top 10 things your hairstylist wish you knew and understood

Top 10 Things Your Hairstylist Wish You Knew and Understood

Honesty Moment

If your favorite hairstylist could be real for a second, this is the article they would write! At the core, I’m sure hairstylist love their clients, but also they want everyone to know there are just a few things they wish you knew and understood about their craft., I think the biggest rift amongst the hair industry and customers are miscommunication and understand. Especially, miscommunication because communication is crucial no matter what business you have. There is probably a high chance that hair services could go a lot smoother, have a lot less gossip and better reviews if certain things improved. Often, customers apply blame to their hair stylist since they are providing a service. However, it’s time for customers to take a look in the mirror and examine their wrongs. Don’t worry; I’ll be sure to look in the mirror, too! Continue reading to find out ten things your hairstylist wish you knew and understood!

Hairstylist Need to be Trusted

For some reason, so many of us don’t fully trust our hairstylist! It’s almost as if, subconsciously, we need to help them, help us! We forget that they are professional and do nothing but style hair all day long. Have you ever been getting your hair styled and started asking questions to your stylist and hear them giggle a little bit and say, “I understand”? It’s because the laughter is them covering up their sarcastic thoughts! At that moment, they can’t believe that you would a silly question. Depending on who your stylist is, they may even feel like you insulted them! So, we don’t need to question them, anymore. Hairstylists are fully aware that they are handling precious tresses all day long and that they must treat them right. That is enough pressure alone! They have to direct their concentration in making sure we look a little closer to the picture we bought it! They don’t need us trying to check the mirror every few minutes, asking questions or even touching our hair before it’s complete. Plus, whenever we’re doing all that unnecessary movement and question asking, it’s making it harder for them to perform their duties. Honestly, it doesn’t feel good to have questions thrown at you when someone is paying you to do something. What if your stylist caught you off guard and said: “why don’t do you just got someone else?” That would shock a lot of us! So going forward, let's all come into agreement that we will do better, okay?

Healthy Hair is Always the Best Hair

Too many of us don’t listen to our hairstylist. Like, at all. Once they finish our hair, they always tell us how to care for it, but all that information goes right out the window! Hairstylists want us to know that if we take care of our hair, it will be healthy, stronger and longer! But listening and accepting what they say is where us customers fall short.

"I Need a Trim, Thanks!”

We all have been in the chair where we asked the stylist only to trim our ends, and that’s it, but they take so much off instead. But have you ever asked why they took so much off? It’s because they are trying to do your hair a huge favor. The oldest part of our hair is the ends. If you think about it, when we know our ends are bad but we ask for a trim. Instead, we’re wasting money. Hairstylists believe that we aren’t doing our hair any justice by only trimming it. In reality, we’re always going to need a trim because we aren’t solving the issue. Hairstylists are aware that although we’re probably going to get upset about them cutting off more than what we wanted; they also don’t care. They walk away knowing they did the right thing and that we will thank them later.

Have Realistic Hair Goals

For years, hairstylists have been telling us that we need to have an open mind when we bring our hair goals to them! We think they are miracle workers and the truth is, they aren’t. If our hairstylist were honest, I’m sure they would tell us they could only do the best they can. Although that doesn’t sound completely confident, it’s the truth, and we need to accept it.

We Can’t Look Exactly Like Halle Berry

Hairstylists want us to know that only Halle Berry can look like Halle Berry! We have to stop marching in these salons demanding transformations and getting upset when it’s not right! When we bring in photographs of styles we admire, we have to keep in mind that it’s nothing more than an inspiration. We must allow the hairstylist to give us a “similar” look. Essentially, we’re just giving them a foundation to start. We have to understand that it’s a high chance that our style won’t look identical to the photo.

Hair Color Takes Time

Have you ever asked for a certain color but when the style was complete, it wasn’t quite right? Certain hair color takes time. Hairstylist needs us to know that colors like, blonde, is going to be a process to achieve. So yes, we may have to come in for a few sessions until that color comes through popping! We can’t walk in with jet black and expect to leave with champagne blonde. We must fully understand the services we’re paying for so we know not to apply all or any blame to our hairstylist.

Hair Color Can Damage Your Hair, Too!

The first thing customers do when their hair color isn’t right is run online to leave a nasty review. We speak all about how the hairstylist just missed the mark and how upset we were. But hairstylists need us to know how important it is let them know the history of our hair and understand how hair color works.

Hair Color is a Chemical

When our hair color doesn’t come out how we intended it to, it’s not always the fault of the stylist. Hair color is technically a chemical, which means it can damage our hair. The job of the hairstylist is to apply the color the correct way, and that’s it. They can’t control the risk hair color may bring to your tresses. Hairstylist doesn't always know how weak our hair may be or even the last time we colored our hair. These would be important things to disclose to your hairstylist, so they know how to avoid damaging our hair. If we had our hair colored just 72 hours before getting a new color, that’s an issue, and we need to mention that.

