Calling all hair stylists: Client do's and don'ts?

[mmcguire]

Inspired by the Rachel haircut thread..

Hair stylists, please help me cope with things I always fret about:

Do we insult your talent if we bring pictures?

Does it bother or insult you if we ask for a different style frequently?

If we ask you to cut it the way you think it would look best, do you take it as our trusting your judgement/being current on trends, or just being too lazy or noncommittal to know what we want?

Does it irritate you if we color or highlight our hair at home (or trim our bangs out of deperation)? I LOVE my stylist and pay him a lot for his excellent hair cuts, but I just can't afford his prices for a few highlights that I can do myself.

 

[mmcguire]

Dang...nobody??

 

[CheshireVal]

Does it irritate you if we color or highlight our hair at home (or trim our bangs out of deperation)? I LOVE my stylist and pay him a lot for his excellent hair cuts, but I just can't afford his prices for a few highlights that I can do myself.

I've always wondered that too.

I do my own highlights, and my stylist always comments on them but in a noncommital way (neither good nor bad.) I can never tell if she's offended/irritated/disgusted by it, but I can't afford $100 professional highlights every month!

 

[Kae]

Ok I will answer you.

Pictures are great but remember you hair might be totally different than the model, so if not trying to make you mad.

also do not show a picture & then say but I do not want bangs, make it 4 inches longer you are completely changing the cut.

You may need styling products to produce that style. Even a little hair spray.

Coloring yourself that is fine, but use good products when shampooing & cond. And I do not know anything about store bought color, so I really can't answer your questions about that. highlights you should be able to go way more than 4 weeks.

Changing your hair alot that is great. Trimming your own bang do what you have to, I gave free bang trims between appts.

Kae

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

First off, I am not a hairdresser. I did work at an Ulta with a salon for 5 years and spoke daily to many of the hairdressers.

As for doing your own hair at home...I have no clue. I've met some that I'm pretty sure would have been annoyed and others that wouldn't have cared any less.

I don't think they mind if you come in with pictures and give some input on what style you'd like. At least as long as you, the client, understand that your hair is not going to look exactly like the models, and not all styles will work with your hair.

Yet, I do know that for my senior prom I asked my hairdresser at the time to do my updo. I honostly had no specific look in mind so I described my dress to her and told her to have fun. She was so happy because no one has let her do that before.

With my current hairdresser I hope she feels honored that I let her do what she feels is best. I trust her completely. She is the same age as me and has a great sense of style. I leave her chair looking amazing every time. I have an appointment with her next week. I am officially bored with my hair color and I am going to go in and give her free reign over what do to with my hair. Knowing her, she'll love that idea. I usually let her "experiment" with my hair and for that I get discounts.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I'm not a stylist, but I pretty much give mine free reign and she seems to love it. I usually just give her a guide, like lately I've said, "I'd like to grow it a little" and "The top is a bit heavy, could we cut it a bit shorter or texture it?" Until I decided to grow it, I had the same style for 3 years, and it was the result of an accident - my hair wouldn't do what she'd intended, but we ended up liking it. We've been dyeing my hair for 15 years, and as long as it's a form of "dark red," she gets free reign there, too. Just last night I had my hair done, and she'd picked a new shade of red that was brown instead of purple. I said okay, let's go for it She said, "I love you, you're so easy."

I figure, it's just hair - mine grows like a weed, so if it looks bad, it won't last long. And I know she didn't do it intentionally.

 

[Buckalew11]

Inspired by the Rachel haircut thread..

Hair stylists, please help me cope with things I always fret about:

Do we insult your talent if we bring pictures?

Does it bother or insult you if we ask for a different style frequently?

If we ask you to cut it the way you think it would look best, do you take it as our trusting your judgement/being current on trends, or just being too lazy or noncommittal to know what we want?

Does it irritate you if we color or highlight our hair at home (or trim our bangs out of deperation)? I LOVE my stylist and pay him a lot for his excellent hair cuts, but I just can't afford his prices for a few highlights that I can do myself.

I can think of no hairdresser that would be insulted if you bring photos. I like photos of what people like or even what they do not like. And yes, do understand that your hair may not be right for certain styles.

Change is good. I suppose if someone never seemed like they were happy enough to have the same cut twice, I would start questioning myself and "what am I doing wrong that they do not like?" sort of way. However change is good. I tweak my own haircuts (given by my hairdresser very often!)

I take the "do what you want" as a positive, "I trust you" statement. Hopefully, I am not kidding myself.

No, it does not irritate me if people color, highlight or trim bangs at home. Cutting is a different story. You can easily mess up astyle but trimming here and there. I don;t let it show that I might be miffed but if you ruin your style, I'm pobably miffed deep down inside because for me, your head has my name on it. Haircuts are very important to me and I take a lot of pride in my work. Sometimes a haircolor is so bad I am hoping people do not think I did it but usually, it isn't so bad. Haircuts are different (IMHO)


OTOH, I know a lot of hairdressers who do NOT like it when clients do their own chemicals at home. I have even worked with a few who refused to cut a person's hair if they were faithful to them in all aspects of doing their hair. I am just not one of them. And how can you know until it happens? I don't know.

 

[DVC Sadie]

My SIL is a stylist and use to be so frustrated with clients who would bring in a picture of a celebrity's style and then expect her to make them look exactly like that person. She would tell them nicely and honestly that due to their features it would be (almost) impossible to receive the same effect.

I don't think any stylist cares if anyone tries to color, foil, cut, or relax their hair at home because it usually makes them 2 to 3 times the money to correct a do it yourself at home job.

 

[mmcguire]

Thanks so much everyone! Great answers all!!