A PROPER PAMPERING Going to the hair salon can be a wonderful experience. We often go in regular intervals and implicitly trust the person who looks after our hair. Your hair stylist is there to ensure you love and care for your hair properly so it’s always best to let them do their work and heed their advice. It can on the other hand be a little nerve-wrecking for some. Your beautiful mane is truly in someone else’s hand and one wrong snip or botched colour-correction can change the fate of your looks for months. However, there are a few things to bear in mind when you see your stylist next to get the best out of your hair appointment. BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT The skills of a hair stylist can sometimes seem magical; but they are not mind readers. Hairdressing is a collaborative process and they can advise you best when they know what you’d like the outcome to be. This is especially important if you have a relatively new relationship with your stylist. Also, be honest about your hair history. Things such as how often you’ve had it trimmed and what products you are using will help to determine the best way to treat your hair. ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT We all know beauty takes time. If you don’t allow enough of it, you’ll become anxious and unrelaxed. This is not helpful for a stylist trying to achieve the best possible results. Anxiety about finishing will throw off your posture, sully your experience and put your stylist under unnecessary pressure to carry out their work. Always allow plenty of time for your appointment to overrun. Equally, if you are going to be late for your appointment it’s important to let the salon know immediately. Late appointments have a ripple effect for every appointment the stylist has that day. DON’T ASK TO LOOK LIKE KIM KARDASHIAN Or any other on-trend celebrity for that matter. Firstly; Kim K and her clan wear wigs most of the time. Achieving their looks therefore will be difficult on even the best of hair. Everyone has different hair textures, lengths and face shapes. Chances are, the celebrity hair of your dreams will not necessarily be suitable for you. Celebrities and Instagram are a great source of inspiration but don’t expect a carbon copy in the hair salon. DON’T SAY YOU GET IT CHEAPER ELSEWHERE We get that different salons have different prices; and this can be for a variety of different factors including brand, location and skillset. No stylist wishes to listen to why you think they shouldn’t be so expensive. Just remember that you’re paying for someone’s time and expertise. It’s not the most highly paid profession and people often do it because they’re passionate about their art. If you complain about the price, then you’ll make your stylist feel underappreciated. Don’t expect someone’s best work if you demoralise them. IF YOU DON’T LIKE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING We all dread that feeling of looking in the mirror after your stylist has finished and not liking the result. I’m sure many of us have forced a smile and lied through our teeth about how much we love it. We often do this as not to offend someone but how will your stylist know how to please you if you don’t tell them how? A good hairdresser will welcome constructive criticism and do their best to put it right. If you’re unsure how to approach the issue, try starting with what you do like about it, then point out what you’d ideally like to change. Sometimes it can be something as simple as just changing the parting so make sure you speak up! Overall your hair stylist is your friend, your confidant and your magical hair fairy. Treat them well and they’ll often go to the ends of the earth to make sure you’re satisfied. And if you are satisfied with your treatment, let them know!