Lately I’ve noticed blogs and articles popping up on my social media news feed about what to do if you get a bad haircut. Some of the suggestions include actions like “give immediate feedback”, or “express what you don’t like about the cut” or some even recommend going right over the stylist and taking it up with the manager. This all may be somewhat appropriate procedure, but how about avoiding all of this hullabaloo as well as the bad haircut in the first place by following my advice.
First of all, we should all take responsibility for ourselves and stop blaming everyone else for our unpreparedness before going to the salon. (Now HOLD ON a second! Before you start on me about how hair stylists should know how to cut hair properly, it’s a two-way street, people!) You should find a stylist who listens and after you explain what you would like then they should essentially (this is what I train my stylists to do) repeat what you said right back to you. This accomplishes two things:
- That they are indeed listening and/or
- What you said makes sense
Yes, sometimes what you say doesn’t quite add up, e.g., “I want more volume but I don’t want any layering” etc… Then allow your stylist to explain why this particular style may or may not work. Hopefully, you have done your research ahead of time and found a reputable professional. Once you’ve found said professional, please take advantage of the consultation! In most salons (including ours) they are complementary. Their input and suggestions should be taken into account as well as your ideas. If you don’t feel that the both of you are on the same page, politely decline moving further with the relationship.
If you take these precautions, proceed with the haircut and it still has a bad outcome, then it just may be (in relationship terms) “it’s not you, it’s me”.
