13) You’re not interested in our personal lives. Great. We’re not interested in yours either.

We don’t care that you think you’re a physical wreck just because you’ve lost 10% of your hearing.  We don’t care that you like to exaggerate and make your job seem really hard. A trim is just evening things out, and while it does require your skill, it doesn’t compare to a root canal or an operation.

13) You’re not interested in our personal lives. Great. We’re not interested in yours either.

We don’t care that you think you’re a physical wreck just because you’ve lost 10% of your hearing.  We don’t care that you like to exaggerate and make your job seem really hard. A trim is just evening things out, and while it does require your skill, it doesn’t compare to a root canal or an operation.

I am not coloring my hair at home to save ”a buck”! I am coloring my hair at home to save about 65 of them, plus tip! YOU live with the consequences… of overcharging. The last time I had my coloring done in a salon I was charged $70 and the stylist had the nerve to “squeeze in” TWO haircuts while I was processing!

I am not coloring my hair at home to save ”a buck”! I am coloring my hair at home to save about 65 of them, plus tip! YOU live with the consequences… of overcharging. The last time I had my coloring done in a salon I was charged $70 and the stylist had the nerve to “squeeze in” TWO haircuts while I was processing!

I am not coloring my hair at home to save ”a buck”! I am coloring my hair at home to save about 65 of them, plus tip! YOU live with the consequences… of overcharging. The last time I had my coloring done in a salon I was charged $70 and the stylist had the nerve to “squeeze in” TWO haircuts while I was processing!

I think you’re missing the point. “You live with the consequences” means “don’t expect a stylist to work magic after you’ve colored your hair at home and screwed it up.” If you’re happy with your work, great! But if you mess it up and you need to pay someone to fix your mistake, it won’t come cheap.

I have been a stylist for about 7 years and love my job.  It allows me to be creative, artistic, and have social time!  Some of these may be true, (such as #11- even my own kids wont sit still)  but I wholeheartedly disagree with the statement “I really don’t care about their personal lives. I’m only interested in their hair.”  That is so not true.  A hairdresser wont last long if he or she is not a people person.  Much like a bartender, we are expected to offer a sympathetic ear along with our service. I have got the best clientele, and when they tell me about what’s going on in their lives, it really does matter to me.  These people are my friends, neighbors, my kids teachers…  Many of my friends have turned into clients and many clients have become good friends.  I am so incredibly thankful for them.  The best part of my job is when I have finished the hair and I spin her around in the mirror to see her new ‘do.  I LOVE seeing that big smile and knowing that I made her feel pretty and confident.  As for #5- That is just silly.  Why on God’s green earth would we not tell you if layers would look good?  Your head is a walking, talking advertisement of my work.  I want you to look your best, so when your friends ask who did your hair, they’ll come see me too! 

I used to go to a hairdresser who would show up late (or sometimes not show up at all and didn’t let you know in advance). She’d over-book her appointments. She did a horrible job on your hair. She’d charge ridiculous prices and she’d have the nerve to ask you to do favors for her (buy her lunch, drop off other clients at home, run to the post office for her, etc)

Again, I think you’re missing another point, i.e., the overhead related to that charge.  Professional quality oxidative color, $6-$10 a bowl (my cost), not that cruddy progressive dye, my time, usually about $1 a minute to keep the doors to that salon open (utilities, rent), cost of continuing education that is required by most States. The list goes on.

I’m a hairstylist, and although I think the person who wrote this was rather grumpy and a bit off on some points, I had to agree with a couple (just more gently said).  I LOVE my job, but we don’t take home all that much.  School cost $18,500, so I’m still paying that off.   The first 3-5 years includes your apprenticeship and then building your clientele in a crappy economy.  My first year I made $11,000, but because I had to also buy ALL my own tools (trust me, a pair of shears that will hold their edge cost a minimum of $300 to not be garbage, carbon combs $17 each so they can take high heat and not melt on a customer’s head when doing those fancy updos while not burning their client’s head, and yes, other stylists are notorious for having sticky fingers when it comes to dipping into other’s supplies).  Well, my first year I made $5000 after expenses.  

