Tag: client

The difference between salon quality and generic hair care products, and why you should buy salon quality

colouraddicts

We’ve all heard it. Hell I’ve said it. “Please consider buying products from our salon.” You go through this luxurious, but maybe a little expensive service, and then this? You have shampoo at home, Walmart has it cheaper, or you “don’t need that product.” I get it. I was once uneducated and broke walking out of my hair appointments without products recommended to me. With a little research, it’s easy to make the product choices that are right for you.

Let me start by saying, I am in no way a product person. I would rather not use anything and have my hair magically grow down my back, past my knees and look like a Victoria’s Secret model, but that’s not going to happen. A healthy diet and healthy hair habits will get you far especially, if you like your natural hair texture, but hair products are still important. However, even if you don’t touch your hair at all, meaning no dyes, no ties, no heat, no chlorine, not even friction from cotton pillowcases, your hair will still receive some amount of environmental damage. For those of you who can truly say they go natural like I’ve mentioned above, you may only need three or four products: salon quality shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, and leave-in conditioner. If you want your hair styled every day, you will need additional products.

There’s that phrase again- “salon quality.” She’s trying to sell you something. Honestly, yes and no. If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t do it, but here is why you should- hair products are loosely regulated, and the quality can vary depending on where you get it. Yes, Walmart has TRESemmé but Walmart gets old products, and, more than likely, not salon quality at all, and the older the product, the less likely its going to perform well. Wait, TRESemmé is on Amazon, right? It is, but from a third party. This product can be expired, watered down, replaced, or contaminated before it reaches you. People have even been known to dumpster dive outside stores such as Ulta and Sephora and then sell expired, defective, or returned products, and large online retailers like Amazon do little or nothing to stop it. A good salon quality product is a product purchased from a salon directly.

So everyone knows they will need shampoo and conditioner, but what about all these sprays, serums and oil? There are mouses and gels, creams and lotions, and a whole lot of hairspray. How do you know what you need without feeling pushed into purchasing something you may not need? First, it will really help if you listen to your stylist. I know a lot of stylists work for companies that are out to make a buck on expensive products, but this is part of the reason paying more for your haircut is worth it. When you go to independently owned salons and independent stylists, you’re likely to get less of a commercial, and more of a professional recommendation. This is not to say chains sell subpar products, or that your stylist working at a franchise does not care, its more that stylists are less restricted, and at a franchise, the pressure they are put under to sell products for a quick buck on their paycheck (which they rightly deserve) is a large burden on their day to day life. However, if you enjoy chain hair shops, and do listen to what they say ,you may be surprised what you here between the commercial bits.

Product knowledge comes from honest communication with your stylist about your lifestyle, your budget, the look you are trying to achieve, and a promise to use these products as recommended three or four times before deciding if its not right for you. Now that’s right, I did say you are allowed to decide a product is not right for you. If you feel for whatever reason a product isn’t right for you after purchasing it, you should ask yourself if you

  • used the product the way the stylist recommended you use it
  • tried using a little more or less than the first time
  • tried it in wet and dry hair separately

If you still would like to drop the product, educate your stylist on why it didn’t work for you. When hairstylists recommend products, we make an educated guess based on what our salon offers- if it’s not the brand for you, that’s ok, but there are more brands you can try.

Another way you can get product knowledge is trying things for yourself. Places like Ulta will let you buy salon quality without getting a haircut. If your stylist doesn’t offer a product that works for you, places like Ulta that have a salon in the back are great places to find it. The difference between getting your products from Walmart and Ulta is the licensed hair salon, and professional stylists there to carry salon quality products you need.

I just told you a secret that other hairstylists would faint if they saw. Why did I do this? Because I want you to trust that all I want is whats best for your hair, and so should your stylist. If I ever decide to sell retail, it will only be products I trust, and if my clients can’t get what they need from my salon, I trust they will talk to me about it so that I can carry that brand for them (if it is a salon quality product I can trust). Not all stylists are like me. I make all of my money off of the services I preform, but most rely on a retail percentage and a service percentage. Sure, you might get that product at Ulta for cheaper, but know that every time you purchase from your stylist, you are putting food on their table, and gas in their car, They are local business in need of your support, and you can trust them with your hair.

