A woman’s hair appointment nightmare just hours before her sister’s wedding has gained viral attention after she shared her story on TikTok.
Ashley, 28, of Idaho, had traveled to Washington for her sister’s big day when she booked in for a fresh style.
She asked for an ash-blonde balayage, a soft, blended highlight technique that creates a natural sun-kissed look. Instead, she left the salon with chunky, bright blonde streaks reminiscent of the late 1990s hairstyles.
The TikTok post showed Ashley’s distressed reaction, with the text overlay reading: “That one time a hairdresser took me back to the late ’90s 24 hours before my sister’s wedding.” Another caption noted her “actual tears” as she inspected the brassy highlights.
@kbmk1780/TikTok
From Tears to Triumph
“I wanted highlights with a slight balayage,” Ashley, who did not share her last name, told Newsweek. “After it was completed, I had requested for it not to be styled so it wasn’t until I got home and personally styled my hair that I noticed it was worse than I thought it was at the salon.”
Panicked, she tried to call the original stylist but got no answer. “I left her a voicemail and shortly after I started calling other salons to find an appointment to fix it,” she said.
Thankfully, she managed to book a last-minute appointment at Robert Allen Salon in Olympia, Washington. There, stylist Celeste Bader transformed her hair into the soft, blended blonde she had hoped for.
Ashley shared an “after” photo on TikTok showing her sleek, cool-toned balayage—perfect for her sister’s big day.
@kbmk1780/TikTok
A Viral Moment
Ashley shared the story in a video on TikTok that now has over 1.3 million views, and in the comments people reacted to the hairstyle mishap.
“First time ever getting highlights and they gave me massive chunks of brassy blonde. None of the strips were the same level and color. I cried,” shared one commenter.
Another said: “Yeah, I do not condemn hairstylist hate, but I feel bad for that stylist because they obviously did not know what they were doing and need more training.”
Others were quick to praise the correction job that left Ashley’s hair looking perfect for the wedding.
“I would be so loyal to that stylist that did the correction because my god, someone who took me in last minute and performed that miracle deserves all the credit and business,” said one commenter.
Another wrote: “The correction…Holy smokes. That stylist has hands of an angel.”
