Top 8 Things Your Stylist Wants To Tell You But Won't...

Luckily, I have the best clientele in the world. They are patient, caring, and generous. I have been seeing most of my current clientele for several years and have obtained friendships will just about all of them. When I was building, I had several people sit in my chair that were the exact opposite of the people I just described. This list is for them.


8. Hair is not a career for people who couldn't get into college.
Knowing how to do hair takes more smarts than you think. I'm not a hairdresser because I couldn't pass the SATs, I'm a hairdresser because I understand shapes and visual learning techniques. I can look at a picture of any hairstyle you show me and replicate it on the right hair type. How? Geometry. The angle of the way I hold the hair, the shapes I actually cut into the hair (not always a straight line), the way I hold my shears when cutting...all this factors into whether you will walk out with a haircut that turns heads or a haircut that needs to be hidden.

7. Tardiness is totally forgivable...

Well I don't want to let you in on this little secret, but I will anyway. Sometimes I breathe a sigh of relief when you're ten minutes late. It gives me a chance to take a much needed bathroom break, or to shove some food in my mouth. When you run in all rushed and apologetic I secretly want to thank you...but I won't. In case you decide to make a habit of it.

6. Don't be mean to the receptionist, I'll find out about it. And I'll remember it.
On a few occasions after a pleasant service with great results, some previous clients of mine have turned from cheery to downright rude when dealing with the desk staff. This I can still not understand. Whether it's having to deal with money or rescheduling, these clients became impatient or overall impersonal when speaking to the desk staff. If they are surprised about the price, then the receptionist is usually the one that has to deal with it. If you are on a budget, let me know and we'll work something out. Don't take it out on the receptionist. That just shows me that you look down on the people that make my business run smoothly, and no one has the right to make someone else feel inferior to them just because they're in a bad mood. Even if you are the client.

5. Your Cell Phone
In my opinion, it's rude to talk on a cell phone in a place where conversations are going on around you. Other people come to the salon on their only day off to relax and enjoy their experience. If you have to answer a quick call while I'm styling your hair, it's completely fine. Keep it short though, you don't have to talk to me while I do your hair, but I do need to access the areas around your ears. Oh, and if I'm washing your hair, HANG UP! It doesn't do the person on the other line any good to hear you scream, "I can't hear you, I'm getting my hair washed!"

4. Oops, I made a mistake...
Ok, so no one ever wants to hear their stylist say those words to them, which is why we don't! Sometimes we have off days too. In almost every case it is so insignificant that it's not even worth wasting time telling you just to get you all worried. Examples would be making your roots slightly brighter than the rest of your hair (called hot roots), rinsing the highlights just a bit too early, or an overall color just not coming out the way we had planned. Remember, we are trained to deal with color correction, and all of these situations can be dealt with and corrected in minutes. I usually throw in a free deep conditioner to make up for it. Thankfully these situations are almost always minor and are few and far between, but when they do happen, it's just not worth mentioning. Mistakes in haircuts are more obvious and harder to hide. To avoid this risk, ask for a Master Stylist. It's worth the splurge!

3. You are my guinea pigs!
When I learn a new haircut or technique in a class, I'm dying to try it out on my specimens! Personally, this isn't as much of a secret with my clients, as I have built the trust level pretty high. Whenever I have something new, I know which clients will be up for trying it out. When I was first starting out I was having a hard time cutting a bob, but my clients who asked for it didn't know that! I cut some great ones...and some really not so great ones. Every time I cut one though, I fixed a problem I had the last time I attempted it. Pretty soon people were requesting me after seeing my haircut on someone I had recently cut. What a great feeling! I wouldn't be the hairdresser I am now without the test subjects. Thank you!

2. If you can't afford the tip, you can't afford the service.
Enough said. Don't drop $150 on highlights and a cut and leave me $5. It's rude. And cheap.

1. What's the blue stuff in the jar?
I still get this question! It's comb juice, of course.



I can't speak on behalf of my fellow stylists who give us a bad name. As I was coming up with this list I was thinking of the Top Things A Client Wants To Tell Their Hairdresser and came up with a few ideas....Chewing gum (loudly) while working, not freshening up after a cigarette, being late to your appointment more than once, looking or smelling hungover, answering their phones during your services....I could go on and on. I speak to you as a professional. I work with pride and every style I accomplish is my best work.