How did you find a GOOD hairstylist, and what do you like about them?

[Laurab]

There's a couple of threads going on right now about bad hairdresser experiences, so I thought I'd introduce a more positive thread!
A lot of people on here are afraid of getting haircuts by anyone new, and that's 100% valid with some stories. But a GOOD haircut can be a great experience, and make you feel a lot better about your hair.

I've talked about my current hairdresser before, but just a breif summary:
I found her by looking up the best rated salon in my area and asking for someone who would cut a pixie cut.
I like her because she's on time, professional, and listens to what I want, even if it's "I don't know whatever you think."
I can tell from talking to her that she personally prefers short hair, but once she told me that her daughter likes keeping hers very long, so I know she's happy to let pepole do whatever they like.

So, if you've had any really good salon experiences in the past share them here!

[Begemot]

Through my sister! She recommended her to me and my mother, my mother started going to her and eventually I did the same. I trusted the opinion of my sister and mother and it paid off. They usually get much more done (coloring, highlights, big cuts and changes) but our hairdresser has always respected my hair goals and hasn't pressured me to get anything done, she supported me when I was growing long and did great job when I wanted to go shorter. And going shorter was a process in itself since I didn't have the guts to go short immediately, I got her cut my hair shorter gradually so it wouldn't be too much of a shock to me lol!

[cjk]

Consultation.

Since I enjoy Barber bouncing I have been to many barbershops and salons. Here are a few tips.

First, get a real life person referral. Yelp is great but the man or woman you met on the street whose hair has a texture similar to yours and whose haircut you like, is probably going to be a better choice for a referral. Ask who they go to and whether they're satisfied.

When I used to wear a flat top, I would actually get a referral from the local police department in a town. A lot of them will use the same Barber, and because they all maintain a military regulation cut they know who does them well. Precision clipper work is a specialty and it requires a very unique skill set.

Second, go to the new salon when they're not overly busy. Good salons will be busy, but every business has a busy time and a slow time. Show up during the slow time.

Look around. Observe. Maybe even talk to someone if you feel like it.

Based on the energy of the place, if it matches your vibe set up a consultation. You're there during a slow time anyway, it should be easy.

Don't waste the person's time. But they also should not waste your time either. Too many people forget that it has to go both directions.

Like a job interview, talk to each other. Ask them questions, let them ask you questions as well. See whether or not you work well together. Don't be shy, ask the questions you have. And answer them, frankly. You're supposed to be learning about each other.

If you do vibe well together, and the energy feels right, get in the chair. A haircut should be a joyous thing. It shouldn't be stressful. It shouldn't be a fight. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it.

But if it does feel right, skip into the process and enjoy yourself!

Depending on how compatible your energies are, you might choose to get only an extremely small trim as a trial. Or you might give yourself over for a makeover. Your choice!

But you should be the one making the choice.

Trust your feelings. Trust your gut. It's there for a reason.

When we ignore that little voice inside of our heads, that's usually when we end up in trouble.

If it's not pleasurable, something is wrong.

[Bri-Chan]

At age of 16. I went to my this hairdresser, asking for a sidecut and a very layered longish-cut (about BSL I guess). I was not sure about the result cause my hair is very fine and it's difficult to put consistent layers in it.
The result was flawless. I was totally in love with that cut.

My BF suggested him. This hairdresser was very talented.

[jane_marie]

This sounds a bit high maintenance but when I have to find a new stylist I ask for a consultation and to see a portfolio.

If a stylist isn't willing to give me a consultation I assume they are going to have an indifferent attitude about how they cut my hair. The portfolio proves what they can do. Since many people on here have long blunt cuts I would try to see how well they can do a blunt hem. I used to rock an extremely blunt cut bob (Edna Mode vibes) and wondered why it was so hard to find someone able to cut a straight line on iii hair. Later, I had to cut the same bob onto someone with similar hair and learned that a blunt hemline can be incredibly difficult depending on thickness. Don't take for granted that your cut is easy because it's just a straight line.

Make sure to figure out how long they have been cutting hair. Hair schools tend to mostly expose students to certain cuts/styles because of the nature of the clients. Perms, men's cuts, pixies and fixing home hair cuts are about the most common things a student deals with. A lot of the hair school clients are going there because it is cheap and they don't care nearly as much as clients will later. If I want to ensure that my hair looks great I pick someone who is seasoned.
I also tend to look at reviews and pay attention to the types of clients they have. If a salon has a bunch of older ladies with short hair getting perms or guys getting fades then it probably isn't the place for me.

