The Good (advice from) Hair Stylists Thread

[mali]

''The bad experience with hairdressers thread''>''The good experience with hair dressers thread''. What are some good advices your stylist has given you? Why do you love her/him?

My old stylist actually told me about coconut oil.I so miss her! She had good advice,she saved my hair!

P.S=There were a lot of offended LHC hairstylists by the ''hairdressers are evil'' threads we normally see around the ''mane'' forum.So,what's the flip side to those threads?:toofers:

Once,when I went to my hairstylist to get a cut and it popped up in my head the thought of getting highlites.I told my stylist that and she got upset.Really upset.She refused,so I went to another stylist who did my hair.I hated myself for doing that afterwards:|.She was right.

[Lamb]

"To get you started with leave-ins, you can just apply a dime-sized amount of your regular condish on your hair right after you get out of the shower."

"Try not to comb your hair too frequently during the day, it'll frizz it all up!" (From a super-curly haired stylist I occasionally saw when I was at high school. Too bad I didn't take her advice, and insisted on ripping through my mop with a fine-tooth comb multiple times a day.)

"Don't use a straightener. Your hair is very fine, it can't take much."

[chrissy-b]

My favorite hairdresser told me that dying my hair would make it grow slower and gave me great scalp massages. She was also growing her hair out, and she never cut off more than we discussed prior to my trims.

I've actually had more good experiences with hairdressers than negative.

[UltraBella]

Ah thanks, Mali !!! How sweet of you :)

I had a hairdresser when I was thirteen years old help me to grow my hair long. She told me no more perms ! ( can you imagine all my hair PERMED !!!!!!!! It was like having five poodles on my head ! ) She would trim my ends and then dust the length to remove any splits. She taught me how to detangle it gently and even gave me my first wide toothed comb. When I really wanted highlights she foiled them in very lightly and then told me I had to give up blow drying to make up for it. She was just fantastic !!

[Toadstool]

"Your hair isn't damaged, it just feels the way it does because of the texture." that was when I realised (at 30 something) that there were different hair types and mine would never look like my straight fine-haired friend's.

[Unofficial_Rose]

"Don't get it trimmed for a while - it defeats the object" said one particular hairdresser to me. So obviously didn't agree with the trim-every-6/8-weeks advice!

[Babyfine]

My stylist is really trying to work with me to obtain my objective of keeping my hair long/healthy and has given me some really good advice that has helped me.
She never takes off more than I ask for and often less than I ask for- but she has said that it's easier to cut more off if need be than to grow it back if too much has been taken off.
I like that!
Oh and she was the first one to point out my hairs wurly potential!

[LisaMonster]

My stylist told me if I wanted to grow my hair long, I needed to stop coloring, stop blowdrying, and stop straightening. This led me to start doing research which led me to LHC.

He also always makes sure to never take off more than I want him to.

[eezepeeze]

Never use a brush on your hair.

Be proud of your curls!

Use an antifrizz serum. Avoid products with alcohol.

Straighteners and relaxers won't work well on your hair because your curl pattern is too tight.

Style your hair wet, then DON'T TOUCH IT!

I've had two really great stylists that really knew what they were doing with curly hair. The first one gave me the best cut when I was about 14 and I have never gone back to any other cut. I've stuck to the same basic structure ever since. It's just perfect for my hair. Even now that it is pretty long (waist) I still keep the same layering structure in it to prevent "triangle head" and bring out my curl pattern.

[jaine]

What a great thread! I remember the stylist who first introduced me to layers. I am SOOO thankful to him! I just sat down in his chair and said "do whatever you can to make it look healthier and more flattering." I had no idea that there was any hope for my bushy, frizzy, bottom-heavy triangle head to look ok. But I walked out feeling like a Greek goddess with beautiful flattering oval-shaped hair and heat-free curls that I never knew I had. I love layers so much.

[milagro]

The best one was refusal to chemically straighten my hair. I'm grateful now.

[bluesnowflake]

"don't blowdry" and "you don't have to wash it every day" were two good advice bits I got from stylists that made my hair a lot less dry.

[BrightEyes]

What a great thread! My hairstylist is wonderful. She trims off exactly what I want and encourages me to grow when I am impatient and want to chop.

[christine1989]

I have a great stylist who has known me since I was little. He has always given me great haircuts and really supports the fact that I'm growing my hair out. The best advice he ever gave me was that if I wanted to grow my hair longer I needed to trim less. It sounds like common sense now but back then I truly believed that the more I trimmed the faster it would grow. I also appreciated the fact that he would cut my hair in a way that worked with my natural curl (back when I had natural curl) so I would not have to strighten my hair to make it look good.

