Meeting a new hairstylist for the first time, or changing up your style, can be a little nerve racking, you’re putting your trust in someone and that’s a big deal. Here are a few helpful tips to make sure you get the most out of your consultation.

Sometimes consults happen prior to your appointment and lots of times at the beginning of your appointment. If you’re really nervous about who does your hair I would suggest that you schedule your consult on a separate day then your appointment. That way if for any reason you and your hairstylist aren’t vibing, or cant decide on a game plan that both of you are happy with, then you can simply not book. Hairstylists understand that we are not for everyone and that is perfectly ok.

Bring photos!

Pinterest is going to be your best friend for this part because it has such a vast catalog of every style, color, haircuts, or tone you could possibly imagine. Screenshots of social media posts or videos are also helpful. Try to find hair that is similar to your own in regards to texture, length, and density. Everyone sees color differently so pictures really help insure everyone is one the same page.

If it’s over text messages, then make sure to send pictures of your hair as well. Natural light is the best, try snapping a selfie when you’re near a window for the most accurate color photos. Have a friend help you (or set the self timer) to take a picture of the back of your hair as well.

What are your likes/dislikes?

If you hate bangs, straightening your hair or anything else then speak up! If you show me a shag haircut and the picture has bangs I’m going to assume you want bangs. So be really specific on what you love about your inspiration pictures, and what you hate. Are you in love with the overall color or just the really bright parts? Do you dislike how the roots are darker or do you like that? Lots of times we can mix and match parts of different cuts and colors to make it work best for you so just ask if something is possible.

There are also comfort considerations to your appointments. Do you prefer really short appointments or can you sit forever as long as you have your phone or music playing? Do you just want to chill out and not talk to anyone? Are you allergic to anything? Do you get claustrophobic under all those foils? Do you tend to be really hot all the time? Colors can take 3-5 hours so if you cannot sit for that long then appointments can be broken up into several.

Be honest with your stylist

Your hair history matters in formulating your colors, keeping your hair healthy, and scheduling enough time to complete your service. Natural hair lifts fast and clean while old hair color lifts slower and warmer and it takes longer for lightener to get through that. If you are currently a brunette but it you were blonde last year then your still blonde under there and we have to proceed carefully so we can make sure your hair stays healthy. Same goes for perms, even if the curl has fallen out, the chemical changes that happened during that perm are still in your hair, and that needs to be accounted for. I promise that we are not judging you, we just want to make sure we do the best job we can on your hair.

Be honest with yourself

If you only want to see me once a year then be upfront about that. I can tailor cuts and colors around your lifestyle, or we can talk about what is realistic to keep your cut and color looking its best. If you love swimming and that is a non negotiable then maybe fighting the green pool hair isn’t what you want to deal with all summer. If you love hot showers and washing your hair everyday, that’s awesome!, But maybe pastel pink isn’t for you because it’ll be gone after the first week. If all you ever do is wear it in a messy bun, then we need to focus on it being the cutest messy bun and not on the rare occasion when you wear it down. Balayage also looks totally different when it’s straight so if you never curl your hair then your hair won’t show off all that dimension and you may wonder why your hair doesn’t look like the inspiration picture.

Let’s talk about money!

I know that people can get uncomfortable talking about money but sticker shock is a big reason why clients don’t return so we need better communication about this. Lots of times I have seen your inspiration pictures thru text messages before the appointment so I like to give quotes just so everyone is in the same ballpark as far as price goes. I will include everything I think you’ll need to achieve that look. But we haven’t gone over everything that was mentioned above so things can change once your in the chair. I will always let you know if there’s something going to be added before we do anything. If a price quote is out of your budget then don’t feel embarrassed to talk about what your budget is. Maybe there is a different service you would be ok with, such as getting a partial instead of a full highlight, or breaking appointments up into smaller chunks over a longer amount of time. Also ask about home care, maintenance appointments, and styling products to get an idea of what things might cost over the long term.

I hope this helps ease any anxiety about hair consultations for you. The biggest takeaway is that your hairstylist wants you to love your hair, and like everything in life, communication is what gets us there.