3 Tips To Make Your Hair Appointment A Success | Style Seat | Natural hair

Are You Ready For Your Hair Appointment? 

Preparation Before the Hair Salon

Okay, you’ve got your appointment with your favorite stylist in a couple of days. You cannot wait since your hair is driving you insane. You’re not 100% on what you want but have some sort of idea. Now, Hairstylist Awesome has never steered you wrong but you’ve heard the horror stories. 

Just last week your best friend went in to get a balayage and came out looking like a striped skunk (although, you told her it wasn’t that bad when indeed it was horrible). But Hairstylist Awesome would never do that to you. You guys have a bond!  Okay, remember she is human and so she cannot read your mind. Let’s help Hairstylist Awesome know exactly what you want so there is no miscommunication. You don’t know what is going on behind the scenes in your hairstylist’s life. Her hubby could’ve made her super mad this week. Or her kid could’ve gotten called into the principal's office for the third time this month and she is worried something is going on that they aren’t telling her. 

Hairstylists make mistakes like the rest of us imperfect humans. But when you go prepared with these 3 tips, you're actually helping them out.

 

1. Do Your Own Pinterest Search

Isn’t Pinterest the best!! Yes, it is a great tool to get a picture of the color and cut of the hairstyle you are looking for. But BE AWARE, you still need to look up the kind of hair you have. Isn’t Pinterest the best!! The most frustrating thing for a stylist is when a client comes in with thin, stringy hair and shows them a picture of someone with thick, coarse hair and says: “I want my hair to look just like this!” Inward groan. The stylist will hopefully explain that the person’s hair in the picture is not the same consistency or volume as the client's. But, some are scared to upset their client. Or the client refuses to face reality and insists on them “trying” to get as close as possible. When searching on Pinterest put in your search bar the type of hair you have. If you have fine, thin hair put that in. Or coarse and thick (think of horsehair but prettier) type that. 

Other types can be:

● medium/thin 

● medium/thick

● Medium/medium

● coarse/thin

● coarse/medium

● fine/thick

● fine/medium

Each individual hair strand can be fine, medium, or coarse. Then the total amount on your head can be thin, medium, or thick. You are a combination of one of those groups. Once you figure out which group you're in then you can start your deep dive into pictures of hairstyles on Pinterest. Once you have three winners of what you would like on your head, save those and bring those into the salon with you. Refer to master stylist Sonya Hernandez Hair types video guide for more guidance What is your Hair type and Hair structure?

2. When To Arrive at the Salon

Some people are early birds. Most hairdressers are not! There is a group of very organized, early-to-everything, stylists. And when I grow up I want to be like them. For everyone else, if you arrive half an hour early or even 20 minutes early to your appointment, you could really stress your stylist out. 

Especially if you go to a boutique salon. You know the kind, where there are maybe 4-6 chairs and everything is cozy and adorable. But, that means your stylist will know as soon as you come through the doors. And if Miss Betty still needs to be blown out…your stylist may start to sweat. 

If you are a punctual person, you could always call ahead and see if your stylist is running ahead of schedule or behind. Of course, with a no-judgment tone of voice. Being behind the chair all day is exhausting. Usually, the stylists are grabbing a bite to eat while mixing color. If you must be early because it’s just your nature, 5-10 minutes max. 

 

3. Consultation In the Hairstylist Chair

You arrive about 5 minutes early, hang up your coat and wait for Hairstylist Awesome to call you back to her chair. Now is the time for the consultation. Let her know you have saved some photos on Pinterest that you really like. Remember to be open to what your stylist honestly thinks about your photo choices. If you are looking for a dramatic change, be ready for different. If you want a natural look, let the stylist know that. 

If you truly want your new haircut/color to make you look the best, ask your stylist which photo would look best with your facial features. If you have a longer or slightly bigger nose, do NOT ask for a middle part. Face shapes play a pivotal role in your style. 

● Oval

● Heart Shaped

● Long 

● Square

● Round

Each of these shapes has certain hair tricks to make your face look balanced. Oval is what most are shooting for since it is the universal-balanced-everything works with, shape. Listen to your stylist and make sure you understand what she is saying. Ask for her to show you pictures if the ones you brought don’t work out. Communication is key. If you have color on your ends from a box, don’t lie about it. That only messes up your hair because previously colored strands need to be formulated differently than virgin (hair strands with no chemical alteration) hair. 

Remember, your stylist wants you to love your hair. She depends on good referrals and word of mouth to grow her clientele.  The last thing she wants is for you to lie and say: “Oh, I love it.”  When in fact, you are going straight home to cry about how you look. If for some reason you don’t like it, be honest. Don’t expect a change that day. It may happen, or it may not. And if what is looking at you in the mirror is exactly what you asked for and you just don’t like it. Be prepared to pay for another appointment. 

Become your hairstylist’s best customer by following these three tips. You’ll not only endear yourself to your stylist but also love every visit to the salon. 

Learn more about your hair type: What is your hair type and hair structure