Also, unfortunately, a lot of the time the more you pay the better your cut is going to be. I'm not saying you can't get a great cut for 15 dollars but it's a lot less likely. Higher priced salons (at least where I live) tend to require portfolios before hiring someone.

I hope these tips help people. :)

ETA - OH! Since I am growing my hair out I haven't been doing anything but bang trims for a while. Since I like a blunt bang I have been seeing an AMAZING barber that cuts my bangs with clippers. He's awesome and I found him through one of his clients. So, word of mouth can be pretty important too.

Pretty soon I will need to have someone take a look the length though and while I think my bang guy is great I'll likely be going to a girl that specializes in not so straight hair. Her cuts are good and she has hair in the 3s that is about as long as mine.

[Sweet_Decadence]

I'll be following this thread closely. I'm having such a hard time finding a good hairdresser. They always seem so gung ho with the scissors and I can't cut my own hair for toffee!:(

[Bellalla]

I am also pretty high maintenance when looking for a good stylist, and I'm very willing to pay for quality service.
I make sure that they have experience with styling curly hair of people who *air dry* their curls. They must be willing to cut my hair dry if that's what's needed, and they must know how to do this. They also have to respond well to me being high maintenance. The kind of stylist I need will actually appreciate a client who knows what they want and is realistic about their own hair and care routine, and will take pride in taking the time to work with me to figure out what's best.

My last stylist I found because I was seeing a different stylist in the salon briefly, but she cut my mom's hair, which is much curlier than mine, and did a beautiful job. I switched to her and stayed with her until she moved away. I've tried a few stylists since, but still haven't quite found the right fit yet. It takes time, just like with finding great massage therapists, physiotherapists, financial advisors, lawyers, therapists, dentists, etc.

The really good ones aren't intimidated by high expectations.

[shutterpillar]

My current one was a friend of my mom's. I began going to her about 10 years ago before I ever even considered having hair past APL. I have not strayed from her because I can trust her to listen to my requests. If I ask her to take an inch off, she is going to do exactly that and nothing more. If I ask her to use cool water while she washes my hair before cutting it, she will do that too. As well as not use heat to style it when the cut is finished unless I give her the go-ahead.
I can also trust her to tell me what will and will not work for my hair and the amount of maintenance I require. She recognizes that with me having fine hair I cannot realistically ask for just any haircut and have it come out looking good. That is not a factor at this point since all I am doing is growing it out, but it has been a helpful trait for my hairdresser to have in the past when I was more into experimenting.

[hennalonghair]

My sister in law cut my hair for a few years then I had a hairstylist who came to my house and cut my hair and finally I had a lady I knew very well who lived a couple of miles from me. They were all great hairstylists who listened and understood what I wanted before they started. A good hairdresser will echo back your request so they are perfectly clear of your wishes.
I’ve cut my own hair since 2013.

[MusicalSpoons]

The only hairdresser I've ever had was a family friend, and she was the only one to ever cut my hair until she stopped doing hair and I managed to rope my sister in to trimming my wispy ends. She was great though:

- respected that I wanted long hair, and always checked with me before cutting anything off
- helped me keep realistic expectations when I was considering any real changes. For a couple of years I wanted layers but she explained each time that my hair was too thin to have long layers without it looking too thin and wispy without cutting it a lot shorter than she thought I'd be happy with. She was right, and didn't let me go through with it unless I was completely sure. I wasn't, didn't, and I'm so grateful she guided me to the right decision.
- she let me brush my own hair once I realised I was more comfortable doing that (sensory issues, though I didn't know how to explain it at the time)
- did dry cuts, or at the very most just sprayed it so it was damp enough
- gave me exactly what I asked for when I wanted a side fringe, or to lop off all the worst ends, or just a few inches if I didn't want it any shorter than x length (my 'trims' were about 6 months in childhood, then kind of annual in my teens)
- recommended affordable but better products that did make a difference
- saved me from the hairties with metal that ate hair

She wasn't perfect, didn't know how to protect hair or any routines other than shampoo+condition and didn't correctly interpret my desire for a U hemline - but I didn't know how to explain it either, so absolutely not her fault! For this low-maintenance longhair she was great :grin: and she never pressured Mum to dye her hair either, way before natural greying was even acceptable let alone trendy.

