We’ve all had that horrible cut or atrocious color experience that has left us hating our hair. Veteran stylist Anna Craig of Trashy Roots Salon & Spa, has five tips to ensure you get the perfect cut, color and style from your stylist every time. Anna, Pravana Artistic Educator and DevaCurl Specialist, with over nine years of experience is extremely passionate about client communication and ensures if you follow her steps you won’t ever leave the salon unhappy again!
Photos!
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Always bring photos of the color, cut or style you are looking for. This helps your stylist visualize what you are looking for. Stylist are very visual and need to see what you’re seeking or NOT seeking.
Stylists recommend you bring the following photos:
- Photo of your hair that you like
- Photo of your hair that you hate
- Photo of a celebrity or hair model’s hair that you like
Visuals are the clearest way to illustrate the cut, color and style you want. Bring these photos and you’ll be one step closer to the perfect look. Check out our extensive photo gallery with thousands of inspirational photos.
History!
Make sure you stylist is aware of what you’ve done to your hair. Have you recently colored it at home? Did you recently have a keratin treatment? Did you just have a professional deep condition? Did you just get back from a two week vacation where you swam everyday? Be totally honest with your stylist of the state of your hair and the history of treatments, color and cuts. Being upfront and honest with your stylist about your hair history allows them to understand how your hair will react and what will achieve the best results. Honesty is the best policy, especially with your hair!
Expectations!
Have realistic expectations of the results. Make sure you understand if you have jet black hair that you will not walk out two hours later with platinum blond hair. Having realistic expectations can be hard, we all know what we want and we want it now! The truth is we need to understand that big changes are often a process. Being realistic with your stylist and your results will ensure much better results.
Hair Type!
Know your hair type and communicate it to your stylist. Knowing your hair type can change you life! Everyone’s hair is different and it all reacts in different ways. Therefore, if you know your hair type and its abilities you can help your stylist better understand what will achieve the best results.
Here are a few key points about your hair you should always know:
Number: What’s your hair type? Find out here.
Color hold: Does your hair fade easily? Does it fade red? Does it take color very easily?
Strength: Is your hair prone to breakage?
Consultation!
Always book a consultation appointment prior to your color, cut or styling appointment. Consultations are key to the success of your salon experience. The consult should range from 15 to 30 minutes for large changes and around 10 minutes for minor changes. During the consultation you want to make sure the stylist understands what you want, your expectations and your hair type. Also make sure they have the ability and experience to do what you want. Lastly, ensure their personality is a good match. If you and a stylist are just not “clicking” then there is a good chance they do not understand you and will not provide the best results. The consultation is the perfect place to bring your photos—talk through them with your stylist make sure they fully understand what you want. Note: Make sure you bring your photos the day of your appointment too that way you are not dependent on what you stylist “thinks” the photo looked like. Having the visual during the actual appointment will ensure success!
Say goodbye to cuts that are too short and color that is totally off—follow these 5 steps to get the perfect cut, color and style!
