Emerson Salon – Capitol Hill Seattle

Getting your hair done by someone new can be fraught with anxiety and frustration. Hair is an everyday accessory and cannot be taken off your body like a shirt or dress. So, if you are unhappy with your hairstyle it can greatly effect and affect how you feel when you present yourself to the world. Having confidence in your hair and yourself is extremely important to posessing a positive self-image.

A lot of clients come to the salon not knowing how to express what they are looking for in their service. Here are some helpful  tips on how to broach the communication gap with your new hair stylist…..

• Bring Pictures: Whether printed out or on a phone or tablet, visuals are awesome! Even if you find pictures of things you do not want that can be helpful. It greatly assists the stylist if you try to find pictures with a hair type similar to yours.

Example: A fine density straight hair picture may not work for a thick, curly haired person who doesn’t want to style their hair everyday. The stylist will help discuss what components of the pictures are achieveable for you. Multiple pictures are best as certain parts of  pictures may be selected for incorporation into your new haircut or haircolor.

• Share Who You Are! Tell the stylist about yourself- and make sure to include lifestyle and hobbies too! Stylists are great at reading people and the more information the better! Do you wash you hair every day? Have you colored your hair in the last year? Do you like to do styling on yourself for special occasions only?  It might seem simple but it is hugely important for delivering a service that works for you and how often you want to get your hair done. Ask them questions and let the stylist ask questions too.

• Listen to Their Advice+Recommendations: During the consultation, the stylist might already have ideas and solutions for your challenging hair days. Here at Emerson, we try not to push products but we do utilize them to solve problems you might notice with your hair. Having the right products and tools based on your stylists’ advice can be key to feeling good in the long term with your hair and its condition.

• Describe What You Haven’t Liked In Past Services: Did your last stylist chop off too much? Is there a growth pattern that never works with what you are trying to do with your hair? Is your hair overly damaged from past services? Pointing out to a new stylist what has been attempted in the past is so important to not repeating the same issues again.

• Choose A Stylist You Think You Will Mesh Well With in the Long Term: Building a relationship with a new stylist is like getting to know a new friend or co worker. It takes a little work to set yourself up for success. Learn about the stylist’s  experience, background, specialties, and pricing structure. Nothing is worse than sitting in a chair of a stylist who isn’t comfortable with the style you are trying to achieve or doesn’t work with your hair type successfully. Most stylists will list what they excel in and some (like on our website) will give you info on their schedule, portfolio or even their personal hobbies/interests.

• EYE CONTACT! Make sure your stylist is taking the time to speak with you about your service and looking you in the eyes. Ask them lots of questions and allow the stylist to do the same before executing any service. A “meeting of the minds” is essential in receiving an excellent hair that makes you happy. Making sure to directly connect with each other by avoiding speaking throught the mirror is absolutely key! Great stylists will sit down with you and will absorb what you are saying by sitting still and avoiding touching your hair until they have thoroughly taken in what you are saying. If the stylist speaks over you or interrupts there is a good chance they may not be receiving everything  you are sharing. In that case, make sure to continue the consultation until they repeat back what you are asking for. Consider the consultation an interview and if the interview doesn’t seem to clarify ambiguities you have, then you have every right to ask to schedule another consultation with a new stylist. You are the boss of whether you submit to a service or not! Once the stylist starts they are in control until they finish and by then, it may be too late. At that point, unhappiness may result and an adjustement will be needed.

• Manage Your Expectations:  If you bring in a picture of Jennifer Lopez and you are a fair skinned blond asking for her haircolor- that could be a very bad idea. Putting something on you directly from a picture without discussing bone structure, coloring and maintenance will definitely cause you dissatisfaction. Its like reaching into a bag and putting a random wig on top and crossing your fingers that it will look favorable on you. Ask the stylist what will and will not work and be open to them saying that some ideas are a no-go and why.

For example: You show a bleach blond with a bob and you need to put your hair in ponytail and do not want to be getting touch ups every month on your naturally dark hair. Your stylist wants you to be happy as a happy customer comes back and refers their friends. So make sure you are asking for something that will align with you and who you are. Being smart about talking to your stylist will make sure you are getting something you are confident with! Walking in and taking whoever is available in a salon can work but it is less likely to work if you haven’t prepped yourself ahead of time.

Looking for a new stylist? Check out our independently run hair designers- they are all experienced and their profiles can help you choose the best one for you! Their contact info is easily found in their profile.

Contact one of them directly today…..We are confident you will love what they do for you!