Unhappy with your last haircut? Think you’re paying too much for that coveted hair colour? We’ve got insider secrets your hairstylists will never let you know upfront. 😉
1. Commission, baby
Salon products are much better than those you find at drugstores because they are made of high grade ingredients. Having said that, sometimes — the reason your hair feels like silk is the big tub of intense nourishing mask he uses on everyone’s hair, not the RM300 Argan Oil he tries to sell to you. If your stylist is pushing hard to sell something, be wary – he makes money off those haircare products. Do research before you purchase anything.
2. Chill, it can be fixed
Yes, their hairdressing skills can work wonders on you but it doesn’t mean they’re mind-reading magicians too. Be clear about your expectations and address your issues. If you aren’t satisfied with the end result, do not stay mum and create a boycott Facebook post afterwards. Let him know; stylists wouldn’t dare jeopardise their salon and most of them are more than willing to help fix your hair–FOC.
3. Know thy colour chart
Most customers who don’t understand the colour chart often leave the salon feeling disappointed for having to wait too long. If you have red hair and want to be platinum silver in one session–girl, come on. Be realistic, it will take at least three sessions of bleaching and you can’t rush any of the hair colouring procedures. Consult your stylist beforehand to prevent yourself from rotting on the styling seat.
4. Playing favourites
Speaking of loyalty–Yes, they do play favourites. Stylists definitely give preference to friendly regulars who treat them well. Those who often express gratitude and respect to hairdressers are more likely to score last minute appointments, discounted charges for hair services and the good stuff (best hair products saved for VIP clients).
5. Respect the time
When you arrive late to your appointment, you are screwing with your stylist’s schedule for the rest of the day. You’re not his only customer, you know. Sometimes, they don’t even have time for lunch due to rushing through their schedule. Of course the stylist won’t put on a sour face because, duh. Time is money. If you can’t avoid running late, please call ahead.
6. No henna, please
Ah, the au natural hair colour–most hairdressers’ nightmare. Why? Henna doesn’t absorb colour very well, and permanent dye should never be used on top of henna. So, if you don’t like the resulting colour from the henna dye, you may not have a whole lot of options in order to correct it. Consider yourself lucky if any stylist accepts your henna-dyed hair to be fixed.
7. It’s totally OK to use box dye
As long as you don’t do anything too drastic, it should be fine. Touching up hair roots, adding a tint, or going one or two shades darker is totally doable. Bleaching dark hair blonde, fixing uneven hair colour or removing existing dark dye on your own is a no no–seek a stylist! When you visit the salon after months of DIY at home, let him know you’ve been using box dye so he’ll know how to work his way around it.
8. It depends on your wallet
Always feel like you’re getting scammed at the salon ’cause you didn’t achieve the look you wanted? It all depends on how much you’re willing to splurge. If you want to look exactly like that unicorn princess on Instagram, you have to be prepared with moolah. Talk to your stylist about how much styling and maintenance the look requires, and have an honest conversation about how much upkeep you’re willing to do on your hair.
