Happy New Year!  First I must apologize for how long I have been away.  December was an incredibly busy and amazing month for play hair lounge and myself.  I appreciate your patience and assure you that what I have in store for my future posts is worth the wait. 

    Something happens to all of us at the turn of the New Year.  We use it as an opportunity to change without having to offer up reason behind our drastic measures. With that being said….find a mirror and evaluate your current hair style, color, cut, health of your hair, etc.

Do you love it?

YES… Take a minute to drop your stylist a quick e-mail or thank you note. When I receive these from clients I am always blown away and grateful.

NO… now is the time to take action. First jot down a couple notes about what you do not like. Next write some ideas you have for changing it. Now head out to Borders Books or your closest newsstand and pick up Hairstyles, Hair Now or Great Hair. I love these magazines for the fact that they are published out of the UK and compile fashion forward images from stylists all over the world. Stay away from Soap Opera Styles. Those styles aren’t working for the daytime stars so they probably won’t work for you. Find styles, color and cuts that you love and mark the pages. Beware of falling for the ultra pretty sixteen year old model’s picture. Remember, a stylist can change your hair, not your face.

If you have a stylist that you trust, be sure to give them the heads up that you are up for a change so they can allow for plenty of time for your appointment. I always get excited when a client lets me know they are wanting something fresh.

If you need to find a new stylist, ask your friends or check out these sites:   

Searchhairstylist.com, Findabeautysalon.com or hairflix.com

I also love yelp.com.

A professional salon will have a website. Example: play hair lounge Check out the salon’s website.  Read stylist bios and choose a stylist.  Schedule an appointment for a consultation with that stylist. Any reputable salon will offer consultations at no charge with no requirement that you commit to an appointment following it. It is always a good idea to get a feel for a stylist before they are wildly wacking away at your locks as you fear the outcome.

During the consultation pay attention to these things:

Was the salon friendly? Did you feel welcome?

Was the stylist on time? If they weren’t, did someone make you aware of this or let you wait for 20 minutes wondering?

Did they look professional, interested, sober? (I’m serious, you would be surprised!)

Did they start by asking YOU what YOU wanted before they added their suggestions? -If not, RUN. They  are either going to give you their hairstyle or do the same thing they did on their last client that you just watched leave.

Did they welcome your ideas and pictures?-I find these very helpful.

Did they offer up suggestions to personalize the look for you?- If they didn’t,  they may lack expertise & creativity.

Did they tell you how much it would cost and discuss future visits including frequency and cost? -It is important to know if your new look is going to bankrupt you.

Lastly, did they offer you time to think about the consultation, what was discussed and give you the choice to choose them as your stylist?

When I schedule a new client consultation I let the client know that there will not be time following it to do what we discussed if they choose me do their hair. This is to show my client that I respect their decision to choose me as their stylist.  On my side of things, if the client decides to go another route, I do not have a 2 hour gap in my schedule. When a new client calls and tells me they want to consult with me and get their hair done on the same day, I will book enough time. Make sure that you have an opportunity to leave the salon without getting stuck with a stylist you don’t feel confident with.

Now go, be bold, make a change and embrace your new 2009 look!

If this article inspired you be sure to e-mail me before and after pictures and tell me where you went and who did it. I would love to hear about your salon experience.

Need hair advice? I am here for you. E-mail me with your dilemma .

Good hair days to you all ‘09, Brig

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