How to Really Get What You Want at the Salon
It’s an age-old statement you hear time and time again from your friends, relatives and anyone on the street who thinks you will listen “I hate my haircut (or color or perm, and so on)!” After a few initial tears are shed, you start to wonder “how did this happen?” Since I wasn’t there, I can’t really comment on that part, but I can give you some tips on how to keep it from happening again.
Make the consultation matter. A stylist should always talk to you before thinking about shampooing, or mixing your color. Even if this is someone you’ve been to numerous times, don’t fall into the trap of going straight back to the shampoo bowl without talking for at least a few minutes about what you want. Be specific about what you are going for. Tell your stylist things you don’t or do like. Talk about your typical daily hair routine and make sure the style you decide on isn’t more work than you are willing to put forth in styling. Confirm that the stylist is on the same page as you. Reiterate at the end of the consultation if necessary.
Bring a picture. This seems like a no-brainer, but really think about the picture you bring to your stylist. Think about your own hair texture and try to bring a picture of a cut you like with a similar texture. Go beyond that and look at the face shape of the person in the picture – remember, not all cuts work on all face shapes. If you have curly hair, and generally wear it curly, find a picture with curls similar to your own. If you have very fine hair do not bring a picture of someone with very layered, thick hair. If you still really want to bring these pictures that don’t represent your hair, that’s fine, but keep in mind your end result might be a lot different than what you had in mind. Color is a different kind of animal. This is something I really recommend listening to the stylist on. They can look at your skin tone and tell you if the color you want will or will not work for you, and exactly how light your hair can go. They can also tell you the kind of upkeep to expect for color.
Have the stylist explain what he or she is doing. After everything has been decided and the cutting begins, talk about why they are using certain techniques. If they use terms you don’t understand, ask them to define each term. If you see something happening that you don’t like, say something immediately! One layer that looks too short can be masked; a head-full of super short layers is going to take months of growing out. After the cut is finished, ask your stylist to go into detail about each step for styling your hair so that you can get the same results at home. If you are using different products at home than the stylist is using, your hair isn’t going to look the same. This doesn’t always mean you have to buy everything your stylist uses, but having the tools helps get your hair closer to how it looks at the salon. If money is an issue, ask your stylist if they can make suggestions of less-expensive products.
If you are happy with your hair at the end, tip your stylist well! Ask for recommendations on how often the cut needs maintained and make the next appropriate appointment so you remember to follow-up.
When something goes wrong. Oh, boy. Hopefully you were able to stop something bad from happening, but sometimes even if you have a good consultation, and the cut seems to go well you get home and hate it the next day. Try to call the salon as soon as possible. Some salons have a time-specific policy about re-dos (usually a week or two), so time is definitely of essence. Ask to speak to a manager, and explain what you don’t like about your hair. If you don’t feel comfortable having the original stylist re-do your hair, ask if there is another stylist who can. Remember some hair traumas can be fixed, but some can’t. Color is always correctible, but there is nothing that can be done to fix a too-short haircut. That said, most haircuts can be adjusted with a few minor details. A few extra layers, a little more blending here and there and voila: all is well.
~~~ Erin
