For as long as there have been hairdressers, there have been consultations. Consultations are the most important part of any appointment. This is when all the cards are laid out on the table. Both client and hairdresser communicate what their expectations are for the service, some compromises made and goals are set. However it doesn’t always run so smoothly. I have one particular scenario in mind. Allow me to paint you a scene…

 Its been three months since your last haircut and you are no longer feeling yourself. Every morning you look in the mirror and lament for the state of your hair. After weeks of soul searching you pick up the phone and call that salon you were recently recommended. You make an appointment. Sorted! Your entire week is then spent in excited anticipation for said appointment. The day finally arrives and you find yourself  sitting in the hairdresser’s chair. Your hairdresser greets you with a smile and asks, “What are we doing with your hair today?”….

 You stare at their smiling face. You glance at the mirror and your hair which has been causing you so much distress. You look back up at the hairdresser again and realise that you have absolutely no idea what to say. You think to yourself “How am I drawing such a blank? I’ve been so looking forward to this appointment.”

Eventually you make the decision to end the drawn out torture and mutter a brief sentence about the dead ends and keeping the length. Before you know it the appointment is over and the bill has been paid. You then find yourself sitting in your car analysing your new haircut in the rear view mirror. “It isn’t terrible” you say to yourself, “At least I don’t hate it”. 

Does this scenario sound familiar? Do you recognise the problem? We may not hate the haircut and that’s a win in itself. However you’ve also missed out on potentially having the haircut of your dreams and falling in love with your new look. During the consultation you didn’t know what to say and so everyone involved played it safe. Playing it safe isn’t horrible but it never results in magic. You deserve magic. I am by no means suggesting every hair appointment needs to be a dramatic transformation but I have a few suggestions on how to improve this bleak scenario. If you find you are often left without words proceeding a haircut, here are a few suggestions on talking points and preparations you can make which will hopefully increase the likelihood of your appointment ending in a “WOW!”

One of the easiest ways to communicate to your hairdresser who you are is through your clothing choices. On the day of your appointment dress in a way that makes you feel most like yourself. This doesn’t necessarily mean dressing up but rather dressing how you want to be seen. Express yourself through your clothes. Clients; make sure your hairdresser sees your outfit, and hairdressers; take note of what your client is wearing!

By seeing your outfit, your hairdresser is able to gauge your sense of style and your personality. They are able to see you the way you want to be seen, this can help them determine things like whether you are a bright and bold person or simplistic and minimalist. Do you seem like a person who is closely following current trends or do you march to the beat of their own drum? Hairdressers are most often visual people, so speak their language and communicate to them in a way they receive information most naturally.

Style you hair. You might be surprised by this. I know for the last month your hair has been a struggle and all you want to do is scrape it back into a bun. However it can be quite helpful for the hairdresser to see how you ultimately want to wear your hair each day. On the day of your appointment style you hair like any other day. This not only shows your stylist how you wear your hair but is a visual prompt that suggests how you manage it. This is your prime opportunity to tell your hairdresser about your current haircare and styling routine. This gives them idea of how much time you want to spend styling your hair each morning.

By wearing your regular style it also allows your hairdresser to see those areas that need improving. This is your moment to discuss daily struggles AKA, that frizzy strand at the back of your head and say “THIS BIT! I HATE THIS BIT! FIX IT PLEASE!”

That brings me to my third point. We may not always know what we like but we know what we hate. The same goes for our hair. You made the appointment didn’t you? You must know which aspect of your hair you don’t like. 

I am a great advocate for asking a client what they don’t like about their hair. I know sometimes we struggle to talk about the positives in life but if someone asks us about the negatives, pull up a seat! Knowing this information is key in helping to manage or disguise your hair insecurities. Making your hairdresser aware of your biggest hair peeves will give them the opportunity to address those problem areas and save you from daily heartache. Next time you are stuck for words in the hairdressers chair, a little venting can be a big help.

Now that you’ve gotten all that off your chest, we can focus on the positive. In listing the negatives, often we unearth the positives. There must be something that you like about you hair? The list doesn’t have to be as long as its negative counterpart but it is just as important. These positive aspects can become the star of the show. Identifying them will allow you stylist to make them a feature and bring to the forefront. The conversation might sound a little like this;

“I like my curls”

‘Great! Let's tweak the shape so we can maximise the performance of your curl pattern.”
or

“ I like that I can tuck this side behind my ear and make it look asymmetrical when I want”

“Perfect! I will be sure not to remove to much length from those pieces around your face so that your hair still reaches behind your ear.”

See? Simple.

Make sure your hairdresser is aware of how often you like to maintain your hair. Some people’s idea of heaven is visiting the hairdresser monthly for a pamper session and a tidy up, others not so much. Laying your maintenance expectations out in the open is important as it will affect the suggestions your hairdresser makes. A colour design that needs to be retouched every 6 weeks is not going to work for someone who likes to go to the hairdresser 3 times a year. Communicating your rebooking habits will make the end result more appropriate to you and your schedule. Whatever your maintenance preference is, don’t be shy. Your hairdresser would prefer to know. Our aim is not only create a style you love in the chair but also a style that you will love and last between visits.

My last point is to tell your hairdresser what your dream hair looks like. There are no rules when it comes to dream hair. Yes your dream hair might be far from what you currently have but I promise it is relevant. Whip out that Pinterest board you’ve been curating for the last 5 years, we know you have one, and show it to your stylist. Your hairdresser should be able to hone in on key elements and introduce them into your current style. At least now the conversation has begun and you can lay down the ground work as to what it would take to make your dream hair a reality. If it is a big change, not every aspect of the hairstyle might be achievable but that isn’t to say its not worth mentioning. Say you want it lighter? Shaggier? We can start with adjusting the texture now and make a plan to lighten the colour in future appointments. Big changes don’t happen over night, chances are your hairdresser will be able to create a plan on how to get you as close as possible to your dream over multiple appointments. Life is too short to not be rocking your dream hair every day, so don’t be nervous and show them!

There are many ways you can use your consultation time with your hairdresser. What’s important is that you use it as best you can and try to get across as much information as possible .Though I do hope that what I have outlined today will help you next time you feel stumped for talking points. The trick is to start with what you do know, which is who you are and your current hair. Explore that love/hate relationship and the battles you face day to day. Explain what your routine currently is and what you are prepared for it to become. And if words continue to fail you, consider a more visual dialogue and communicate to your stylist who you are and how you express yourself through your sense of style and your dream hair Pinterest board. Try out a couple of these suggestions at your next hair appointment and you’ll be shocked by how much more specified your haircut becomes.