8 Things to Consider before Choosing a New Hairstyle/Colour

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(Credit to the lovely Carmen Lee)

Finding the right hairstyle/colour for you isn’t as easy as it sounds. There are many factors and variables that you need to take into account to find the perfect fit for your hair. After all, pretty much everyone has ventured into uncharted territory before and left with some botched bangs and probably some tears. So how do you avoid a bad hair day (or week or year)?
Here are the eight things you should consider before you choose a new hairstyle or colour.

1: Asking Around
The best solution is often the simplest. So if you love a cut (or colour) that you see on a colleague, friend or even stranger then ask them what salon they go to and what stylist they see there. Also, take note of the person’s name so you can give it to the stylist when you visit them. This will help the stylist to understand the aesthetic that you are trying to achieve as they’ve already done it for the person who referred you!
Additionally asking around with people that you know and trust means you have the guarantee of their personal experience

2: Knowing Your Products
Do you have a favourite product that you can’t live without? Then it might be worth jotting down your favourite brands and visiting their websites. Often these websites will have a tool that allows you to locate salons that use their products. So if you’re dy(e)ing to have Fanola No Yellow in your hair, then jump online and find a local salon that uses it. (Also if you haven’t heard of Fanola No Yellow you’ve been living under a rock)

(Literally the Worlds No.1 Blonde Shampoo)

3: Do Some Research
If you’ve got a few salons supplies in mind but you still want to narrow down your choices then try doing a Google search of each salon. Chances are you’ll find many reviews of the salon and even some relating to individual stylists. If this fails then you can always try looking on Facebook or even Instagram! Many salons will have an Instagram account where you can view images of cuts, colours and styles created by their stylists.

(The Internet is your friend here!)

4: Have an idea
By having an idea of what you want before going to the salon it makes it easier for the stylist to understand what you are after and how they can best tailor their services to meet your needs. Going in with pictures of styles, colours and cuts that you like helps the stylist figure out what is and isn’t possible for them to achieve. Having alternative options is also a good idea in case your first preference is unachievable for your hair’s condition.

5: Use Professional Products
In the days, weeks and months leading up to your appointment, it might be a good idea to start using some professional products. The difference between the shampoo you buy from the supermarket and the hair you buy from a professional source can be immense. Professional products tend to be gentler on the hair and the scalp and often feature higher concentrations of all that good stuff that keeps your hair fresh and clean. Using professional products also gives your stylist a better foundation to work with if they are applying a colour.

(Always try and source your products from a professional source if possible)

6: Book A Consultation
Booking a consultation allows you to get a feel of the salon and the stylist before you commit to any appointments and hair changes. This is your prime opportunity to ask the stylist any questions you have in regards to their services, qualifications, experience, products, etc. The consultation is where you and the stylist should discuss what it is that you are after in terms of cut, colour and style for your hair. You should let your stylist know exactly what has been done to your hair over the years in terms of colour and what products you use and for how long you have used them. This will help the stylist understand the condition of your hair and what it can or cannot handle.

7: Avoid all DIY Urges!
A very important thing to remember when looking at getting your hair done professionally is that you want to make the stylist’s life as easy as possible. To ensure this you should make sure that under no circumstances do you try and DIY your hair. We all know hairdressers will shudder at the mention of the words “box colour” and rightly so. Trying to colour (or style) your hair will generally only make it harder for your stylist to achieve the look you’re going for and then you may end up having to pay more as the stylist will have to do more work to save your hair.

(Don’t let your “hairdresser” friend mess around up there either)

8: Pricing
Knowing what you’re willing to spend before your appointment and make sure that you discuss with your stylist about pricing before commencing with the appointment. This will help to ensure that there is no confusion about either the pricing or the service that the stylist will be providing during this appointment.

Last but not least!
Keep in mind they while they are well trained, our hairdressers/barbers are unfortunately not miracle workers. While they will absolutley try their best sometimes it’s just not possible to achieve what you might be after. In this case, be sure to ask for some advice on what they think would suit you better than!

Happy Cutting
-Liam Knox
Chief Digital Content Creator