Is your bad hair affecting your self esteem? Maybe you haven’t found the right stylist yet!

As women approach the holidays some of us start thinking about our appearance a bit more. This may be because having our picture taken is more likely done during the holidays or we are going to be seeing family or friends that we have not seen in awhile. Lately, I have been talking with a lot of women who have recently had some increased anxiety about their hair. Why is this- it’s just hair! Truth is, women have a certain feature or a specific outer appearance characteristic that is more important than the rest of our complete look. For some of us we have to have our nails always manicured, a designer purse, or a full face of makeup (even just to go to CVS) just to feel good about our outer appearance. For the rest of us, if our hair is not looking its best- we just don’t feel our best.

Some women spend more time finding the right stylist than they do the right doctor. Some can’t afford some of the basic essentials but they will pay top dollar for the right stylist. If you are the type of woman whose confidence and self-esteem is rooted in the right hair style and a good hair day, then it is essential that you find the right stylist.

Many hair salons and stylist lose their customers because of one of these issues or a combination of the following:

 The stylist doesn’t take time to really get to know the client and their personal style so they may give a great cut but it does not fit with the client’s style personality
 Once the stylist has been cutting the clients hair for awhile, they assume they know what they want and skip the “precut conversation” on what they are looking for and why
 The stylist does not take into account the lifestyle and occupation of the client so the haircut the client thought they wanted, is not going to be conducive in their everyday life
 The stylist does not take the time to show the client how to take care of the style that they gave them so the client never learns how to maximize their hair look
 They stylist does not give the cut or look that the client requested
 They salon lacks professionalism or does not make client feel valued

If you are in the market for a new stylist, here are some basics to help ensure you walk out of your appointment with your confidence back:

1. If you know what hair cut or style you are after, bring a picture.
2. Don’t assume the hair stylist understands what you want- make sure they repeat back and explain what they are going to do based on what you requested.
3. Be specific- say I want my hair cut up to my shoulder versus I want a shorter haircut (sometimes your idea of one inch is not the same as theirs).
4. Be realistic- I love the sign that says, “ I am not a magician, I am a beautician”- you can’t expect to walk out with hair looking like Catherine Zeta Jones when you have fine, thin hair.
5. Don’t let yourself feel rushed in the beginning of your appointment- this is your time- make sure you explain what look you are striving for (short-term and long-term goals).
6. After the hair cut resist the urge to say, “Oh, it looks good” if you don’t like it. You can say what you like about the look but also state what you would like different for next time.
7. If you keep getting hair cuts from the same stylist that you are not happy with then you need to look for another one- loyalty is important but you are the one that needs to “sport your do” on an everyday basis
8. If you are unsure of what kind of cut to get ask the stylist what cuts are good for your hair texture and face shape.