I'm glad I don't have to try to find anyone else but just wanted to mention what was great about her. Most of her other clients had the standard-issue Old Lady CutTM or were middle-aged ladies with the usual dye jobs so I realise now just how good it was that she respected and listened and gave us what we wanted, not what she was most used to.

[stephy190]

Haha I started that worst haircut thread! But my current hairdresser is amazing. Only been to her once so far as my old hairdresser went on maternity leave. But she made me feel comfortable and only took off a tiny amount actually a normal trim didn't chop it all off! And gave me a nice blunt hemline again and kept it really straight across in the back. Just listened to me and understood what I wanted. My tip to find a good one is to go for a consultation first and explain what you want then and get a feel for them. Then explain it all again when you're there for the cut. And I always ask when booking an appointment somewhere new for someone with a lot of experience, a senior stylist. That's just what I did and it was a great experience. Came out feeling like my hair was the same length as before ! But it was fresh and trimmed up nicely in the same shape as before too.

I feel like it's also best to go somewhere a bit smaller,not a big brand salon in my experience.

[wo]

I'm cutting my own now but we move a lot so I have used many different salons. I would always look at salon websites or social media, and pick one that had profiles of their stylists, then I'd pick someone who either had very long hair, or naturally curly hair, (or both) because that was a good sign they'd understand wanting to keep length, and/or how to treat curly hair. Basically picking someone with an overall natural look was my strategy to avoid getting someone who thought my hair was an abomination that needed cut colored and straightened lol.

[Lucy McLucyFace]

My mom found her so not much effort went into that on my part. Been going to that same salon for about a decade. What I like about my hairdresser is that she does exactly as I ask in the most literal way so I've never had any incidents of cutting too much hair. She also knows my shyness well since I've been her client for such a long time and respects my silence and awkwardness :o

[lapushka]

If a stylist isn't willing to give me a consultation I assume they are going to have an indifferent attitude about how they cut my hair. The portfolio proves what they can do. Since many people on here have long blunt cuts I would try to see how well they can do a blunt hem. I used to rock an extremely blunt cut bob (Edna Mode vibes) and wondered why it was so hard to find someone able to cut a straight line on iii hair. Later, I had to cut the same bob onto someone with similar hair and learned that a blunt hemline can be incredibly difficult depending on thickness. Don't take for granted that your cut is easy because it's just a straight line.

I once had a lady cut my bob (very nicely done) with clippers and a comb. Because yeah, I have a lot of hair. It was so precise it was amazing!

[Laurab]

Haha I started that worst haircut thread! But my current hairdresser is amazing. .

To be clear I think that was a great idea for a thread! :laugh:
But it's nice to see both ends of the spectrum.
I'm glad you found a good one!

[Hildegarde]

By accident. I had been going to the same salon for 6 or 7 years and cycling through as many hairdressers there. I was with the first one who did my hair there for a few years but not many haircuts in total, then when she quit I cycled through whoever was available when I needed a haircut until I started getting consistent trims and was making consistent appointments, in part because I was committing to the health of my hair and trying out frequent dustings, but also because I really liked her and her work. She was really fun to talk to, gave me lots of advice or gave me suggestions for problems i had been having and told me stuff she had tried out. After two or three appointments with her she went on mat leave but her sister also worked at the salon and I was placed with her and she was even better. We chatted and commiserated a lot over hair but also other things. She also gave me the best haircut and style of my life. I told her I couldnt bear to part with any healthy hair and she didn't insist on layers but actually went through every curl and snipped off only the damaged bits. I kept joking afterwards that my hair was longer after the haircut than it was before.

[Iyashikei]

Word of mouth. My stepfather went to her and csme back saying he found a good one for €12,00. I tried it out and indeed she did a good job. I can ask her anything except coloring my hair because she refuses coloring mens hair but I'm not doing that anytime soon anyway.

[SleepyTangles]

The most important thing is consultation. Or, simply put, talking :).

