Summer, I can feel you already. When the sun beams down through the clouds and touches the branches of outstretched trees, I feel your warmth. The sun uplifts me and I think of my favorite summer memories. Shorts, slurpees, and sailing. Because of the anti-summer we had last year, everyone is craving the season and what it represents. Camping, longer days, and freedom. Ever since primary school we have come to look forward to this sunny season; the enjoyment it would bring. Getting to see the bright, fresh, green grass then running through it and feeling each of the individual shoots on my feet and in my toes was a greater reward to me than a letter grade could give. Swimming, tanning, and drinking. Going out to do anything with your friends becomes an adventure; simple tasks fail to be pedestrian. My own memories of summer through the years come at me in flashes, like a montage of happiness and fun. I can’t help but smile as the waves of memories wash over me as so many oceans, lakes, rivers, and pools have done during each of my summertimes. Laughter, friendships, love. I’m ready for summer to start.
So I’m going to start off by assuming that everyone has been to a hair salon at least once in their life (unless you’re some weirdo that cuts and colours their own hair; and to be honest my first guideline should be to just plain not do that).
Walking into a salon may be an exciting experience for some, and for others scary, strange, familiar, or unwanted. RELAX, no one is going to attack you or tell you to leave. We want you to be there! We want to help you find what you’re looking for. We want to help you achieve the look you so desperately want. All we hairdressers want is a world full of good-looking, healthy hair!
GUIDELINE ONE: DON’T BE LATE
Remember what I said about no one attacking you? When you’re late for an appointment you’re basically stepping out into busy traffic. By being late, you have no just pissed off the one person who is now in complete control of what you look like. (Sure you may think you have some say, but you really don’t know what’s good for you until you become well practiced at this game.)
Not only that, but you have just left less time than needed to create whatever form of masterpiece that sits upon your head. Would you be late for a dentist appointment or a business meeting? No. Because you know there is work that needs to get done and that it’s going to take awhile. Hairdressers are no different, and yet somehow seem to get discounted and under-appreciated for the kind of work we do. Everytime you get your hair done, it is one-of-a-kind.
GUIDELINE TWO: BE REASONABLE
This means not constantly wanting to go from jet black to platinum blonde and back again… twice! (You would be surprised to find out how many people do that.) This also means realizing that when you come in to get your hair cut, hair IS going to be cut. It WILL be shorter. And at the end of the service, when you’re sitting there saying “Oh my GOD! It’s soooooo short!”, know that we’ve heard it a thousand times before, maybe even the appointment before you even. I didn’t realize anyone out there was operatig under the assumption that scissors add hair.
When you come in, the stylists are all going to do their best to help you get what you want. We are there to explain how hair and colour works and what needs to happen to get what you want. Bring pictures and an open mind; what you want may not be possible this visit, but it is always possible to change or fix someone’s hair.
GUIDELINE THREE: DON’T BE CRAZY
Please please please do not be that crazy guest who sits there telling the stylist what to do, or touching your hair while we are working on it, or who refuses to use certain products because of certain ingredients. Basically don’t be an asshole. Again, by doing that, you are pissing off the person who has real control over your look. And what do we care if some nasty person’s hair doesn’t turn out nice? At least we will never have to deal with them again.
GUIDELINE FOUR: USE PRODUCT
You cannot sit in a hairstylists chair and complain that you’re hair doesn’t ever look good if you don’t use product. Trust me, we still have to deal with our own hair every day too, and the reason a lot of hair stylists got into the industry in the first place is because of our own hair woes*. No, we are not trying to just sell you product! We really mean what we say when we tell you to get something. The reason we work for the company in the first place is because we believe in what we are selling; we use all the stuff ourselves for God’s sake!
GUIDELINE FOUR: LEAVE A FUCKING TIP
Seriously? In this day and age, you’re not going to tip? People are under the impression that because we dress up and have a good outward appearance, that stylists are loaded. Reality check: we are broke fucks. For the most part we eat our daily meals and buy our clothes with the tips you leave behind, cause that paycheck seems to always leave me very much wanting. On a personal level, we have just spent a lot of time and product and effort making your hair look gorgeous (while you sat there). It’d be nice to get a small gesture of appreciation.
So next time you go get you’re hair done, remember these four simple, straightforward guidelines and you will be golden (maybe even literally). The stylist behind your chair is a person too, and the salon is our office. We are lucky because it is a fun, relaxing, casual environment to be in, but too many people can’t see past this and get caught up in their own personal desires. Respect and being polite get you a lot farther than you might think these days.
*I myself only recently (two weeks recently) figured out the perfect combination of products and styling to control my hair texture. And I’ve been a hairstylist for two years.
