How to Find the Best Hair Salon

Firing your hair stylist

Hold on loosely. . . but don't let go! It's not unusual for us to lose a client. With relocation, competition, dissatisfaction, personalities, chemistry, and many other factors, it happens all the time.

It may be noticed sooner in a smaller hair salon than a bigger busier salon. Sure we'll miss you, but we understand the dynamics of a woman and her hair styles. Nothing is appreciated more than our loyal clientele, but things must change, and we realize that too.

My advice is simply to stop showing up. If by chance you run into your old hair stylist, don't dwell on an excuse. Politely say something that doesn't require expanding on . . . such as, this shop was more convenient, flexible, recommended, etc. This might be a time to put on your diplomat's hat, and avoid saying something truthful like, "I just got bored with you." Now that hurts!

Choosing a new hair salon

Ask around

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself and your hair is to change your hair salon. I only say this of course, if you are unhappy with the results you've been getting from your existing hair salon. If you are happy and have a stylist that suggests new styles, stay with her. However, if you are stuck in a rut or are not happy with the results you have been getting, it may be time to make a switch.

How do you find a good hair salon? Personal recommendations are the best. Who should you ask? Ask someone (even a stranger) who has a hair style that you admire, where she goes. You will be surprised at how appreciative she is for you asking. You are really paying her a great compliment. Every woman is a walking advertisement for her hair salon.

Even better than asking random women is to look for women with similar form and texture as your hair. Finding someone with a similar hair type and a great style that is designed for their hair type says a lot about the skill of the stylist. When you are choosing a new hair salon, this level of skill is exactly what you are hoping to find.

After getting some recommendations, set up a consultation with the potential new hair stylist (this visit should not cost anything, by the way). Rely heavily on that womanly intuition you have been blessed with. Here are some observations to make:

Do we seem to click? First impressions are powerful and generally correct.
How does the hair stylist present herself/himself? What you see is what you get.
What does her/his hair style look like? Believe me, this is a big clue. If you see terribly damaged hair. . . run for the hills. If she/he doesn't care enough, or know enough to keep their own hair healthy, why should they care about yours?
Did they ask enough questions to be able to asses your best possibilities? On this visit, a good hair stylist should get your hair styling history, past chemical treatments and the reaction. They should get to know about your lifestyle and how much time you are willing to spend on styling your hair.
Ask about ongoing education and training in the salon.
Do the stylists take courses and attend hair shows or participate in competitions? If so, they are more likely to be current regarding trends and the latest styles or treatments.
Take a look around. Is the hair salon clean? Do they appear organized?
Was your appointment handled professionally? Remember, you do have choices here.

Start off slow in your new relationship. Go in for a light trim or have your hair styled for an event before going full force with a whole new cut and color. This is a good way to test the water and see if you and the stylist are a good match. If you are happy with the experience and the results, you've found your new hair salon.

What you see is what you get.

How much experience should you look for?

New hair stylists

New hair stylists often have lots of enthusiasm, ideas and state of the art technical hair styling skills. They are usually very knowledgeable about the latest in hair technologies. The downside is that they simply have not encountered enough outcomes to develop the intuition necessary to know what will work best in a variety of situations. There are good as well as the not so good hair stylists in this category, just choose wisely.

This is one situation where the salon can make the difference. Salons that have training and mentoring programs for new stylists also tend to have better stylists, particularly among recent graduates. The additional training in cutting, styling, coloring and other techniques results in a more knowledgeable professional who is prepared to deal with a broader range of possible problems. If the salon has mandatory requirements for attendance at training classes, this is a good sign.

Maturing hair stylists

Generally, a hair stylist who has been in the business over three years, but under thirty years is your best bet. Think of it this way. If they are still in the business after some years, it's a reasonable conclusion that they have established a following of clients. They have enough clients who give them a vote of confidence to keep them in the hair salon business. They have developed a style of their own.

Good older stylists stay up on the current trends and they still have the enthusiasm, creativity and willingness to try new hair styles. They are the suggestors, and the ones who are not only committed to the business, but also to your best image. Again, as you already know, there are the good and the bad in each category. There are some older stylists who are stuck in a rut and just working for the money. You'll want to avoid them.

Been around forever

There are many hair stylists who begin to burn out, get tired of trying new things, and who will settle into ruts. They lose excitement, and every client, even new ones, becomes a chore. They will keep doing the same old things over and over again. They may have a following of somewhat loyal customers, but most of them will have been wearing the same style for years. Other customers will drift away from these stylists.

You need to use your own best judgment here. The number of years working in the industry isn't the only indication of burn out. Burnout can occur quickly in a hair stylist. I've known hair stylists who were burnt out after only three years in the business. Yet, don't assume that a hair stylist who has been around a while is burnt out. I've known hair stylists who have been cutting hair 30 years and more, and who are as fresh as the day they came out of hair styling school.

What kind of hair salon is best?

Upscale hair salons

The chrome and glass, high rent district hair salon often attracts and keeps the high energy, creative hair stylists who are on the cutting edge of hair styling. The downside of this arrangement is that you'll usually pay a big price differential and often get less personal attention, particularly in very busy salons. You may feel rushed during appointments and not have time for in depth analysis of your hair or discussions about styles that are most flattering to you.

In addition, I have found that many times trendy salons will try to make you look a little too stylish or cutting edge. You could come out with spiked emo hair. This is great if you are into edgier styles, but may not work for older women or more conservative women of any age. Again, it's important to find a salon that is a good match for you. This is just one more factor to consider.

Independent Mom and Pops

Look at the physical hair salon facilities; this will tell you everything. It doesn't have to be expensive, but the facilities must be orderly and clean. Order is the key to the management attitude. If the magazines in the waiting area are old, full of out of date hairstyles and unorganized, or if the appointment desk looks like utter chaos, move on. What you see . . . is what you get.

Chair rentals

In a chair rental hair salon, each hair stylist rents the chair from the hair salon owner. The hair stylist retains 100% of the revenue that they generate and pays a rental fee to the owner of the hair salon for the space. Generally, chair rental hair salons attract the better and more experienced hair stylists, as the economics require a large following of clients.

Chains and franchises

Chains and franchises are usually the lowest paying jobs for a hair stylist. The big name on the front door draws the clientele; therefore, the commissions the hair stylists receive are usually very low. In addition, the low cost of services in some chains results in even lower payment for the stylists, since they are getting commission on low cost hair services. For this reason, the best experienced and talented stylists in town rarely work for the chains.

Franchises have their own training programs beyond the training that the hair stylist receives in cosmetology school. I have found that the training is outstanding. Unfortunately, their hair stylists do not stay long before they move on to more lucrative hair salons. A hair stylist who has a good list of repeat clients will look for a place that will pay her for bringing in the clients.

Chain department stores

Department store hair salons are usually owned by a large chain. The quality of service in these places can be very spotty. Some are outstanding and have good talent, while others can be staffed by those just putting in their time. The exception is JC Penney's hair salons. I find that their hair salons are extremely well managed and the hair stylists are extraordinarily competent.

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