Finding a good stylist

I've read many horror stories here. I seem to have a knack for finding really good stylists (who do ONLY what I ask them to do and nothing more) and I'll list what I look for when choosing a stylist.

Please add what you look for in a good stylist. I'm making this a sticky so everyone who comes here will be able to easily find it and hopefully won't have so many "bloopers" in the future.

1. First, go to the stylist for a NON-chemical service: a wash and trim, a wash and set, a blowout, or a wash and curl. Pay close attention to what they do to your hair every second. Do they just trim without asking how much? Do they hold your hair out and ask if it's OK to trim a particular amount before they cut? Do they pass you from one assistant to another: one shampoos, one cuts, one drys? Do they do your hair only, or do they try to serve 3 or 4 at a time? This will give you a good indication of how much they will pay attention to you and what you say. Do this at least TWICE before asking for a chemical service.

2. Ask your stylist a lot of "what if" questions regarding different treatments and styles, even those that you're not taking seriously. Do they tell you that everything you suggest could be done? Or do they let you know which treatments may not work for your hair type? Do they admit if they don't know how to do a particular treatment, or if they've never done a particular treatment? Also, ask questions regarding your long term plans for your hair.

3. Stay away from stylists with "punk", trendy, or "creative" haircuts/colors if you're not the type who likes them for yourself.

4. During your first non-chemical visits does your stylist try to persuade you to do something you really don't want, even if they want you to "just think about it"? If you're a brunette, and your stylist keeps telling you what a gorgeous blonde you'd make even AFTER you remind her that you DON'T want blonde hair, this is a sign that she/he really doesn't respect what you want to do with your hair.

6. Ask his/her opinion on products. Do they try to convince you that only products sold in their salon are good, or will they also let you know of store brands that may benefit you?

7. Never allow a stylist to try "something new" on your hair that you haven't already considered before entering the salon. If you're only going in for a basic trim, and your stylist is trying to talk you into bangs and highlights (and you've never considered them for yourself), FIND ANOTHER STYLIST.

8. Beware of stylists who ask too many personal questions. Asking how many children you have and your line of work is OK. If they have an interest in where you and your husband eat out, how long you've driven your current car, what part of town you live in, how much are your house notes, stay away from them. I haven't had it happen to me, but I've heard too many horror stories from women who had stylists ask them a million questions, and later had the stylist "accidently" ruin their hair because they were jealous of something.

9. Don't be the guinea pig for a stylist's new found skills. She just took a class on layering last week, and she thinks your hair will be so pretty in layers...even though you've had AND LIKED blunt cut hair for the past 15 years. Nope.

10. BE VOCAL. Don't just go in and say "I want a trim." Hold your hair out and say, "I want this much trimmed and nothing more."  Don't just say "I want highlights". Take pictures if you have to and say "I want highlights HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE maybe 2 shades lighter than my natural hair."  Don't just say "I want my hair dyed brown". Take pictures of the exact shade of brown: light, ash, dark, reddish brown?

11. The bottom line is that you pay them to do your hair the way YOU want it. If they EVER want to do it how THEY want it, you suggest to them that THEY pay for it. And if they SCREW UP your hair and want to "fix" it, DON'T ALLOW THEM TO DO IT. Take pictures immediately. They're wanting to "fix" it is just to cover up any evidence that they've done something wrong, and you still don't get what you went for. If they don't give you what you want, don't give them another chance to give you SOMETHING ELSE you don't want. Where's the logic in that?

That's all I can think of at this time. Post whatever ideas you have.

Another two I forgot:

Don't allow a stylist to guilt you into going to them more often than you want to. If they tell you to come in every 6 weeks for a trim, but you only want a trim twice a year, don't let them push you. If they make a big deal out of your "roots", but you don't mind them, don't let them push you into more frequent touchups.

Be sure the stylist does "your" hair, and is not trying to get your hair to look/behave like someone else's hair that is nothing like yours. If you have very thick, curly, dark hair, your hair is not going to look exactly like Jennifer Anniston's hair, I don't care what you do to it. You can aim for a SIMILAR style or color or texture, but don't expect to have "Jennifer's hair". Any stylist who tells you she can give you "THAT" hair is lying to you.

I would have to disagree with you. If the customer doesn't want a trim for their hair, it doesn't matter if they need one or not. The point is for the customer to get what they want, if feasible. Stylists tell us we "need" a lot of things, but if we don't WANT it, there's no reason to get it.

As for the "Jennifer", it can be made similar, but if the person's hair is thicker (even if straightened) it's not going to be exactly the same, only similar. It's not going to have the same hang, the same swing, etc. Now if your hair type is closer to her hair type, it may be possible.

HI,

 I TRUST MY FRIENDS, AND FAMILY TO TELL ME THEIR PERSONAL STYLISTS, WHOM THEY RECCOMEND.

Another tip:

If your stylist has an attitude with you before she/he even starts doing your hair, walk out and never go back. If they have an attitude after they've started or have done your hair, don't go back.

Interesting post.  Just seen it.  Couldn't agree more with point 11.  Many years ago I had long, natural, shiny hair in excellent condition.  (That was before I started dying it!)  I had a wash and cut and when it was all finished, the manageress of the Salon came over, praised the condition of my hair and asked me to come back in 3 days time to be a model/guinea pig for highlights or lowlights....I can't remember which but I know it was a new technique at the time.

I wasn't the slightest bit interested and was working that day anyway.   As an incentive to make me take the day off work, she said "We'll let you have the highlights for half-price."  I couldn't believe my ears and was amazed that she expected me to pay so she could train her staff.  Not that I would have agreed to it if it had been free!  My hair colour was already gorgeous then and didn't need changing.

Good to know. Thanks for the tips.