Hair and how it defines us

Hair is important to us the style we choose the color we dye it the products we use and the cut.  I have to say that I'm tired of my hair. I have naturally curIy hair I've always have struggled with finding the right hair products someone who knows how to cut my hair without making me look like I have a mullet or a pyramid when I wear it down or trick me into using thinning scissors.  I've also tried long layers as short ones will make me look like bozo the clown.  I get annoyed and aggravated because most of the time I wind up just putting my hair in a ponytail or clip the sides up away from my face.  I have tried every product out there and have a hair products graveyard underneath my sink to prove it.  In October I wanted to get a much needed cut and a blow out since it was my boyfriend's birthday and wanted to look nice I was supposed to go to a salon and they never picked up so I can confirm the hours so I settled on going to a local salon big mistake.  I go in there and the $20 advertised in the window shoots up to $30 that's usually how it is when people see my hair I go to be shampooed and conditioned and there's someone ahead of me at no time did they try to maintain my hair wet to ensure a nice smooth blowout.  She starts cutting my hair and I asked for long layers she didn't understand I was done at this point but pressed for time I said to clip the ends only.  I sit in this chair with a ball of frizzy on my head I looked like zzz top or I had just woken up I was so mad I probably could've done a better job myself what saved me is the flat iron I insisted they pass it through several times that's the only thing that salvaged the  botched job.   All through this she passes the thinning scissors through my hair without even asking permission.   The next day I couldn't stand how brittle my ends felt I washed it out.   Fast forward to now I wash and condition my hair and it looks like crap no matter what I put in it. I've even considered getting a Brazilian keratin treatment done but I'm kind of skeptical to do it.  I've been to O uidad salon that specializes in curly hair in 2009 but I really didn't like the stylist or the way they use too much product or blow dryers I also use yelp to read up on reviews and I haven't been pleased with what I've read this plus a hefty price tag I won't be going.  I also went to Christos another curly salon.  I've heard about devachan salon and it's a curly salon in Soho and I did some research on their site as well as read yelp and I've decided to take the plunge and schedule an appointment for a haircut and I'm very nervous because I've gotten bad cuts in the past and it's a nightmare but I'm also tired of looking the same and being so hard to manage. New Year New me I think I owe it to myself to start this year off with a fresh style and fresh outlook.

I've always be identified because of my hair positively or negatively when kids can be mean and while curly hair is a unique feature of me I'd like to finally be able to get a style that I can be proud to wear instead of hiding behind a ponytail. 
There are good stylists out there there are bad ones there are also ones who have attitude and pick and choose who to style my philosophy is if you can't listen or have skill with a pair of scissors don't become a stylist.    I'm hoping for the best at this salon and if all else fails there's always a baseball cap ponytail or keratin treatment as a last resort