Face it: sometimes it’s easier to find the perfect guy than it is to find the perfect stylist. When you find a hairdresser you love, hold on to him with all your might as long as you can! Unfortunately, there will be times when your hairdresser moves or goes on maternity leave, or maybe you’re moving to a new city – whatever the reason, you have to put your hair in new hands. Scary!
Before you jump right in and trust your tresses to any old hairdresser, do your research. Here’s how to find “the one” without too much experimentation:
Ask around: Like someone’s ‘do? Ask them who they see. People are passionate about their stylists and they’ll tell you honestly whether they’re happy or not – and maybe warn you against some salons or stylists they tried and didn’t like. Strike those off your list. Don’t be afraid to ask how long they’ve been seeing their current stylist, what they like about him or her, what services their salon offers and what the prices are like.
Go online: Google potential hairdressers to see what comes up. One scathing review online doesn’t mean they’re terrible – you can’t please everyone! – but maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about them. Maybe they’ve won awards at hair competitions, maybe they were featured in an article, maybe they’re active on social media. It doesn’t hurt to check them out from afar.
Call the salon: Before you head into a salon, give them a call first to ask if they (or a particular stylist there) are accepting new clients. If they are, ask when you can come in to meet them and check out their space.
Interview potential stylists: They’re looking for your business, so don’t feel awkward about asking them questions about their experience and their work. Any good stylist will be happy to tell you where he or she trained, how many years they’ve spent in the business and so on. Great ones will be able to show you photos of their work.
Finally, no matter what anybody else says or what you can gather from talking to a hairdresser, only a real cut (and maybe colour) can be the true test. When you’re ready to make that leap of faith, ask the stylist you like how he or she would work with your particular hair. What do they like about it and what do they recommend? Then tell them what you’d like to do and see how well they execute it. Hopefully you can nail it and find “the one” on the first try!
