What’s more important to you when choosing your hair stylist: A dazzling floor show featuring dancing scissors, or a style that you can replicate at home? Does your stylist know what’s best for your hair, or do you like to determine your hair’s destiny? As a stylist and salon owner, I always ask new clients why they are searching for change. The most common reason is that their stylist doesn’t listen to them – or leaves them with a style that they can’t replicate at home.
Listening seems to be a lost art in business today; people are so busy telling you what you need that they fail to listen to what you want! Before touching a pair of scissors or color bowl, your stylist should carefully consider your hair thickness, texture, face shape and skin tones. Hair styles enhance different facial features depending on the length, angles and volume, while hair color affects everything from your skin tone to how you look in your wardrobe.
Curly and wavy hair is more porous, and therefore more susceptible to frizz and curling during high heat and humidity days. If you like curl, then texturizing can enhance curl pattern, but if you want smooth and sleek, texturizing will create wild hairs and frizz when humidity hits your hair! If you want to maintain a straight style, keratin smoothing is a viable option with semi-permanent results. And remember that while anyone can pick up a razor or pair of thinning shears, they can have disastrous results in the wrong hands!
Many stylists love to express their creativity by creating new color for you, which is fine if that is what you want! But always ask if the new color is compatible with your natural color palette, and consider keeping some of your natural color in the mix for a softer growout! If your original base color is completely erased, you will be visiting your stylist more often for retouches, which is great for them but more costly for you! And many stylists use semi-permanent color because it processes quicker, but it fades faster. Your regrowth is is less noticeable because of the fading, but it often exposes unattractive gold or red undertones.
Look for a stylist who keeps up with current trends in cuts, color and styling. We have almost limitless access to educational resources through online salon industry sites, countless magazines and hair shows. Most clients over the age of 12 have a good idea how their hair looks best and how it behaves in our climate, so don’t be afraid to express your wishes to your stylist. More people are turning to Pinterest for color and cut ideas, but remember that all hairstyles are not always interchangeable. Look for styles that will work with your hair thickness and texture.
Most importantly, look for a stylist who has your best interests at heart, because a happy client is a loyal client!