30 Things Hairdressers Want You To Know (So You Look Your Hottest)

1. Don’t move your head when you’re in the chair, only move when your stylist says so.

2. Try to find images of hair similar to yours. If you have super thick curls, a picture of someone with fine straight hair won’t do you any good. Similarly, go in with your hair close to your natural texture if you’re dealing with a new stylist.

3. Also, if you like a cut on a model, cover his/her face with your finger and make sure you like the hair and not the face.

4. Mention if something bothers you: “I hate blow-drying.” “I need to be able to put it up.” “My forehead looks weird.”

5. DON’T WEAR A HOODIE or a turtleneck. If you can take it off, fine, but they both get in the way a lot if I’m trying to cut/color your hair.

6. Your hair doesn’t need to be dirty for me to style it. In fact, I would REALLY prefer it if it was clean. And it also doesn’t need to be dirty/clean/covered in coconut oil for me to color it. Just come in with normal, dry hair.

7. Don’t bring filtered pics or ones that are wigs. (Don’t have unrealistic expectations.)

8. Please don’t talk with your head, it’s frustrating trying to keep the tension on the hair on a client that moves their head just as much as their mouth.

9. Honesty. Don’t lie about the box color you’ve put on your hair (including henna) or products you use. The stylist WILL find out one way or another (like when your “virgin” hair turns orange instead of yellow in foils) and it just makes it harder and more expensive to correct it later on. It doesn’t matter if you tell the truth, the truth will come out. But it will save everyone a lot of heartache if you’re just upfront about it. We don’t care if you put box dye on your hair— we just need to know because the course of action will be different depending on your history.

10. Don’t expect a miracle color change without investing a lot of time and money.

11. Always clean your ears before a haircut. You don’t want someone up that close to you with waxy manky ears.

12. Former hairstylist, don’t ask to have an inch off all over and then: “We can go from there if I want more.” That’s asking me to do two haircuts, come on.

13. Don’t switch how you’re sitting halfway through the cut! Even crossing/uncrossing your legs can make a difference in how the cut turns out!

14. Please know what 6 inches actually looks like on a ruler. Sometimes you think you want to cut that much but you’re not aware of what it actually looks like.

15. If you don’t like it, just be nice and to the point. Most of us will want to help and fix it for you.

16. My girlfriend is a hairstylist. The biggest complaint she has is when she tells her clients to have clean hair before their appointment and they show up with wet hair, especially if they need their hair done before a certain time.

Having to blow dry their hair adds about 30 minutes and now the rest of the cut and style has to be rushed.

17. Do NOT come to the stylist in a raging fit because your boyfriend hurt your feelings so now you’re going to cut your long hair into a pixie to show that you have control over your life.

No matter how awesome it looks, you WILL hate it, you WILL cry, and you will HATE us for allowing you to do it.

18. If you’re adamant on keeping the length the way it is, you have to let them know! Otherwise, they’ll just cut what they think is dead!

19. Do not move around like you just drank a bunch of caffeine. There is a risk of getting cut. Moving around makes it worse not only for you but for the hairstylists who would have to redo it again.

20. Don’t blast off at the stylist who tried to “up sell” products, they hate it just as much as you do. Just be polite to say no if you don’t want it. They aren’t trying to spike up your bill, they have to follow selling guidelines otherwise they’ll get marks on their reports for not selling enough.

21. Be realistic about your hairstyle. Certain styles are better for one hair type over another. If your hair has more breakage for a style that is more for a thicker type, do not judge the hairstylist trying to accommodate you. They’re trying to make you happy and they’re trying their best to adjust to that hair type for that style by doing things one way over another.

22. Communicate with your stylist about what you want and don’t want. If you want to try a product or trimmed in a specific way, let the stylist know! They cannot be mind readers of your needs and wants.

23. Be clear in what you want, preferably already know what you want before you sit down in our chairs, having the “do I want pink or do I want blond oh I just don’t know” conversation is really annoying because it takes time we could use in a better way and honestly I’m down for both and it’s not my head so I’m not going to make that decision for you.

24. If we are done with a cut, please don’t “help” with removing the hair, you’re not removing it you are actually making it worse by patting it into your clothes, sticking to your skin, and letting it fall into your shoes. We know how itchy it can get when you do that.

25. Please don’t keep your eyes open when washing, it’s kinda awkward if you know someone is staring right up your nostrils.

26. Come in with freshly washed hair and no product (e.g., gel) in it.

27. I 99% time can’t hear you when blow-drying, and it’s bloody impossible to have a conversation when blow-drying now we all have to wear masks.

28. It’s always helpful when you bring in pictures of styles you like, and just as helpful when you have an idea of styles you hate.

29. Have realistic expectations. Just because Sally was able to go from black to blonde in one appointment, doesn’t mean you can. Your hair isn’t Sally’s.

30. Don’t lift your head in the shampoo bowl! Don’t do that. That’s how we end up soaking the back of your shirt!