{How to Talk to Your Stylist}

Sometimes we just don’t know how to explain what we want, especially when it comes to hair. We can have ideas in our head but we have no idea how to explain what our vision is.

Have you ever been to the salon thinking you’re going to look like this?

But somehow you left feeling like this?

Well today i’m going to give you some tools to help you talk to your stylist and point out everything you should know about getting your hair done! This way you can hopefully avoid bad hair experiences, understand a little bit about how hair stylists think, get a little educated on hair, and get what you want!

#1 Pictures: Pictures are a great tool to use when explaining what you want to your hair stylist, but there are a few things to keep in mind when you are looking for pictures. One very important one is to make sure the picture you find is similar to your hair type. It’s impractical to bring in a picture of someone with fine hair when you have thick hair, and to think you can still get the same look. Finding pictures close to your hair type gives you a better chance of getting a similar look.

Another thing to keep in mind when you are looking for pictures is how the hair is styled in the picture. I can guarantee that all hair pictures have been styled so you’ll have to think about if you are willing to style it that way.

And lastly try to keep in mind that no matter what it’s not going to look “exactly” like the picture. Even if the hair looks exactly like yours ,everybody’s hair is still completely different and does different things. Make sure to tell your stylist what you like and dislike about the picture(s), what your normal hair routine is everyday, and what products you are currently using, and they will work with you to come up with something great for you inspired by your picture, but tailored to your hair!

#2 Past Haircuts: Tell your stylist what styles you’ve had in the past and let them know what worked and didn’t work. Tell them if there is any problem areas with your hair as well. Even though they are the expert nobody knows your hair more than you do so don’t hesitate to let them know exactly what works and doesn’t work for you.

#3 Reference Points: If you are going shorter in length or adding bangs feel free to give your stylist reference points for length. For example ” I want my bangs to lie just above the eyebrows”, or I would like the length of my hair to fall at my chin”. Reference points are great because it’s just another visual you can use to make sure you get what you want and to make sure the stylist is understanding your vision.

#4 Chop it off: If you are thinking of a whole new look and you want to chop 10 inches off your hair or get bangs when you’ve never had em, be prepared for your hairstylist to drill you about it! They want to make sure you really want to make that change and that you wont be devastated a week later that you cut it all off. It happens to everyone, I’ve recently done it as well, and a week after my cut I decided to grow it back out. At least in the end hair grows right?

#5 Ask your stylist: Don’t hesitate to ask your stylist for suggestions as well. They’ve seen enough face shapes and done enough hair to know what will look good on different people. Chances are their brains are already working as soon as you walk in and they’ll already have a few ideas of their own!

#6 Color: If you are going to get your hair colored it’s a whole different conversation. Pictures are great to bring as well, however keep in mind that the color used in the picture could be a different brand than what the salon uses. The model could have started out with a different base then you have. Your stylist will do everything they can to match it as closely to the picture as they can.

Make sure to let your stylist know your color history as well. Believe it or not everything you’ve done previously to your hair will effect your current color. Let them know if you have box color or henna on your hair or if you’ve previously had highlights or red, and how long it’s been since you’ve had those colors. And yes even if it’s been a year since you’ve colored your hair, there is still color on your hair. The only way it goes away is if it’s cut off. So Your hair history is very important for your stylist to get you exactly what you want!

#7 Going Blonde: Do you have dark hair or red hair and want to go completely blonde? Make sure you know that unless you want a five hour appointment (which is how long it takes celebrities too! ) You probably aren’t going to be completely blonde in one appointment. BUT!!! most likely your stylist can get you pretty darn blonde ( but you will still have some of your dark in there). It’s a long process and they want to make sure that not only are they protecting the integrity of your hair they are also getting you a blonde that is a nice tone and not too brassy or gold. It’s still going to take a long time but not as long as it could be. It generally will take a couple appointments to go completely blonde! Just remember your stylist will do everything they can to make you happy but they also want you to understand the process! They also want you to know that they aren’t just saying things because they don’t want to do your hair, they really just want you to get the best results and keep your hair healthy!

#8 Color tones: Make sure to tell your client what tones your like in your hair, whether you like cool or warms tones. Warm tones have a golden base, and cool tones have more of a blue base. Here are some examples of colors in both warm and cool tones. It’s pretty common for people to think they say they have red in their hair and that they hate it! A lot of people mistake warmth for red. So even if there is no red whatsoever in the color formula they may still think they see red. Don’t hesitate to tell your stylist that you don’t want to see red, just prepare for them to want to use a cooler toned color on you. Here are some examples of colors in both warm and cool tones.

This is a cool toned blonde: