You’ve found a new stylist and it's the day of your appointment. While it's super exciting, it's also kind of nerve-wracking, it's very much like a first date and you definitely want to make sure it doesn’t end in disaster. That would be tragic! So what can you do on your end to make sure everything goes as smooth as possible? Stay tuned for some helpful tips. Knowing what you’re looking for: Knowing what you’re looking for will eliminate the need for frantic Pinterest searches and terminology deciphering between you and your stylist. It will also save valuable time during your consultation and your appointment. Bringing inspiration photos: This one isn’t a favorite of all stylists, but I would say most industry friends agree, we all like when our guests come prepared with photos. I do want to highlight that the key word here is inspiration. While we do want to get you as close as possible to your goal, no two heads of hair are the same. There are also so many other factors involved such as hair texture, density, length, cut, lighting, environment, and so much more. Some people may not be able to have certain colors. Only 1 in 10 people can actually have white blonde hair, so if your stylist tells you it's impossible to achieve, it likely is. Be open about any previous color: I know everyone dreads this question, and I know not all stylists are so kind about box color (a stylist should never bully you for it, and if they do, its time to find a new one), but its incredibly important that you answer honestly. Without going into too much detail, box color and professional color (especially lightener) don’t always play well together. This could literally be the difference between you keeping your hair on your head and you having to buy wigs. Usually I ask my clients for a 3-5 year color history depending on how long their hair is. My New Client Color Form is essential for all new clients to fill out. Hair, on average, grows about 6 inches a year, so this gives us a timeline to roughly gauge what was used where. Tell us about your lifestyle and home care: This one is a fairly easy explanation. Knowing how active you are, how often you wear your hair up, and what a day in the life of you is like, can help us determine ways to make your hair work for you. For example, if you exercise daily and wear your hair up, we need to make sure your hair stay out of your face so a chin length bob may not be your best option.
I also recommend products throughout the service typically, so I don’t want to recommend a heat activated product if you typically air dry. If you are struggling with a certain aspect of your hair, do ask your stylist what they would recommend. Sometimes its as simple as a blow-dry technique. Budget: This is a big one . Disclosing your budget to your stylist or asking the service cost at the beginning of the service could quite literally save your wallet if you do have a tight budget to stick to. This is by no means a “name your price” situation. In fact, it could result in a change of services for your visit. But in the end, it will save you and your stylist the awkward interaction at the end of your service. Before making the switch to online booking, this was always one of the first questions I asked before booking a service. At the end of the day, I don’t want to put anyone in an awkward situation, and I don’t want to spend 5 hours on someones hair to find out they only showed up with a budget of $200. Please also understand when discussing price of service with a new stylist, there are a ton of factors that go into the pricing. If you’re with a suite owner like myself, we have overhead expenses we have to account for and the price difference from 10 minutes down the road could be drastically different. bWe don’t need to know that your last stylist only charged you x. Just disclose your budget and we can go from there. Last but not least, Timing: I know we all have crazy schedules and deadlines, but the one thing you can’t rush is good hair. If you do typically run with a tight schedule, ask your stylist ahead of time about service timing, and let them know when you’ll need to leave. This way you ensure that you’re not signing up for a service that can’t be completed within your schedules allotted time. Any time you’re booking with a new stylist, I highly recommend allowing for extra time at your appointment (there's a reason I have new client service options listed on my website and booking site). Every stylist is different, what may take one person 2hours could take another 3 hours. It takes a few visits for a stylist to really get to know your hair, so having extra time will ensure you don’t run over the time you set aside for your appointment. This list could probably go on for days, but these are what I personally feel are the key components of the pre service consultation. I hope you found these helpful, and I hope it helps you on your search for the perfect stylist.
Until next time,
Tammie