We love what we do and we love our clients, but TBH there’s a few things we really want you to know:
Have realistic expectations about your hair “inspiration” photos.
Pictures are for references, not exact replicas. On the daily we have clients coming in with inspiration photos from Pinterest and Instagram, and yeah, that’s great and they give your stylist a good idea of what you want, but make sure you go in with realistic expectations. Also keep in mind that photos on the internet are often (wait for it…) photoshopped! Also hair type plays a role, if you bring in a photo of a cut done on someone with super fine hair and your hair is thick and curly, it’s not going to look the same (and vice versa). So we absolutely will do our best to capture the look you are going for, but please have some flexibility while we craft the look to suit you.
When a stylist says that the color you want is unrealistic, believe them…
If you want to go from jet black to platinum blonde hair, you’re going to need to plan for much more than two hours. Unless you want your hair to melt off, that is. We will never do anything to compromise the health and integrity of your hair, so while we want to give you what you want (we really do!!) it has to be done right. This often means multiple appointments, so be patient! We may also advise you about the longevity of a colour, for example be prepared for a bright pastel to fade quickly.
Damaged hair is unhealthy hair, which means you’re better off without it…
Want your hair to grow? Get it cut! When the ends of hair are split, they split upwards until the hair eventually breaks and falls out. Your ends will look thinner and thinner. So, that scraggily three inches you’re clinging onto need to be chopped off if you want a chance at luscious long locks.
Colouring and lightening are opposites…
If you plan to go darker or stay a similar shade, this involves popping colour molecules into the hair shaft. But if you’re having it lightened, that process involves removing the molecules (melanin) from your hair, making it look lighter. If you’ve coloured your hair at home, tell us!! This impacts how we approach your colour; we have had clients come in claiming “virgin” hair only to discover later they were using a box colour 6 months ago. Hair colour is a chemical process, we need to know your hair history to get get the chemistry right.
You get what you pay for…
We’re talking about at-home vs in-salon here. The reason salon products are better than those you get in the supermarket aisles is simple: better ingredients, better formulas, and just better everything! That goes for hair care and colour lines. Also, money gets plowed into training stylists on the latest styles and techniques, so if you need a complicated colour correction or want the latest hair style then it’s worth seeking out salons that push their staff to keep up with education and training.