Respect The Prices

Okay, people, it’s time we stop getting upset at the prices that are set by hairstylist! They need us to respect their hustle and grind, and if we don’t like it, we are free to go elsewhere or not go to them at all. I know for a fact, just last year I was on the hunt to find a new hairstylist who could perform a dope tapered cut. While on my search, I came across so many hairstylists who had outrageous prices. There were a few times I had to check double times what I was asking for because I didn’t feel the quoted prices were acceptable. But who am I to say that? Who are you to tell another hard working person that they don’t deserve to charge those prices? Honestly, it’s completely disrespectful. Hairstylists need us to know that they do work hard and that most of them came a long way in their hair journey. Hairstylist does nothing but performs a service that they had to learn from starch one day. They had to pay for all their tools, grind hard to build a portfolio and work hard to keep customers returning for more. They can’t do all of that for free. Yes, all hairstylists have their prices, and they aren’t all the same either. That means we also don’t have the right to judge or compare. So the next time we ask for prices from a new or current hairstylist, and we don’t agree with it, say thank you and continue moving.

Importance of Keeping Your Head Still

“Hey, can you put your head down for me?” is probably the most asked question at hair salons! Hairstylist needs us to know how important it is to keep our heads still, the entire time of the service. Why do we move so much? Every time the front door opens we need to peep who came in and also how the next person hair is doing. You don’t know it, but hairstylist can’t stand that because if our heads aren’t right, then they can’t work properly. Also, if they are using hot tools, and we keep moving our heads then we risk getting burned because we didn’t want to listen when they told us to sit still. Then we get mad and decide not to pay when in reality it was our fault. Hairstylist need us to know that we should pay attention to how their hands are moving, and help glide our heads in accordance to that! Which technically makes sense and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get burned.

Stop Comparing Your Hair to Others

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure a hairstylist has told I that I must stop comparing my hair journey to others. Hairstylists need us to understand how important it is to be comfortable in our skin. So many of us spend countless hours on social media trying to add and delete from our hair goal expectation list. We want to rock a shortcut like Teyana Taylor or get the best afro like Traci Ross. Having this mindset isn’t only unhealthy, but it also puts pressure on our hairstylist. Because of course hairstylists are more than just stylists, they are teachers and therapist. They now have to carve time out of the appointment to school us on how insane that mindset it. No matter how bad we want to look like others, it won’t happen. A stylist would tell you that you must create your own hair goals. You have to learn to love yourself and know that you’re enough!

They Aren’t Perfect

I think as a society; we hold certain people to a higher standard. We feel if a hairstylist has been doing hair for ten plus years, they can't make mistakes anymore. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. They eat, breathe and talk just like we do. Along with that, they also have bad days too. Sometimes they don’t get “life” right and mess up. They have relationship issues, and sometimes they need a break. Although every professional should learn to leave their “mess” at the door, it doesn’t always happen, and that’s okay! As customers, we should be more mindful of this when we’re getting our hair done. Last week, I was getting a shape up done from my barber, and when he was completed and handled the mirror to me, I noticed that the part he gave me wasn’t how it normally is. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t completely straight either. I knew it was a holiday weekend, and he was traveling that night, so I’m sure he may have had a lot on his mind. It doesn’t mean I have to be angry or tell him I’m not paying for his service. I paid him, thanked him and continued my day. He also doesn’t deserve a bad review. Now, if you ever feel that you should speak up if you don’t like something, then do so. They too need to be aware of their mistakes, in a respectable manner. However you look at it, hairstylists want us to be a little more understanding.

Why You’re at the Shop All Day

Trust me; I get it! I don’t want to be at the hair salon any longer than you do! However, as a customer, we must learn to respect the craft. Hairstylists want us to know that it was them who attended hair school and not us. We can’t ask for a sew-in style and be upset if it doesn’t take 30 minutes to complete. Who are we to make that call? If we’re paying for service, we must allow the stylist to do their job. Yes, it may take a long time to complete, but they have to do a great job or else you will be complaining and writing bad reviews. Hairstylists have come a long way in completing hairstyles. They have mastered tricks and tips to get their customers in and out. But it doesn’t mean that every hairstyle will be like that. We must respect what it is our hairstylists do since they are making us feel our best!

Please Call Ahead if You’re Running Late

Now, I think we all will agree on this section. Hairstylist can’t stand when we run late and don’t call ahead or call right when our appointment is supposed to begin. Most hairstylists work in intervals of 15 minutes. So if we’re running 15 to 20 minutes behind, that can throw their entire day off. At times we think, if a style takes one hour to complete, then we have that entire hour to do whatever we want since we will be in their chair anyway. We don’t think about how important that start time is. Whenever you make a hair appointment, most times, you get reminded to call far in advance if you’re going to run late so they can plan accordingly. One thing that many hairstylists are doing now is charging a late fee or completely canceling the customer appointment. They want us to know that we can’t be late and think its okay! We must be mindful of everyone’s time and their plans, whether we want to or not. It’s just not about us all the time no matter what is going on.

Now, Let's All Be Great

Seriously, can we all agree on this? Hairstylists have spoken, and well, we hear them! They have worked hard at their craft and have put in a lot of time, and they deserve much respect. Paying customers are very important because without us they wouldn’t be able to perform their skill, but we still have to understand and know what we do wrong and how to fix it. As mentioned earlier, communication is key, and a lot of this list is about how to make it better. If we do a little more respect and understanding, our awesome stylist will be able to do their best work. Are you guilty of anything on this list? Let me know in the comment section below!
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