Tell me I’m getting rich while building my client base because most of us only earn commission – not hourly salary.  I’m always busting my butts to make everyone look the most beautiful they can be and teach them how to recreate what I did in the salon.  I really care that my clients are able to roll our of bed and be in love with their hair every day, and that it’s what they wanted.  It’s my reputation walking around on their head, and I’ve been in the same shoes on the bad end of color and cut, and I don’t wish it on anyone.  I listen, I want to know about my clients lives – I’m watching some of them grow up in front of me and that’s really cool.  Also, I Do work with budgets in this cruddy economic environment because the sky isn’t the limit, but my clients still want to look and feel fabulous about themselves.  

Professional products?  Yes, I recommend them, and here is the insider scoop – you want to go home and recreate what I did, I will teach you.  Plus, when taught and used correctly, and I am astounded that most stylists Don’t teach the products benefits and how to use them properly, these products are usually pretty serious concentrates.  Quite often, I will tell people to save an old shampoo bottle and fill it 1/3- 1/4 of the way with product and 2/3 – 3/4 with water, shake, and use like your old grocery store stuff if they are handing it over to their kids (they waste).  If it an adult is using the product, use 1/3 – 1/4 of the product you are used to using.  With wet hands, emulsify (concentrates with little to no drying alkaline sudsing additives don’t lather like you are used to), then work onto the scalp.  Add a little water before glopping more product onto the head – you’re usually just wasting it and it leaves that glop on the top of your head.  Your hair and scalp will benefit, and so will your pocketbook, as concentrates usually last longer than the grocery store stuff, which is mainly water and cheap ingredients.  Also – do NOT buy fake salon products off grocery store shelves.  there really is no guarantee where they came from or if they are real, or expired.  I really would prefer for you to buy a regular, legal (i.e. – safe) grocery store brand than a black market “salon” product (remember the Paul Mitchell commercials?)  Think of it like a pawn broker who excepts stolen goods.  they don’t get in trouble because of the loopholes in the law.  If the black market seller/supplier gets caught, they are the ones in trouble, but the stores are not held accountable, and it is worth BILLIONS to them to sell you “salon quality” hair products.  Just follow the money trail.

Most of the time, I personally can’t control what our receptionist books me for, or if she will call up my next clients to let them know I am running late because of something beyond my control, and I hate it because it takes away from each individual experience. Personally, I’d have fired her butt because she’s a lousy excuse for a salon receptionist, but she’s also the boss’s friend.  There you go, so I’ll just try to make up for it when you get to me.  I truly believe that once you are in my chair, that is your time and your mini holiday.  Unfortunately, they boss doesn’t, so Please don’t hate me because, frankly, I’m grateful to have a job in the first place.  

Finally, there are a lot of people swamping the cosmetology schools that are uncreative, not naturally talented, but think it will be an easy, fast buck.  they couldn’t be more wrong!, and I wish they wouldn’t give the rest of us a bad name.  Those of us who really care, love to be creative, keep learning all we can and bring it to our clients, etc., have a real passion for this industry, and with the wannabe’s would go find something else to do.

One that really caught my attention was number 10′s, cut my hair like you did last time, and they should take a picture so they’d remember. Not only is that a good way to remind them, but one thing i’ve also learned is, let’s just say if you want your hair cut like a certain famous celebrity, bring a picture in of what they look like. Not all hairdressers know who every single celebrity is, but if you can bring a picture of them, and ask “can you give you me a haircut like theirs?” They definetly will. one thing they also like are friendly people. One time i went to get a haircut, they had the radio on and i started singing to the songs. It made them laugh, and that made me feel good that i made someone else’s day alot brighter, especially if it’s someone who is a hairdresser, because that’s a tough job.