The consultation: Why it matters and what you as a client can do to better communicate what you want.

colouraddicts

Before the consultation even begins, your hairstylist will get as much information as they can. Whether it is a cut, color, or blowdry service, your hairstylist should always ask for a current picture of the clients hair, a side profile, and the back of their head. These pictures need to be natural and unobstructed in the most natural light you can find- no headbands or clips, let it all hang out. If they are getting a color retouch, they should ask for a clear picture of the top of their hair where it is parted so they can see the line of demarcation, or where the color starts and stops. Your hairstylist will also request an inspiration picture.

The inspiration picture is not necessary for your stylist to complete a job, but they should be able to easily replicate any picture they see. Its like if you commission an artist to draw an apple- its easier for them to draw it when it is on the table in front of them. They will also ask what service you would like to have done, and what your budget is to ensure minimal upset during consultation.

The consultation is the first step in getting your hair done, and in fact is the most important part. Why? If done properly, it provides a seamless blueprint of what you as a client would like that day, what you hope for in the future, and an accurate hair history.

Here I’m going to go through an entire consultation process, detailing what your stylist should be asking you about, and how you can easier help communicate to make your hair dreams come true:

When your stylist greets you at the door, their first priority should be to make sure you are comfortable with them, with the atmosphere they have created, and make sure they are ready. For example, I will do this by sitting my client down and offering a refreshment and asking them ” Are you comfortable and relaxed?” “Is there anything on your mind before we get started?” I ask this simply because I care and so should your stylist. We are all human, and you never want to feel rushed into something you are not ready to do.

After your stylist has ensured you are comfortable, they will begin with that days service goals. Your hairstylist will confirm which service you booked them for, and start with the basics:

First, the stylist will analyze the inspiration picture with you in front of them to ensure what you want done can be done, and how long it will take. If a service cannot be preformed, your stylist should let you know pre-consultation. In some cases, they may not be able to see what they need, and they will need to explain that they can’t do the service.

After the stylist ensures the service can be done, they will continue their analysis, measuring various strengths and weaknesses in the hair. There are many reasons hair can be difficult to work with, but there is always a path to the service you are looking for- it just may be hard than you thought. For example, if you comes in at a natural black, and wants to go platinum blonde, it may take a few sessions to achieve their ultimate goal. If you use box dye and want to leave with a platinum blonde look, your stylist may suggest you rehabilitate your hair with a moisture and protein treatment before proceeding. Both are achievable, but neither client will walk out of their first session platinum blonde.

After your stylist is finished analyzing your hair, they will ask about your hair history. This is crucial to the consultation since it determines your stylists’ approach to achieving what you desire with minimal damage, minimal cost and minimal stress. In the hair history your stylist will need to know everything about what happened on the hair you currently have. For shoulder length, they will need to go back two years, and the longer your hair, the farther back they will need to go. The risk of lying to your stylist can be anywhere from asimple tone or cut deformity to going bald. Nothing you lie about should ever excuse a stylist from physically harming you (except for allergies), but you might lose all your hair temporarily. If you do have allergies, please let your stylist know, our products can contain many various allergens from coconut, avocado, tea tree oil and many more.

Once your stylist is caught up on your hair history, your stylist should ask about the inspiration picture, and what specifically about the picture you would like them to replicate for you. It is important that you as a client can verbalize what you like besides just “the color” or “the cut”, so stylists can use different techniques to achieve the goal on a totally different head. Since no two heads are alike, no one hair cut will ever be the same. Things like “I like how her hair looks like it flows, mine doesn’t do that it feels heavy.” would be a great indicator that you may like to try layers. If you like the idea of platinum blonde, but want it to look natural at the top, you may bring in a picture of someone with a shadow root and say something like “I like the platinum blonde here, and I want it darker at the roots, but I don’t want it as dark as the picture. I want it to look like my natural hair.” This will help your stylist choose a lightening technique unique to your request and your current hair. A good exercise before heading into the salon with your inspiration picture is to block out the face, and focus on the hair cut and color. In some cases either the client, the hair stylist, or both think that particular hair style or color is the wrong choice depending on many factors.

If all goes well in the consultation you are sure to have a happy experience and the hair you dream of.