How to Choose the Perfect Hair Stylist for You!
When you head to the salon, whether you’re getting a quick trim or making a dramatic change, it’s essential that you feel comfortable with your hairstylist. A level of comfort allows you to express your hair wishes properly and makes you feel at ease during the process.
After all, you are trusting someone to take care of your hair: a large part of your identity and one of the most prominent features. Learn what to look for when choosing the perfect hair stylist so you can get the look you want.
Know What Look You Want
Before selecting a stylist, decide on your hair goals. Spend time browsing magazines and social media to see which style fits your hair type and style goals. Some things to consider when choosing a style are:
- Hair length. Do you want long or short hair? Consider your lifestyle: how long you want to spend getting ready and your activity level (do you need to be able to put your hair in a ponytail?).
- Hair colour. Do you want to stay natural, have subtle highlights or lowlights, or make a drastic change?
- The way you style. Some cuts, like a shaggy wolf cut, are best left to air dry. For others, you’ll need heat tools for your desired look.
Choose a Stylist with Experience in Your Chosen Style
When looking for the best stylist, it’s essential to choose someone with experience and technical skills in the services you want. If you’re looking for balayage, find a stylist who regularly does balayage colour treatment. If you want a specific cut, like curtain bangs, look for a stylist who has done curtain bangs. You don’t want to be the first person the stylist has tried a new technique on, especially something dramatic or that needs finesse.
Also, find a stylist who has worked with clients with your specific hair type. The cut, colouring, and chemical treatments you need can differ based on your hair type, whether you have textured natural curls or ultra-fine hair. Someone inexperienced with your hair type may unintentionally cause irreparable damage with dried-out hair or chemical burns.
Research Local Salons and Stylists Online
Reviewing their previous work is a great way to learn about a stylist. Many salons have websites with client photos to showcase their work, but stylists often post their work on social media to create a digital portfolio. Social media is one of the best ways to find a great stylist. The top two social media platforms stylists use to showcase their work are Facebook and Instagram.
Search these sites using hashtags that match styles you like. This will provide you with a curated collection of images from stylists, which you can narrow down by using filters to find a hair salon near you. Some great hashtags to search might include #pixiecut, #balayage, #australianstylist, or something more general like #hairgoals.
When looking through a stylist’s work, pay close attention to the before and after photos. Look for similar hair types to you and how they have been transformed.
Not only can you view the stylist’s work, but you can also get a feel for the stylist’s personality through their posts. How they caption the posts, respond to comments, and interact with other users may be a good indication if this stylist is a good fit for you.
You can also use sites like Yelp or Google to read honest customer reviews. These reviews will give you a well-rounded idea of good and bad experiences with different stylists.
Ask for Recommendations
Check out the salon or find your stylist by asking friends or family for word-of-mouth recommendations. If you know somebody who has a style or colour that you adore, ask them about their stylist.
Or when visiting a salon for the first time, ask the owner, manager, or front-of-house staff for stylist recommendations based on your haircare and styling needs. They can tell you which stylist at the salon might be an excellent fit for you.
Schedule a Consult
The next step in selecting your stylist is to schedule a consultation with a stylist. During your consultation, you can discuss your concerns and vision for your hairstyle to ensure your stylist understands your needs.
Talking through the steps of your potential appointment can give you an understanding of the service you’re getting. Discuss what makes your hair unique and what concerns you have when it comes to a stylist. If you’re worried about your hair texture, having thin hair, or specific techniques your stylist uses, a consultation is a great time to talk to your stylist about their experience.
During a consultation, your stylist can give you recommendations for haircuts, colours, and treatments based on your specific skin tone and face shape.
Ask the Right Questions
When searching for a stylist, it’s critical to understand which questions to ask to find out the information you need to make an informed decision.
Ask about their qualifications, accolades, and whether they are continuing their hairdressing education. This means they are interested in new technologies and techniques to keep up with the ever-changing hairdressing industry.
Ask them how many years they’ve been styling hair. Experience often translates to skill for stylists, and the more experience they have, the more likely they know how to manage and style your hair type.
Ask what products and brands they use in their salon. High-quality brands like Olaplex or Kerastase usually choose salons and stylists with a proven track record of successful, cutting-edge styles to carry their products.
Book an Inexpensive Test Style
In addition to booking a stylist consult, schedule a preliminary treatment like wash and blow out or deep conditioning treatment. This is an affordable way to see how your stylist works, whether they behave professionally, and determine if your personalities work well together.
Find a Stylist at Cutters His and Hers Hairdressing
Booking an appointment and finding the right stylist for you is easy at Cutters His and Hers Hairdressing. Use our convenient online form or call one of our locations near you to book a consultation with a stylist.