When I started this blog I wanted to write about something that I knew about. I wanted to give advice and thoughts on a topic that was important to me. This isn't a mommy blog since I don't have kids, and this isn't a craft blog since I only really knit. This blog is about my life and the things I have going on and one of the biggest things in my life, besides Lincoln, is my job. I have been doing hair now for almost ten years. The title of the blog is in regards to the changes in my life with my new husband, but it also has to do with hair stuff. Get it? The "split ends" part of the title. Anyway, I work a ton and I have a ton of things that I want to say about how people look, how they think they should look and how to get the look you want. I know this topic may seem lame to some of you, but give me a chance. The things my clients tell me would make a prostitute blush. I have been through some very interesting situations with my job. But, let me get back to the true meaning of this post. I wanted to write a few things you should never do when going in to get your haircut. It is a comb people, not a magic wand. Help us, help you. Having good hair is a huge deal, don't make it hard to achieve by making some common mistakes. These are in no particular order. They are all important to remember.
1. When talking to your hairstylist don't look them in the eye, look at them through the mirror. This may seem weird, but we are working on the back of your head. If you turn around to look at us we will either cut your hair funny or cut our finger. Even if you are describing to us the latest concerns with your anal leakage and looking us in the eye might help the dramatic effect, we can still achieve maximum gross out even with you looking at us through the mirror.
2. We do want to have a sense of comfort and understanding with our clients, but there is such a thing as TMI. The anal leakage story actually happened to me just this week. I had no words of comfort to give my client. I just didn't know what to say. For some reason, I can wash someone's hair bring them back to my chair and the flood gates open. They tell me everything about themselves. I don't mind at all, actually I find it comforting that they trust me so much. But I do think there is a line that many of my clients have crossed, and after that happens it is very hard to go back. For example, telling my that they are cheating on their spouse when their spouse is another one of my clients, telling me something humiliating about their child when I also do their childs hair. Stuff like that, oh, and embarasing medical stuff that I know nothing about. These things don't necessarily effect the end results of your hair service, unless you are the client cheating on my other client. It just helps to not shock your stylist with some unwanted news while they are trying to concentrate.
3. Never ever come in saying this, "I really want a change, but I don't want you to take off a lot of length, and I really don't want any layers or bangs and I don't want you to color it either." Ok, well, then can I suggest you go shopping for new clothes or makeup, cause we can't make any changes with those rules. Come into a salon with a open mind. If you really want a hair change, don't set up boundaries, let them actually give you that change you are looking for.
4. Don't come in with a hoodie or turtleneck on! I have had clients wear these huge scarves to the salon and wanted to keep them on while I did there hair. If there is a huge bulge on your back or around your neck, expect the cut to be uneven. Along the same lines, don't wear your most expensive clothes when you are going in for a color service. Even if I have my clients wear a smock and a cape I still worry if they come in wearing cashmere. It just isn't worth the worry that it might get something on it. After all, we are working with dyes and bleach...
5. Don't touch your hair or have a spaghetti neck while your stylist is working on your hair. There is nothing worse than a client who can't keep her fingers out of her hair when you are working with it. The partings and sections are for the haircut. If you touch it and flip it around before we are done, our sections will get lost and the haircut might be ruined. On another note, there are so many people who talk with their heads. They move it around from side to side to better explain their story. This generally doesn't bother me since I usually just hold their head still while I am working, but there are some people who move around so much they make my job very difficult. Especially if you are getting a weaving. The color needs to be applied carefully so that it doesn't get on the scalp. If you move around like a bobble head, you may mess things up.
I know these suggestions may seem harsh or I might seem like I am nitpicking, but they are for your benefit. I can keep it cool when someone tells me more than they should, and I can give suggestions to cleints who are stuck in a rutt. This isn't about your hairdresser, it's about you. You can go to the best stylist in the world, but if you don't know how to be a good client, then you might not be getting all that you could out of your hair service.
