Hey everybody, it is the one and only, it is Melanie Day here and as always I'm bringing to you the right information about the right products, the right technique, and just how to have healthy hair at home.
So today I'm talking about how to find and partner with the right hairdresser, or the right stylist.
In my opinion, and I tell everyone that sits in my chair this, I’m about building relationships. I’m all about being your hair coach, and making sure that you know the basics and making sure that you get everything that you need.
Your stylist should be sharing their knowledge with you, and they should make you feel comfortable and heard.
But any relationship is a two way street, to get the best experience out of a relationship you need to put in effort to maintain it. We’re not seeing our stylists as often as we used to, so you need to really understand what they’re doing to your hair, why they’re doing it, and how to extend the life of whatever they’re doing.
You should seek a hairdresser that’s willing to share with you.
So You’re Seeking A Stylist
I know we’ve all been there, scrolling through Instagram or some other social media and you see a style that you really love. Like man, like I love everything about the hair. Now you might live in an area where there might not be anyone who specializes in your hair type. Or maybe they don’t specialize in the type of style you’re interested in. And now you’re on the hunt for someone you can partner with.
I've done this plenty of times, I’ll see someone on the street, and like their hair, I say don't be afraid to go up to them. I have no shame in my game, I will do that all day. I will compliment somebody on their hair, then be like, I know this is really weird, but this your style, who's your stylist? This can sometimes be the best way to find someone that matches your style.
You can also look on social media, read websites and reviews. See how other people are reviewing salons and barbershops that you might be going to. Those reviews tell a lot. Of course, no one is going to be perfect at 100% percent great reviews. You're going to have people that always have something negative to say.
But if the vast majority of the reviews are good, and their clients have positive things to say and they're consistent on those positive things, please give them a try please give them a try.
It’s About The Feeling
When you go in, where you're looking for a hairdresser, you're looking for a stylist, a barber, esthetician, whatever and whoever it may be, you know how things feel. Let's be honest, it's nerve-wracking sitting on someone's chair for the very first time. You're putting your hair in their hands. And you’re hoping they’re good hands. But you want to be comfortable.
Red Flags: Long response time, dismissive of questions, avoids questions.
You can kind of gauge the conversation based on their interaction with you. Do they take a long time to get back to you? Sometimes we are really busy and it's hard to get back to people, but are they fairly punctual in getting back to you? Do they answer your questions? How do they make you feel when you ask a question? Do they make you feel silly or stupid? Are you getting side-eyed or looked up and down when you walk in? These are red flags.
Green Flags: Making you feel comfortable. Good Atmosphere.
On the flip side when you go to your salon professional, do they take the time out to make you feel less nervous? Is the environment comfortable for you? Are the other clients friendly? The environment is really important to your experience.
Last but not least, you want to see if they have a game plan for you and communicate about your past and current routines. Are you here to get your haircut, a chemical relaxer, a color? And what have you done before? They need to be able to embrace whatever your routine is and plan and prepare you for what is down the line.
To Clients: Find someone who respects you.
This is a partnership, and right now, especially as consumers, you have a ton of information that you can find online. This means that beauty professionals have to step up. We need to step up our game and be more professional when it comes to handling our clients.
You should feel comfortable and encouraged to ask questions of your stylist.
You are also responsible for the way you talk about your past stylists. It's okay to share what your experience was with your previous stylist but, you know, I'm just gonna be honest with you, as a stylist that's a red flag. If we hear you bashing your stylist or your barber before, red flags are going off in my head, saying like, oh yes, she'll probably say the same thing about me. So be careful when sharing negative experiences to watch the tone you use toward the other stylists.
To Professionals: Be respectful of your clients.
Your brand is your reputation and upset consumers, they could share any negative information online. This means that beauty professionals have to step up. We need to step up our game and be more professional when it comes to handling our clients.
I've seen it all over the years, I've seen disrespect to clients' time, people who think “Oh well they're in the chair, so I can go down the street and run this errand or pick up my kids. I'll be back!” And you're stuck underneath the dryer for three hours,
That’s not cool, and that’s why professionals sometimes lose clients, because we don’t respect their time.
Ensure You Receive The Best Service
So a relationship with a salon professional goes two ways. You need to speak up for yourself, and let them know what you’d like, and what you’re looking for. Don’t be afraid to ask for a consultation to make sure you’re a good fit for them and they’re a good fit for you. Come with a list of questions.
It is really important to come with pictures. Oh my goodness, pictures make things so much easier. As creatives we see things in pictures, not so much words. When you bring along inspiration photos, it helps us to get a better idea of where you want to go.
Communication is key When you’re in the chair, it’s important to bring a photo of all of the products you use in your home routine and be ready to explain how you’re using them. This gives me an idea of what you're looking for, or what your needs might be. I can reassure your product choices, or give advice for changes or additions I’d make.
And Work to Maintain The Results
As a stylist, I can only see so many clients, so I want to make sure that the energy that I'm giving is going to be received well. I want to see that you're putting in the hard work, so like any other coach the energy that you give is the energy that I give back. I'm there for you one thousand percent, if I see that you are putting the energy into your hair care regimen.
I feel like I haven’t done my job if you don’t know the basics of haircare at home. I think the importance of home haircare is one thing that we've learned, with being in this pandemic. I want to show you how to achieve that look at home and more importantly maintain your hair’s health.
When we were shut down for long periods of time, we realized a lot of us didn't know how to do our hair at home. We were so used to being a slave to somebody's chair. We were used to just going in, like “Hey, do whatever you want, I trust you, go ahead.” And leave not knowing what products our stylists used, not even knowing why they were doing certain things. It was just a routine.
So that is why I wanted to change the game. I wanted to empower you, as the individual, as the client, and give you some of my trade secrets.
Join Our Community For Support
If you have more questions about hair care or hair care advice or things like that, be sure to check out our In Living Curls Hair Care Community. This is a community that has been created for women of color that are looking for factual information when it comes to hair loss, hair care regimens, mental health, nutrition, just everything women deal with.
We have conversations with licensed cosmetologists and medical professionals such as dermatologists, nutritionists, and so much more. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
We are here because of you, and the content that we put out is not just for our health. It’s for me to reach out to the masses through the community and educate. I want to share the facts.
This is Melanie Day, and I hope to talk to you again soon.
