13+ Things Your Hairstylist Won’t Tell You

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’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.

2. Come at least five minutes early.      —–and what about when I do get there 5 minutes early and you don’t take me until 15 minutes later…what then?  

“It requires my expertise, skill, knowledge, and time. Would you say to your dentist, “It’s just a tooth,” or to your doctor, “It’s just a leg”?”

Legs and teeth (After baby teeth) won’t grow back.. Hair will.

Wow. This “article” is pure complaining and bitterness. So they don’t care about our lives, but they will pander to the men that want a little sympathy? Sounds a bit trampy to me. And they don’t remember the previous style, but they’ll remember if we’re poor tippers? Greedy. You can’t “squeeze me in” but every stylist I’VE ever been to (from inexpensive mall salons to fancy high end salons) has consistently “squeezed someone in” during my appointment. So your time is so much more valuable than mine? But I’m expected to tip you sooo well when you can’t remember me from Eve, you don’t care about my life, I’m EXPECTED to tip well even with your grouchy attitude AND care about you 10% hearing loss? Get over yourself. Do a good job, you’ll get a good tip. Your low wages aren’t my concern; this is a hair style, not a charity. Value my time and I’ll value yours. Build a rapport with me and I will be sure to be kind. But be a wretch like the “author” of this “article” and not only will I never come back, but your tip will suck and everyone I ever talk to will know about it. There’s your tip.

13 things I am going to tell a hair stylist.

1.This article is exactly why hair stylist’s annoy me and I haven’t stuck with just one stylist in the past! 2. I found that the majority of them are ” know it all’s ” End result? Unsatisfied customer? 3. If you can careless about my life, I can careless about yours! Why even bother expressing yourself? It’s one sided as usual by a hair stylist. 4. I haven’t been to a hair stylist in years and my hair is healthier than it has been my entire life! ( I go to a family member or friend who know how to cut hair. I don’t need a ” know it all “). 5. By avoiding all the chemical laden products they swear by has lead my to very healthy hair 6. I have actually been able to reach my hair length goals. Go figure. 7. Every hair stylist I been to in the past brags about how great they are at cutting curly hair and trust me most of them don’t know how! 8. If its not just hair and requires expert knowledge and time, why do you have no problem just whacking off what will grow back?? It’s obvious we can’t grow another leg or tooth! 9. We clients can also tell when you’re going through menopause too. We come out with uneven chunks of hair. 10. We also think your hair doesn’t look so great at times so it scares us when you’re cutting our hair that our hair may end up looking as bad as yours. I can’t speak for anyone else but I tip for how well I think you have done. A dollar may not go too far but neither does a bad hair cut. Get over it and get more education then. You may remember if you get stiffed but we remember you bad hair cut also! 11. We shouldn’t think you are a magician and you shouldn’t think we have to agree to your know it all attitude either. That’s were that comes in. When someone acts like a “know it all we expect magic”. 12. You should look in the mirror sometime yourself. 13. Funny how you expressed how you didn’t care about our personal lives but our hair. But you seemed to really understand why the men tell you things you claim he doesn’t tell his wife.How understanding of you.

Whats up with #27, um WHAT??? Really? Does anyone else find it incredibly OFFENSIVE????? I have made many very large people look beautiful!! And guess what?! I am a LARGE hairstylist and I look in the mirror, all work day long!

“24. Putting too much junk in your hair”

But you’ll still want to hound me to purchase your salon products, basically more junk to put in my hair. It might be nice if they were hypo allergenic and non comedogenic. like skin products that cost a fraction of the price.