What Your Hairstylist Wants you to Know Before your Next Visit

Sitting in your hair stylist’s chair comes with a set of unspoken rules that you should be aware of. Yes, your hairstylist may also be your friend, or you know her so well that you can afford to share intimate details with her, but just think about how many ladies are coming into her salon in a single day, and she listens to everyone. Confusing, right?

Hair salons are places where women get spoiled, relax, and enjoy a hair care treatment or a look change. But, on the other hand, hairstylists are the persons who make sure this experience will be a pleasant one. 

Besides their talent and professional skills, they also have to be good communicators. And when I say “good communicators,” I don’t mean that they have to share personal stuff with everyone or that they should give life advice. 

There are some basic, unspoken rules your hairdresser would want you to know before your next appointment. So, if you want to ease their job, here they are:

What your hairstylist wants you to know

1. You will never have your hair as you see in photos on the internet

I bet that before having a hair appointment, you do a little research on Pinterest to find the ideal hair color and haircut. And that’s great until you dream about obtaining the same result as in the image. 

You can use a photo of someone you find on the internet as a bare guideline for your hairdresser to explain yourself better, but never expect that you’ll have the same result. And after the appointment, please, don’t start saying that your hairstylist isn’t professional enough because they didn’t do it as you saw at celebrities on the red carpet.

2. Trimming does not mean you’ll have short hair

If your hairstylist recommends that she should cut some inches, that doesn’t mean you’ll go from Rapunzel to a pixie. A hairstylist sees best when your hair is damaged and needs a little refresh, and you should be receptive to that. Also, hair grows faster when it is healthy, so don’t worry, she only does what’s best for it.

3. Don’t expect results from the first session

When deciding to make a hair color change, do not expect results from the first appointment. Some looks need more sessions to the hair salon before actually achieving the color you wish. So, don’t force things or criticize your hairstylist when she says you’ll need more appointments. She doesn’t want to sell more; she only wants to avoid damaging your hair.

4. Your hair color depends on your hair’s history

Be honest when you visit your hairstylist. Otherwise, your hair color will be a disaster. For example, if you lie that you have “virgin” hair and you actually don’t, it will turn orange in the foil instead of yellow. 

Your final result depends a lot on your honesty about your hair’s history, so don’t lie about that.

5. Respect their time

Hairstylists are always on the go, and their time is very precious. So if your hairstylist is using an online booking system, use that booking link to schedule an appointment and stop calling if it’s unnecessary. 

6. You have to take care of your hair at home too

Occasional salon treatments are more than welcome, as they nourish your hair more intensely, but they are not enough. If you want to maintain healthy hair and to make sure that your hairdresser’s advice is paying off, you should take care of your hair at home too.

A great way to do it is by making hair masks, brushing your hair delicately, using heat protection, and so on. But only listening to your stylist’s advice, I think is enough. 🙂

7. Make the difference between friendly and friends

Hairstylists are usually nice and friendly persons, but don’t confuse friendly with friend. Someone can be friendly and make jokes with you, share things, and so on, but you have to keep a barrier with people who aren’t really your friends. Yeah, you may have a hard day, but some things must be kept for a coffee meeting, after your hair appointment. 

8. Keep your eyes closed while your hair is being washed

You don’t have any idea why I’m saying this, right? Well, just think about how awkward it is for someone to look into your nostrils. You can perfectly enjoy your hair massage with your eyes closed or watching somewhere else. 

9. Don’t have long phone conversations while on the chair

This is one of the most annoying things your hairdresser would love you to know: talking on the phone while having your hair done is not the best idea. You’ll probably laugh, or you’ll have a strange position without even realizing that you can ruin the whole haircut. 

10. Stop making conversation while the hairdryer is on

You know that moment when you keep screaming, nobody understands and keeps asking “what?” Yes, that is the moment. As an advice, you should avoid making conversation when the hairdryer or any other hair tool that makes noise is on. It-is-annoying!

11. Please stop gesturing

When you move too much, it interrupts your hairstylist, making the appointment last longer than it should. Also, by gesturing or moving, your head can affect your hair’s uniformity. This being said, when you come to the hair salon, pretty please, bring your patience with you.

12. Don’t keep looking down at your phone

Do you know what’s the best advice that a hairdresser can give you? Keep your head up! And that’s available both in real life and in the hair salon. 

Put your phone aside and enjoy your time at the salon. Looking down at your phone leaves the impression that you’re nervous or in a hurry, and that will make your hairstylist hurry up too. 

13. Don’t wear hoodies or voluminous clothes

Coming into the salon with voluminous clothes is a real problem because your hair can’t stay straight to your back. If you can remove them, fine, but if you can’t, a slim-fit shirt would be great, and if it is black is even better. Just in case if you don’t want some hair dye to paint your new white shirt. 🙂

14. Don’t come with unrealistic expectations

What you see on Instagram and makes you say “wow” is always the result of some products that cost thousands of dollars and the hands of a hairdresser who has the time to spend a whole day on a single head. For most hairstylists, it’s not the case, so please, keep your unrealistic expectations on Instagram, and find something doable for your hair appointment.

15. Time is money, so don’t complain that a 5-hour service is expensive

When you go to the salon for a total look change, it is normal that you’ll stay there for at least half a day. So, when the bill comes, don’t act surprised when you see the price. Time is money for everyone, and your hairstylist doesn’t invest just time, but also the talent and many products just to make your hair look as you wish. 

16. Respect the salon’s hygiene rules

There are things your hairstylist wants you to know, like respecting the latest hygiene rules when entering a hair salon. For this period, wearing protection masks and disinfecting your hands are great examples, but generally, just having proper hygiene is best. 

17. Don’t take it personally when your hairstylist is not in the mood

They sometimes have bad days, just as you do. So don’t expect them always to be funny and radiant, because they are human beings and things can happen to all of us. However, when you see your hairstylist down, you can try to make his/her day a little bit better or simply avoid making unnecessary conversation.

18. Understand why you need a counseling session before your actual appointment

Many hairstylists will ask you to go to a counseling session before actually starting to work on your hair. If you’re asking yourself why, it is because they want to make sure that you’re honest about your hair’s history, that they will have all the products they need on the appointment day, and that they can estimate the time it will take them for the session booked with you. So, here’s why you should gratefully accept the counseling session. 

19. Absolutely avoid last-time cancellations

According to statistics, around 30% of appointments are missed or canceled each year in the beauty industry. That means roughly $67k of revenue at risk yearly. That’s a lot of money, right? Well, when you think about canceling your appointment too late or just not showing up, think about how your hairstylist feels like losing that amount of money each year because of the no-shows. 

If he/she uses a salon booking app and sends you text reminders when your appointment is coming, you can’t forget anymore about your appointment. So there you go. 🙂

20. Recommend them to others when you have the occasion

Thanks to word of mouth, the hair industry grows a lot, so if you enjoy your new look, don’t hesitate to tell people about that. Of course, your hairstylist will appreciate you even more, and who knows, maybe your effort will be rewarded with a little freebie or discount.