It’s hard going to get your hair done because there’s an entire process to it. Most of us are just confused and it’s scary when we’re all reminded of hair horror stories. No one wants a bad cut or to look unflattering, so these two guides are here to help. Part One is all about my rants and take on hair in general as Part Two guides you through hair salon etiquette once you’ve decided to try something new with your hair. And of course, I always want to rant first.

• Length junkies. I’ve seen a lot of long and sexy tresses and I’ve also happened to see even more dry and brittle-looking hair. Length shows that you’ve waited long and painfully hard for a head full of long, healthy strands. Remember, there’s much emphasis on healthy and beautiful hair. People can make such a big deal about snipping off half an inch, but literally, it’s only half an inch. It’s not your arm or your dignity on the line here. If you have luscious, to-die-for hair then I understand, but don’t throw a fit if your hair looks like scorched savanna grass. Having longer hair is a lot of work, it’s more product to use and more damage if you like to chemically process it. So long-hair vixens: Condition and love your hair because there is nothing worse than hair that feels icky and coarse when someone runs their hands through it. Or worse yet, if it looks damaged before the hands even get to it. Work with your face shape and take your overall height into consideration because if you don’t, long hair can actually weigh you down and emphasize age or some facial features you’d rather not be spotlighted.
• Snipping off the ends does not make your hair grow faster. It just makes it shorter. Your hair is not alive and your ends definitely aren’t either. Your hair grows with or without the trim. The reason why we trim the ends is because they’ve been around the longest and most likely, they’ve taken more damage than the areas around your roots. If you color or perm your hair, you’re prone to more damage, the kind that weighs your style down and gives your split ends a permanent home. So if you’ve ever noticed why your hair is bouncier or “healthier” after a cut, then that’s because the damaged, dead weight has been removed.
• People who’ve had the same hair cut and color for close to a decade. You can argue that many people rock their signature hairstyle so it’s okay to have the same style for years and years … and years to come, right?. You probably have Jennifer Aniston in mind (or someone similar), but if you really pay attention, Jennifer’s had many variations to her hairstyle and color. She’ll mix it up with a new Balyage service or even bangs, but it’s never the same. I’m not asking you channel Rihanna and go all-out chameleon, dishing out a new color and look every week. However, if you’re going to college, changing your career, or going through a tough phase, you should know that a good trip to the hair salon does more wonders for you physically, emotionally, and mentally than a manicure or a good book.
• You don’t have to go all-out. Just get a dye job. As mentioned earlier, many of you may not want to cut your hair. The easiest and fastest way to get a complete, new look without having to break the bank is to get some color put it your hair to liven up that flat color. Lowlights add depth and highlights can bring out your best features. Or try a change of your overall base color if you really want to stay in budget. All it takes is some color to bring out a new you whether you want to look more polished, flirty, younger, or more dazzling.
• Rude stylists. There’s nothing worse than a stylist who doesn’t respect you as a client. They’re usually the ones who are asking all the wrong questions such as “Who did your hair?” and etc. They’ll make you feel bad and lower your self-esteem with hurtful remarks and don’t like to listen to what your visions and ideas are even if they are realistic. These people either agree and do what they want in the end or just protest and suggest something easier for themselves to handle. A stylist I used to frequent seriously worked on my hair the entire time while a random client stood adjacent and talked to him about my hair and their issues. He was on the phone half of the time and I had to ask him to patch up a few areas when he thought he was done. I made sure I never went back to see him again and it was very sad because he was a very talented stylist. However, his work ethic and attitude was more appalling than anyone could ever handle. Not all stylists act like this, but most of us will probably meet at least one in our lives who do. When it comes to these types of situations, it’s best to just break up and move on to a new stylist.
• Knowing your limits. Not everyone is created equal and the great color your friend is currently sporting may not do you any justice whatsoever. If your face shape looks nothing like what you’re trying to achieve, take a step back and look at yourself realistically. You don’t have to look frumpy but you don’t have to try and live an impossible dream either. If you are a low maintenance type who only spends 5 minutes on your hair then don’t choose something that will require 3o minutes because you’ll look great when your leave the salon but you won’t be able to recreate it on a day-to-day basis unless you commit.

1. Make an appointment. I know you want to walk in and just hope that everyone there will accommodate you hand and foot but that’s just not the way to go. Sure, you can go to a handful of salons that’ll grimace and smile while welcoming you in, but I can guarantee you that they don’t appreciate it. Your stylist may have someone else scheduled to come in and it’s a hassle for someone who has an appointment to wait. Of course, if you go to Great Clips, a $9 hair cut salon, or a place that no one ever goes to then maybe it’s no problem. But don’t try that at Vidal Sassoon or Aveda. It’s not hard to pick up the phone, schedule an appointment and tell them what service you want.
2. Say what you want or at least have the guts to say you don’t. Don’t schedule a blowdry and show up wanting a cut, color and highlight service because each service varies in time, and it’s important that your stylist knows so they can set out ample time for you. If you don’t know what you want at the time of booking your appointment, just say so and your stylist will be more than happy to have you come in early for a consultation.
3. Running late? Don’t run, just call. A lot of salons have a late policy. If you’re going to be coming in late, just drop a line and hope that you’ll only be 5 and not 20 minutes late. And if you drop by early, that’s fine. Just don’t make it 45 minutes early because that only puts your stylist and the staff members in an awkward and stressed mood.
4. Don’t interrupt. Getting your hair cut and done is a very relaxing moment, so why kill it with the constant buzz of a cellphone? You’ll reach for it or move your head throughout the entire process throwing off your stylist. So if you get an asymmetrical cut or a jab of a scissor to your temple, who is to blame but yourself? When you go to a spa, you leave your kids, your hectic life and issues behind. A visit to your stylist is no exception. Most of the time, your stylist needs to be able to communicate with you throughout your service and the only person who suffers is you if you’re preoccupied. Other clients don’t want to hear you fussing over the phone about your personal issues either. Plus, it’s just plain rude to be talking on your phone the entire time.
5. Nodding off is a no-no. Some people like to sleep or nod off during a service because it’s just so damn relaxing. You can perfectly do so if you’ve successfully communicated your needs or if you’ve been there a thousand times asking for the same haircut, but it’s advisable to pay attention if you’re looking for a change or if you’ve never worked with a particular stylist before. If you watch your stylist work, you can learn how to style your hair or how to keep that cowlick in place. And if you wear glasses and can’t see to save your life (like me), wear contact lenses so you’re not vulnerable and blind to what your stylist is doing. (This also applies to going on roller coasters, too!)
6. Show not tell. Your stylist has no idea what you mean when you say the following: “Can you just trim my ends just a little bit?” “I want you to cut my hair like last time.” “I just want some streaks of chocolatey brown and a bit of blonde in my hair.” Being vague does absolutely nothing to help you. Take thirty minutes to print out some photos of what you want or what you don’t want before you leave the house. If you’re in love with a hairstyle from three years ago, try bringing a photo of yourself then. Be assertive about how much length you’re willing to part with and speak up about something you don’t like. Also, there is a whole spectrum of color so merely saying reddish-brown just won’t do.
7. Ask questions. Maybe you think your hair is coarse when it’s really fine or perhaps you really want to know if an ash blonde would work for your skin tone. Maybe you don’t even know what your skin tone is. Well, how are you ever going to know if you don’t ask? Your stylist is here to debunk and clarify all the questions and myths that ricochet in your head so if you are paying, you might as well take the time to ask and learn.
8. Tip accordingly and don’t be a jerk about it. Stylists work in a service industry and it’s feel-good money for them because it’s your personal opinion of how much you liked the end results. Your stylist will remember if you were generous or stingy and that affects the future appointments you’ll have with them. The rule of tipping is typically 15% of all the total services and if your stylist did an excellent job, jump it up to 20%. Your stylist can probably throw in samples or do regular trims for a low price (possibly even free!) if you tip well and remain loyal. And don’t forget about anyone else in the salon who may have serviced you such as shampoo assistants, etc.
9. If you cheated, be open about it (for once in your life). Let’s say you’ve been tight on money and you decided to go to a place called Hair Salon (I’m serious. There are places called just plain Hair Salon.) because you only had $10 to spend on a haircut that normally would’ve cost you $60. Now, you’re regretting it as you leave the salon in tears with a botched and splotchy dye job and uneven bangs. It’s definitely okay to go back to your normal hair stylist, but truth is, you cheated and cheating got you really bad results. Even if you don’t say anything and try to hope they didn’t notice anything particular, your stylist most likely will know off the bat that you were serviced elsewhere. So the best thing to do is be vocal about it because it works for you that your stylist knows exactly what your hair has been previously treated with so they can effectively correct the damage.