Tips On Choosing The Right Hair Salon

If you’re anything like me, then your hair is a very important aspect of your life. I personally spend quite a bit of money every two weeks to make sure my hair is exactly the way I want it. Many women share this reality with me to some degree. “Hair brings one's self-image into focus; it is vanity's proving ground. Hair is terribly personal, a tangle of mysterious prejudices.” ~Shana Alexander

Finding the right hair salon is like finding anything else new in your life. One should take the time to do some research and interviews to increase your chances of finding someone that fits your ideal view of a hairdresser. I’m sure every woman can relate to having a really bad hair-do by a hairdresser who promised the perfect hair. There should really be a law against this…..:) But do keep in mind that there are certain levels of greatness for hair stylists. In their mind, they do good work, depending on what you’re used to, you may think otherwise.

So, just how does someone find the perfect hair salon? Well, there are some things to consider. The first thing I would try to find is a personal reference. Maybe you know someone whose hair is always nice after coming from the hair salon. If it’s a stranger still do the same. There’s nothing more flattering to a woman than another woman going out of her way to compliment her hair! This is ideal because you’ve seen with your own eyes the end result. Be sure to ask for her hair dresser’s name specifically. Beware! Just because one stylist does a great job does not guarantee the work of the rest of them.

Some stylist like to keep pictures of their work so that potential clients can see the range of their work, or just to give undecided clients more styles to choose from. I think all stylists should have a portfolio of sorts available. This used to be very common in the salons about 10 years ago, however I haven’t seen very many recently. Most salons seem to rely on hair magazines to give their clients ideas, but honestly, each stylist will have their own version of the same style. So, be sure to ask the stylist if they have any pictures available of their work.

Be sure to ask questions about your hair and any issues that you may have about it. For example, my hair can get really dry and flaky, so I would ask how he/she would treat this condition. A not so good answer would be something like they’d add some grease or oil to my scalp to help with that. On the other hand, a knowledgeable stylist may recommend that I have my hair washed with tea tree oil shampoo (very good for dry flaky hair) and a deep conditioning. Maybe your hair is limp and you’d like a style that gives the illusion of more thickness. One good suggestion would be to get a layered or razor cut. Throw in any questions you can think of. Remember, this is their profession! Just like you would expect a mechanic to be able to diagnosis and fix your car, so your stylist should be able to do the same for your hair and hair needs.

After you’ve decided which stylist you’d like to work with, ask him/her who what other stylist in the hair salon they would recommend in the event that they are not able to attend one of you appointments for whatever reason. I once had a stylist that was awesome when it came to my hair, but wasn’t that great in the attendance. Within 6 months, going every 2 weeks, she was not at the salon for 5 appointments when I arrived for one reason or another. That’s a lot of missed appointments. One particular appointment I absolutely had to keep since I had an engagement the following morning and my hair just HAD to be perfect. I ended up sitting with another stylist who did a really terrible job on my hair. Needless to say, I have not returned to that salon.

If you are in the market to find a new hair salon and stylist, be sure to do your homework first. You are spending your hard earned money for services that should make you smile once done. That’s the whole point isn’t it? With the right preparations you can make a great choice that you will be thrilled about!