When I changed hairdresser, every time I spotted a salon I used to enter and make few questions (just to clarify the basics, nothing time-consuming or distracting). If the reaction to the first few questions was promising, then I´d return to a proper consultation.
Quite frankly, it didn´t happen often. My haircut back then was the most un-glamorous thing ever by hairstylist standards (unprocessed, one length, very long by common standards, often tied in a braid or a bun, with simple straight across bangs, natural color). To put it nicely, I didn´t look like I knew a lot about hair, haircare or hairstyling.
There is a particular tone of voice, and a particular look in the eyes, that people use when they don´t take you seriously. I´m sure we all know. You don´t want to entrust your hair someone that can´t take you seriously, and you don´t want to entrust your looks to a person that doesn´t understand your aesthetics (or belittles them).

I found my hairdresser almost casually. One of my friends goes to her salon; she had previously a lot of damage from dyes and heath styling tools, but since going to her salon her hair got much healthier and longer. I´ve never seen my friend with an unflattering haircolor or haircut ever since.

Once I was passing right in front of her salon. I suddenly remembered how my friend was raving about her, so I entered and made few questions.
She made me a promising impression: she took me seriously, listen to me carefully, and when she saw my hair I could see sincere appreciation for how healthy and shiny it looked. She gave me time, so I went on explaining what I wanted: I showed her photos and explained her my hair type and routine, she gave me her insight about what was practical or doable with my hair type/head shape. We were on the same page regarding technique, she was also against using razors on fine and wavy hair.
Never had any problem with her ever since. She always offers to style my hair with heat but when I refuse she doesn´t insist.

[Ylva]

By chance. Went to a couple of bad ones, didn't go back, and finally went to my current one (who I haven't been to for more than half a year now, but she's still the one I would go to if I wanted salon services) because they were one of the salons in the area that offered Olaplex treatments, and that was one of my requirements at that time. She treats my hair gently and with respect and always shows me the amount of hair to be cut off and lets me confirm it first (like every stylist I've been to). She's even cut off LESS than I requested.

I don't think it's very common here at all for hairdressers to cut off more than you request. I don't think I've ever had it happen, I think the customer protection laws are too good here. Other crappy things do happen, of course, but I think the culture is too stoic for people to complain much about such.

[Mariekeeee14]

I’ve been going to the same hair dresser since I was 2, so it was my parents choice technically. She has cut the most wild things on my head when I was younger and wanted to try a lot of styles, and she did the minor trims when I wanted to grow and donate it. I usually go every 6 months give or take. She does everything everybody has mentioned above. She listens, she shows how much she would recommend to cut and I say go for it cause I go to get a healthy blunt hemline. Sometimes I talk her down a bit but that’s usually a couple of millimeters. She never cuts off more. She is the senior stylist in the salon, that one has been said but not often. She has the most experience and knows how to deal with people and their wishes.

[florenonite]

Through nepotism :p

I've known my stylist's family for years, so by the time I first went to her as a client I'd seen a lot of her work in real life (including blunt hemlines on thick hair, which was what I wanted). The fact that we know each other also means that she knows I'm an air-dry-and-braid-it kind of person, not to mention we avoid the awkward silences and forced conversation with a stranger :lol:

But I think the biggest thing is just that she listens and asks questions to make sure that we're both on the same page in terms of what I want.


This sounds a bit high maintenance but when I have to find a new stylist I ask for a consultation and to see a portfolio.

If a stylist isn't willing to give me a consultation I assume they are going to have an indifferent attitude about how they cut my hair. The portfolio proves what they can do. Since many people on here have long blunt cuts I would try to see how well they can do a blunt hem. I used to rock an extremely blunt cut bob (Edna Mode vibes) and wondered why it was so hard to find someone able to cut a straight line on iii hair. Later, I had to cut the same bob onto someone with similar hair and learned that a blunt hemline can be incredibly difficult depending on thickness. Don't take for granted that your cut is easy because it's just a straight line.

<snipped for length>

Hahaha THIS. I have a similar hair type to yours (fine rather than coarse) and I swear my stylist has some kind of magical talent that enables her to cut a blunt hemline that doesn't look like the end of a broomstick :lol:

[Arciela]

My favorite one is in VA at a place called Tranquility. She used to do my hair blonde so pretty and when she would take her time with me. She never EVER pushes products on me. Also best of all - when she trims my hair, she trims EXACTLY what I tell her, no more no less, she never gives her opinion on what I should do unless I ask :flower: