A hair mentor once told me, you can do the absolute best hair in the world, but if it’s not what the client wanted, it doesn’t matter. As stylists, this can be humbling because we always work to give you the best technical outcome, the best and most current cut and color. A critical component that helps us accomplish this for you, our client, is the communication we make space for behind the chair in the consultation. Like any relationship, good communication builds trust, and we rely on that trust to support you through the service.
In the consultation, we use this face-to-face opportunity to gather information about your ideas for your hair, things you love, things you might want to change or are challenged by, and what inspires you. We love using pictures as inspiration, because it’s the fastest way to understand expectation. While we’re talking, we’re also visually and tactically assessing the condition of your hair. What’s the density and texture? By sliding our fingers down an individual hair strand or stretching it between two fingers, we can evaluate porosity and elasticity. Does it appear flat, fluffy, frizzy? Curly in some areas and not in others? Where are the whorls, what direction does your hair grow in your hairline? All of this helps us understand what some potential outcomes are.
The beauty of hair is that there is a wide variety of choices both in how to style, cut and color it. We’ll continue to ask questions to help us narrow down the options we may offer you. Sometimes what guides us is actually what your hair will do, or what you’re open to looking like. Sometimes we get a light bulb idea and it’s our job to convince you that a look that never occurred to you might be something to consider. And because of the trust you have in us, we’re able to create something you didn’t know you’d love.
The consultation is just as important for an existing client relationship as it is for a new guest. When we are engaging a client we’ve seen before, we can discuss new possibilities for a direction we can take their hair seasonally, or how to meet new life stages. There are guests who have a length or shade they like to maintain, and others who grow the hair out then chop it off. Where are we in the cycle, and what is the interest in incorporating a new trend?
One of our favorite things is when we have a relationship with a client for some time, we’ll develop our own very specific language for details. With one client, I talk about making her bangs look “chewy” (choppy). With another, I’ll have the client shake her head to style the final cut or handle it herself to put it in the right place with her favorite pomade. It’s the best version of a collaboration, one in which we practice how to make it the best version it can be each time. Ultimately, taking a moment to meet you where you are and support you to understand the nature of how your hair works is what makes us happy and inspires us to serve you.
The team and I look forward to our next conversation about making you the very best version of yourself you can be. Hope you’re having a great hair day. If not, let’s talk about it!
All the best, Angela