I've read many horror stories here. I seem to have a knack for finding really good stylists (who do ONLY what I ask them to do and nothing more) and I'll list what I look for when choosing a stylist.
Please add what you look for in a good stylist. I'm making this a sticky so everyone who comes here will be able to easily find it and hopefully won't have so many "bloopers" in the future.
1. First, go to the stylist for a NON-chemical service: a wash and trim, a wash and set, a blowout, or a wash and curl. Pay close attention to what they do to your hair every second. Do they just trim without asking how much? Do they hold your hair out and ask if it's OK to trim a particular amount before they cut? Do they pass you from one assistant to another: one shampoos, one cuts, one drys? Do they do your hair only, or do they try to serve 3 or 4 at a time? This will give you a good indication of how much they will pay attention to you and what you say. Do this at least TWICE before asking for a chemical service.
2. Ask your stylist a lot of "what if" questions regarding different treatments and styles, even those that you're not taking seriously. Do they tell you that everything you suggest could be done? Or do they let you know which treatments may not work for your hair type? Do they admit if they don't know how to do a particular treatment, or if they've never done a particular treatment? Also, ask questions regarding your long term plans for your hair.
3. Stay away from stylists with "punk", trendy, or "creative" haircuts/colors if you're not the type who likes them for yourself.
4. During your first non-chemical visits does your stylist try to persuade you to do something you really don't want, even if they want you to "just think about it"? If you're a brunette, and your stylist keeps telling you what a gorgeous blonde you'd make even AFTER you remind her that you DON'T want blonde hair, this is a sign that she/he really doesn't respect what you want to do with your hair.
6. Ask his/her opinion on products. Do they try to convince you that only products sold in their salon are good, or will they also let you know of store brands that may benefit you?
7. Never allow a stylist to try "something new" on your hair that you haven't already considered before entering the salon. If you're only going in for a basic trim, and your stylist is trying to talk you into bangs and highlights (and you've never considered them for yourself), FIND ANOTHER STYLIST.
8. Beware of stylists who ask too many personal questions. Asking how many children you have and your line of work is OK. If they have an interest in where you and your husband eat out, how long you've driven your current car, what part of town you live in, how much are your house notes, stay away from them. I haven't had it happen to me, but I've heard too many horror stories from women who had stylists ask them a million questions, and later had the stylist "accidently" ruin their hair because they were jealous of something.
9. Don't be the guinea pig for a stylist's new found skills. She just took a class on layering last week, and she thinks your hair will be so pretty in layers...even though you've had AND LIKED blunt cut hair for the past 15 years. Nope.
10. BE VOCAL. Don't just go in and say "I want a trim." Hold your hair out and say, "I want this much trimmed and nothing more." Don't just say "I want highlights". Take pictures if you have to and say "I want highlights HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE maybe 2 shades lighter than my natural hair." Don't just say "I want my hair dyed brown". Take pictures of the exact shade of brown: light, ash, dark, reddish brown?
11. The bottom line is that you pay them to do your hair the way YOU want it. If they EVER want to do it how THEY want it, you suggest to them that THEY pay for it. And if they SCREW UP your hair and want to "fix" it, DON'T ALLOW THEM TO DO IT. Take pictures immediately. They're wanting to "fix" it is just to cover up any evidence that they've done something wrong, and you still don't get what you went for. If they don't give you what you want, don't give them another chance to give you SOMETHING ELSE you don't want. Where's the logic in that?
That's all I can think of at this time. Post whatever ideas you have.
------------- Hair type: who knows?
Length: 23 inches as of 3/10/06
MY HAIR IS OFFICIALLY BRA STRAP LENGTH!!
Goal: Waist Length, which is only 30 inches so
ADVISE ME ON HOW TO GET JUST 7 MORE INCHES OF GROWTH!
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