Hairdressers are somewhat like magicians: they make us look like a million and at the same time become our psychotherapists. But sometimes they themselves are ready to cry because we are doing this! So consider this material a collective confession of scissors and paint masters.
1. “I want a haircut like…”
It doesn’t matter if it’s J. Lo, a friend, or an unnamed model from the Best Hair in the Universe magazine, if you don’t bring a photo with you. It is especially painful for hairdressers to hear about the hairstyles of stars: what year? From what event? Do you really think the stylist is a telepath? In addition, it remains completely unclear what “how” means. To get the same oval face? To look as sexy? Just an exact copy, even if it doesn’t suit you at all? The icing on the cake is usually your disappointment: “I imagined it differently.” And how did he not guess?
2. “Please paint me hazel”
Of course, with a probability of 99%, you will be offered to familiarize yourself with the palette (or several palettes) of shades that the paint used in the salon allows you to achieve. But keep in mind: even if among these curls and ponytails you have found a tone that suits you perfectly, it can look completely different on your hair. In addition, your idea of how the new shade will be combined with skin tone, eye color, lips, and hairstyle can let you down a lot. It will be much better if you explain what effect you want to achieve. Here are some examples: “I would like to go a couple of shades lighter”, “I don’t like the cold undertone of my hair”, and “I want the new shade to look more harmonious with my eye color.” Or – just perfect – “What shades of brown do you think will suit me”?
3. “I want curls”
Perfectly smooth hair, like those of Asian women, a chic basal volume – this, of course, is not about the fact that you should put up with what is on your head now and not try to change it. But the British have a great saying: “Sooner or later, each of us will have to come to terms with the fact that you cannot insert a square beam into a round hole.” Well, that is, changes are possible within certain limits, but completely redoing the structure of the hair, their reaction to moisture, the base pigment of the skeleton, and the tendency of the scales to fit or puff up is a given, with which it remains only to coexist. Before you are the creator of hairstyles, and not the ruler of the world and the creator of all things.
4. “Are you sure?”
The best way to make yourself an enemy, albeit implicit, but in the person of a stylist, is to doubt his competence and professionalism. “Won’t this dye burn my hair?”, “Are you sure you want to cut off the ends with a razor?”, “I think you are applying paint incorrectly”, “And in another salon, they made me a heated mask.” The customer is always right, of course, but in that case, why not go to that heated salon? The masters have different schools, techniques, and personal developments. Sitting in a chair (yes, for your money, but voluntarily!) you have not acquired a slave who must fulfill your requirements. You trust the master you have chosen – so let him work. By the way, imagine an experiment: the master will actually ask you at every stage what he should do now. What do you think is the likelihood that you will give him good advice?
5. “I just need to trim the tips”
Hearing this phrase, all the stylists in the world shudder, because you demand the impossible and you will be 100% dissatisfied with the result, although it would seem that the request was formulated very clearly and correctly. Look what’s wrong: your hair grows unevenly. Moreover, in different areas, the difference can be up to 1.5 centimeters. If you cut all the strands exactly 2 mm, for example, then the hairstyle will remain as ragged as if you didn’t go anywhere at all. Accordingly, “trimming the tips” on the shortest strands is taken as the basis, and those that have grown stronger will have to be adjusted to them, based on the shape of the haircut. As a result, it seems to you that the hairdresser cut off more than you asked for, but otherwise, you would be dissatisfied with the fact that the hairstyle does not hold its shape. Is there a way out? Yes! It’s better to say “My haircut is out of shape, I would like to return it, if possible, keeping the length of the hair. Bingo.
6. “I cut my own bangs here, but something went wrong.”
A worthy competitor to the previous paragraph. Well, if you cut off 3 hairs by half a millimeter, and stopped in time, but if you were decisive … Usually, nothing can be fixed. It is necessary either to make a new bang of a completely different shape or leave everything as it is – as a warning to you. If you already realized that you screwed up, do not demand from the stylist the return of the former beauty of your hairstyle. He will make a new one – as far as your initiative allows. And he will be right because you can’t restore meat from cutlets.
7. “To not require styling”
There are thousands of hairstyles in the world that do not require styling. For different types of hair, weather, and climate, emphasize what you need. Is there one for your hair? One hundred percent. Will you like her? Oh, not true. If you want to save time on styling, you may be offered the option “Step and tattered”, “Teacher’s bunch” or “Soldier Jane”, for example. And they won’t lie: with your hair type, just such a hairstyle will lie perfectly in any situation. No, you don’t like it? Then you have to install it. The stylist is not able to attach other hair to you.
8. “I just love it! (No)”
Stylists are very disappointed to read devastating reviews about their work on the Internet, although the client left the salon, laughing with happiness and taking a hundred thousand selfies. Do you really not like what happened? Just say it. Ask for a redo, or give yourself a couple of days to get used to the new look – noting that at this stage you are not happy. Explain what is wrong: color, shape, length. If it was not possible to reach an understanding with the master, well, you have every right to write about your experience. But do not do meanness by kissing the stylist, scattering in gratitude, and then scribbling a slander.
