For many people, going to the hairdresser is a difficult task. An inexperienced person may not only ruin the look of your hair, but even its health. In order to know whether a hairdresser is professional or not, you don’t need to experiment with your own hair. There are certain telltale signs you can look for to see if you are dealing with a professional you can trust.
In the modern world, hairdressers have a lot of ways to showcase their work using social media. So, check the reviews and photos online. The photos should look like they were taken in the same place and like they aren’t edited too much. Otherwise, there’s a risk they don’t belong to this hairdresser.
“A hairdresser ruined my bangs. I legit look like coconut head.”
The shape of the face and the condition and features of the hair determines whether a certain haircut is good for a person. Experienced hairdressers can quickly assess these things and give you recommendations. So, don’t be shy about asking questions. You don’t have to do exactly what the hairdresser tell you, but if you ask them questions, and they don’t know how to answer them, it’s not a good sign.
At first sight, it seems that hairdressers need a very limited number of tools. But professionals usually use several types of scissors. They can be long or short, with teeth or without them. You don’t need to know all the intricacies, but a professional should.
Some hairdressers are too rough with the brush. There might be a lot of reasons — they are tired, they have personal problems, or they are underqualified. A bad hairdresser might not know that when untangling hair, you need to go from the bottom to the top, not the other way around. Also, you should use different types of brushes for dry and wet hair.
The quality of the brush may also be the reason for unpleasant sensations. Some hairdressers skimp on their tools and use cheap plastic brushes. But clients with sensitive skin need brushes with rubber teeth.
In order to disinfect their inventory, hairdressers use a special blue liquid. But while they are being disinfected, they should have other tools to use. So, if you see several identical tools, it’s a good sign.
It’s a good idea to watch what a hairdresser does with other clients, or rather after they are done with them. If they used a styling product and didn’t use gloves, they should wash their hands before working with someone else. Many hairdressers ignore this, and it’s not a good thing.
Many people imagine a perfect haircut that can only be created with styling products. But not everyone is ready to apply them every day. As a result, after you wash your hair once, it never looks like it did right after the salon.
To avoid this, tell your hairdresser about your real plans and make them show you what the cut will look like without styling. A good hairdresser will be happy to do it. And a less experienced one will insist on using styling products to hide the bad results of their work.
Take a look at how your hairdresser prepares your hair before cutting it. It’s best when they divide all the hair into sections and work with them. Chaotic movements and insecure actions usually mean the hairdresser has no idea how to do their job.
Sudden breaks in a cascade or completely cut-out areas are signs of a bad hairdresser. If it’s happened to other clients, it’s very likely to happen to you too. You should know that you have the right to stop a haircut at any point and ask for a different hairdresser.
Some people think that washing hair is a necessary procedure in high-class salons. But it’s not always like that. A good hairdresser knows when to do it and when it’s not necessary.
If they just need to cut a few inches, there’s no need to wash all the hair. But when they need to cut curly or long hair, it’s different. Water straightens the locks and helps do the job in the best way possible. The same is done when a multi-layered cut is created.
Most hairdressers don’t wash hair before cutting, even when it’s necessary. Many of them think it takes too much time, so they ignore it. But all hairdressers are taught that washing hair is part of the service, and it’s free of charge.
A high level of skill is not just about the technique of cutting and working with materials. It’s also important to have the right sequence of actions. A professional always cuts hair first and then dyes it.
If the goal is an even edge, it’s better to use scissors and go perpendicular. Razors are better at texturing at an angle. A good professional uses both of these tools, depending on the goal, but only on straight hair. It’s not a good idea to use a razor for curly hair.
Some colors are impossible to achieve over the course of a single procedure or if the hair is not in good condition. For example, red is very hard to get and retain. But getting an ombre or changing the color to a very similar shade to your natural one is very easy. If you are going to change something about your look, your hairdresser will warn you about these subtleties.
How do you tell a good hairdresser from a beginner?
I love my hairdresser and think what makes her most professional is that she's very intelligent, patient, informative, and knowledgeable about different aspects of how your hair is affected by things like meditations, beauty treatments, color, cuts, and other useful tips. She's always very current with her style and photos of the work she does for others, but understanding of my needs due to medical issues. She's just phenomenal.
