition of my hair. I completely understood and expected this, so we instead discussed achieving a softer balayage effect with warmer golden tones using toner.
During the consultation, I was also advised to have an “intense treatment” costing £35, along with a root shadow for an additional £35. Unfortunately, the treatment appeared to consist only of a hair masque left on for around 10 minutes — something very similar to products readily available in supermarkets. Given the price, I expected a more professional or intensive treatment process.
After spending four hours in the salon and paying over £200, my hair looked almost exactly the same, except less blonde and noticeably drier. The treatment did not improve the condition of my hair at all; in fact, it feels worse now than before the appointment. My hair was also not professionally blow-dried or styled at the end, nor was I asked whether I wanted a finished style, which made it difficult to properly assess the final result.
When I expressed my disappointment, the stylist became defensive and visibly irritated, which made me uncomfortable explaining my concerns fully. She offered to apply another toner to correct the result. A gentleman, who I believe may have been the owner, then spoke with me and was more calm and understanding. I explained that I also felt frustrated at being charged £35 for a treatment that did not appear to justify the cost. Although he acknowledged that this may not have been explained properly to me, he refused to remove the charge from the bill.
To his credit, he did offer for me to return the following week for a complimentary toner correction and assessment, but by that point I no longer felt confident in returning to the salon, so I politely declined. The stylist that did my hair did not apologise or even say bye and made it clear she was angry which made me uncomfortable.
Reply from SIMI & CO. LTD
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry that your first visit didn't leave you with the confidence we always aim to provide.
You're right that the overall result wasn't dramatically different from when you arrived. However, that was also the agreed plan after the consultation. Due to your heavily bleached and compromised hair, a blonde balayage was not safe to perform, so we instead opted for a much softer contrast using babylights, a root shadow and toner to blend your natural regrowth while protecting the integrity of your hair.
With hair that has been heavily lightened over many years, colour can absorb and release unpredictably, meaning no stylist can guarantee exactly how the final tone will develop. This is also why we asked you to sign a waiver before starting the service.
Regarding the Botanical Repair treatment, we'd like to clarify that it is more than a mask. It includes a bonding treatment added during the colour process, followed by the shampoo and mask afterwards, helping to minimise further damage during colouring. We're sorry if this wasn't explained clearly enough during your appointment.
Although the visual change was intentionally subtle, the appointment involved several services, products and over four hours of work to achieve the safest result possible for your hair.
We're pleased our manager was able to speak with you and offer a complimentary follow-up appointment to reassess and refine the result as a gesture of goodwill, but we respect your decision not to return.
We genuinely wish you all the best with your hair journey and thank you again for your feedback.
Kind regards,
SIMI Team