Hairdressers see a lot, and boy do they hear a lot more.
On r/AskReddit, user Pan_Beesly wanted to know: What is a hairstylist’s best advice for their clients, and what makes a bad client?
The answers were wide-ranging, and some even crazy. Let’s check them out!
1. Unrealistic expectations when it comes to dye.
“People want to go from dark brown to platinum in one session, bright pink hair that never fades, amazing rainbow hair from a heavily filtered photo on Instagram….”
It’s just not going to happen, unless you’re cool with frying your hair completely.
2. People who don’t maintain their unique hair colors.
“[…] if you want blue hair then expect bleach damage and split ends, be prepared to spend money on colour safe shampoo, conditioner, hair treatments, maintain it regularly, change your pillowcases, etc. Don’t blame your hairdresser if you go swimming for hours and your hair turns green.”
3. People who lift their heads during a hair wash.
“Lifting your head in the shampoo bowl! Don’t do that.. That’s how we end up soaking the back of your shirt!”
Other stylist confirmed that keeping your head down is better for everyone.
4. Parents who get too involved with their child’s haircut.
“I had this woman bring her rambunctious kid in for a haircut. She was so picky and the kid wouldn’t stop moving. She wanted him to have a hard part. I cut the part in and she kept insisting it needed to be thicker,” one stylist explained.
She then demanded a SECOND part.
“[…] she wanted a part on the left and a part on the right! It was so hard making another part that matched perfectly that was at least a half inch thick!
Guess what? She HATED IT! After she bitched at me the whole time to do it and I tried talking her out of it, she hated it.”
5. Don’t move.
“Don’t move your head when you’re in the chair, only move when your stylist says so.”
As someone who once moved and wound up with crooked bangs, I cannot recommend this tip more. Do not move, people.
6. Insane requests.
One person, “decided she needed a complex haircut, but an elaborate dye job with zero fucking notice. And this dye job was going practically across the spectrum[…] between luck and throwing a frankly obscene amount of money at the problem, we got it done.
2 weeks later she decided it would be best to shave 40% off.”
7. Wearing high collars.
“DON’T WEAR A HOODIE or a turtleneck, if you can take it off, fine but they both get in the way a lot if I’m trying to cut/color your hair.”
Many stylists agreed with this one. It just makes things harder!
8. Thinking you need dirty hair.
“Also your hair doesn’t need to be dirty for me to style it. In fact I would REALLY prefer if it was clean. And it also doesn’t need to be dirty/clean/covered in coconut oil for me to color it. Just come in with normal dry hair.”
9. People who throw fits.
“If they notice anything off about your hair (mostly lice or something very hazard-like) they have to deny due to protocols. DO NOT scream at them and demand them to do it. They have to be careful with certain things that could possibly be transmitted home to their loved ones or other customers.”
People who throw fits: Part 2.
“Don’t blast off at the stylist who tried to ‘up sell’ products, they hate it just as much as you do. Just be polite to say no if you don’t want it. They’re aren’t trying to spike up your bill, they have to follow selling guidelines otherwise they’ll get marks on their reports for not selling enough.”
10. People who talk through blow-drying.
“I also 99% time can’t hear you when blow drying, and it’s bloody impossible to have a conversation when blow drying now we all have to wear masks lol”
I feel like this one shouldn’t need to be said, but you know how people are.
11. When clients start talking politics.
“My wife is a stylist. Her main complaint is when clients, mostly men but some women, start spouting their political beliefs for all to hear,” one stylist’s partner explained.
There’s no boundaries.
“It’s as if they think when they sit down in that chair, all conversational etiquitte gets thrown out the window and there are no consequences to what is said.” Other stylists agreed that it makes them very uncomfortable.
12. Weird hair washing etiquette.
“Please don’t keep your eyes open when washing, it’s kinda akward if you know someone is staring right up your nostrils.”
I couldn’t imagine just staring at someone washing my hair! That’s so creepy.