Visiting any salon can be daunting and far too often I find myself listening to my client’s horror stories from other salons. Most likely, these situations can be avoided by preparing for your appointment. A stylist can only work with what they have been given and remember, if this is your first visit, they don’t know your vibe or style so cannot help you make decisions that you are comfortable living with for the next 6 weeks. Therefore, like you would for an exam, you go in having prepared yourself to achieve the best possible outcome. I have broken down a few of the ways you should prepare: 

WASH YOUR HAIR – 

It’s tempting to avoid washing your hair because the stylist will do it anyway, right? No. Product and oil build-up make it harder to lighten and colour hair. During the first consultation to my clients, I recommend a clarifying or chelating shampoo to move any resin build up. The Malibu C Un-do-goo shampoo is the perfect product to press reset before going into your appointment. Also, coming in with clean hair is sure to leave an impression. A stylist washing your hair is part of the service, but it does not mean that coming in with dirty hair and expecting a perfect result is acceptable.

GO THE FULL NINE – 

Yes, hair appointments are a time investment and often crammed between your morning yoga class and afternoon dentist appointment. However, always ensure you show up wearing your favourite daytime outfit and makeup look. When you see the completed look, it’s best to see it freshly cut, coloured, and styled with a look you recognise and feel comfortable in. It’s difficult to decide if you’re happy with your new look if you aren’t wearing a look that best represents you and makes you feel confident. 

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY – 

Your stylist needs to be aware of your hair likes and dislikes. If you despise your hairs thickness, then your stylist will make sure to thin it out. Make sure they know how you typically style your hair and your favourite ways to do so, eventually your stylist will get an understanding of your lifestyle and can avoid techniques that may bring out any hair insecurities. Also, the products best suited to your hair goals can be picked and used as a demonstration. 

BE PUNCTUAL – 

It is important that you consider others when attending and make sure you arrive on time, or a little earlier. Turning up 15-30 minutes late has the potential to throw off the stylist’s calendar for the entire day. Stylists must schedule every minute of their day to ensure they have enough time to devote 100% of their attention on the client sitting in the chair. 

 BRING YOUR INSPIRATION AND BE REALISTIC – 

By bringing an inspiration photo, I don’t mean a random photo or collection of inspiration collages from Pinterest. Although the platform is great for visualising what your goals are, giving it over to a stylist can make it difficult for them to achieve. Most of the images have been photoshopped or touched up to the point where it wouldn’t be possible to achieve the same look. It is best to first research what you want and how it differs from other cut, colour, or styles. For example, although they look similar, a balayage and shadow root use two different techniques and produce different results. Once you know what you like, visit salon social media pages for similar looks and bring these with you to the appointment. Undecided? Take two or three and ask the stylists opinion and they can decide based on your style and hair goals.

EAT BEFORE YOU SHOW – 

This may seem either obvious or a totally ridiculous thing to note. However, it is easy for clients to forget how long they can be sat in the chair for and forget that they’re appointment runs over mealtimes. This means you could go for hours without something to eat and exposure to chemical smells and products could cause you to start feeling nauseous and lightheaded. 

EXPECT TO INVEST IN PRODUCT – 

A good stylist will always recommend the proper tools to achieve your look at home, especially when you are going for a drastic change. Stylist recommendations aren’t just to sell off stock, it’s because they are the experts. The products they stock are tried and true and often they find themselves not willing to use anything else. A quality texture spray will make or break a look and a colour will last twice as long with the right shampoo. Stylists offer these to the client to ensure you can get the most out of your visit. It is worth always making sure you have money aside to dedicate to buying these products. Not only are you opting for better hair care, but you are also supporting the salon as a small business. #Salonlove partners with salons to provide their stock to use and sell to clients. However, we also run a client-based shop account, so you no longer need to trek into town if you run out of the shampoo you’ve fallen in love with. We offer the salons a percentage of the profit from the entire order, to ensure the salon doesn’t get cut out of the picture. 

If you remember these 7 tips, you’re bound to make a great first impression with your stylist and will achieve the best possible outcome for your visit. Salon visits aren’t meant to be stressful, with the correct preparation they can be a relaxing break from your busy schedule.