Your hair stylist is an important person in your life, especially if you are conscious about good grooming and if your appearance matters a lot to your career and lifestyle. Therefore choosing a good hair stylist is a must. Once you have found the right one, it can turn into a solid professional relationship that can last for a long, long time. Here are some tips on getting a professional quality hair stylist.
Go to a salon consultation session with a new cut or with photos of cuts that appeal to you. Pay close attention to the way the hair stylist
appears. Great stylists normally have a distinctive personal style, but they shouldn’t appear hurried or distracted. After talking with you and after asking a number of questions, the stylist must work with your hair a bit to get a better concept of its texture and weight. The stylist should have several suggestions to give about style and care. You should feel comfortable talking over those suggestions.During the first hair consultation, you must discuss fees for respective services and the suggest length of time between visits.
Inquire about the stylist’s training. A lot of hair stylists have spent 6 months to a year in a beauty school, but what you truly would like to know is how the stylists were groomed after school. There are hair stylists who went in budget salons who were, perhaps, trained by watching a video of the half-dozen common cuts furnished by the salon owner then applied the style on a few models. After two weeks they were already working as regulars. If post school training is done in a more expensive salon, the stylist might have been required to work as an assistant, shampooing and drying hair at the least a year. After passing a test, the stylist could then have been admitted to work as a junior stylist managed by
a senior stylist. This training may have taken as long as three to five years before the stylist was granted to work independently.Whatever the pattern of training, it’s important for practicing stylists to go to seminars or work with in-house trainers. New products and new trends are the industry norm, and stylists require steady continuing education.
If possible, observe the stylist cut somebody else’s hair. Dependable stylists work with a sureness and rhythm. Note how well the stylist conveys with the client. Does the stylist explain to the client what is being done?
Once inside the salon, if you’re ignored, or if the desk clerk or any of the other staff appears angry or bored, call off the consultation. A salon must provide a sense of sanctuary from the stresses of your every day life, and you should not have to put up with the salon’s management or staff problems.
Observe for signs of unprofessional conduct, like a stylist who talks on the phone while working or one who gives you the same style while you asked for something fresh.
Lack of confidence spells trouble. The stylist may not know where to stop, and you may leave with a much shorter cut than you wanted.
Avoid the stylist who can’t answer the question, "Why do you think this style is the best one for me?"
A stylist must guide you how to uphold the style he or she has made and should tell you to call if you have any problem with the cut.
If a stylist doesn’t return your calls or oftentimes sets off appointments, look for a new stylist.