[Laurenness]

I get pretty good advice from my dresser. She doesn't give advice so much as comply with my methods. She was really sweet, actually. When she was done cutting my hair, instead of completely blow drying or straightening it, she just gave the front pieces a quick swip. :) Made me soooo happy. She also knows the importance of not heat-styling everyday. And she recognizes that I'm trying to keep it allll healthy. :)

[spitfire511]

One of my faves, more than giving me straight up advice, taught me to understand my hair.

**It's not thick - it's normal, there's just quite a bit of it.
**The wave isn't there because I'm doing something wrong - it's my texture.
**I'm not a blonde and don't look good as one - being a redhead is just fine. :) (and my texture doesn't thank me for bleach)

I think education is one of the best gifts any hairdresser can give their clients. I love that woman! :D

[luxepiggy]

How coincidental! I just came across something today that I thought was really great! I'm an active member of a lifestyle/shopping type forum, which includes a beauty subforum. A member who is a professional hairstylist & makeup artist started a thread recently offering to answer hair and beauty queries.

Today she posted this reply to a member who's trying to grow out a pixie cut:


First of all, if your hair is healthy, don't trim it. People often make that mistake, hair only grows six inches a year . . . Just hang in there

[dropinthebucket]

"The red patches on your scalp are chemical burns. Stop dyeing."

[Xandergrammy]

"No, we can't perm your hair since it's been lightened". Thank goodness for that!

I have to say too that over the years I've had more positive hairdresser experiences than negative. I guess it's the bad stuff that we tend to remember.

[FrannyG]

I've been given a lot of good advice from my various hair stylists over the years. My hairstylist from the age of 18 until my early 30s was the best for giving good advice. The only reason I stopped going to him was because he became a world-class stylist and started being able to charge world-class prices (he is the same age as I am).

He always gave me great advice about the usage of heat appliances, which I did not always heed, I'm afraid.

He also advised me when I wanted to grow my hair longer, to come in every 4 months for a 1/2 inch trim. That is what I did back then, and it worked beautifully.

Now that I'm serious about growing my hair long, I have discovered that I do indeed need to still trim my hair 1/2 inch every 3 or 4 months, in order to keep my ends looking my best.

Above all, he was the only person who ever encouraged me to really embrace my hair type in all its straightness, and its tendency to go "piece-y" just minutes after brushing.

[malinamihaiu]

This thread is great! I know,it's me Andrea,I'm using your old account:))

[MandyBeth]

Never razor or thin your ends, your hair is too fine so it will split more than you want to cut. I figured that out, but I like the confirmation, plus he is careful with my hair.

[Pifkin]

"No, we can't perm your hair since it's been lightened". Thank goodness for that!
I got this too and was very grateful! (I did end up perming about a year later though :rolleyes:)

[AnastaChan]

I got this too and was very grateful! (I did end up perming about a year later though :rolleyes:)

Lol,talk about the broom!

[Athena's Owl]

"Every time we straighten it, we're breaking the hydrogen bonds of your hair. your hair is weaker and more prone to breakage when we do this."

"When you have short hair you can change it, go crazy, do wild things. You're young, you are discovering who you are and what you want to express. When you know who you are, you will settle into a style that will become iconic. I'm looking forward to watching that."

"I don't want you to look like Iman. I want you to look like *you.*"

my short hair years were wonderful because of the hairstylist i had. I discovered him when I was still a teenager and he was still in beauty college, and we wound up working together at the same fashion studio for a few years. When he saw me at 30 with APL hair he clapped his hands and exclaimed, "I knew it! I knew you'd go long and natural! Don't stop until you get to waist! This is how I saw you when you were just a girl."

but he moved thousands of miles away, and I never found anyone else I connected with.

[PraiseCheeses]

I had a stylist I liked. Always listened to what I wanted, knew how to cut (and maintain) layers, and managed to cut my hair in a way that looked great both straight and curly. She never pushed products or appliances, and she was the one who mentioned hair wrapping as a less damaging way of straightening hair (I was a regular blowfryer). Also, for Boston, her prices were more than reasonable ($40). Sadly, she moved to the West Coast a couple years ago and I haven't had much luck since.

Oddly enough, the best haircut of my life was the one I got when I was 17 and my mother took me to Supercuts. Long layers perfectly cut.

I'm also grateful to the colorist who dyed my hair back to a reasonable approximation of my natural color. I'd gotten into the Sun-In when I was 14ish, and managed to let it grow out until I tried to dye it to my natural color when I was 16. Of course that wasn't exactly a success, so after I had a couple inches of growth I sucked it up and went to a colorist who did a terrific job. My hair has this weird translucency that makes it really dark in some lighting and really light in others, and she did a great job with relatively monochromatic dye getting something that blended in enough so growing out was painless.

[sunshine80]

After my hair was fried, no turning back the harm was done, I went to a couple of hair stylist for consultations...EVERYONE said you just got to go short...It would be about 3 inches all over...Finally I went to Red Door Salon and a girl there was so sweet! I told her how much I love having long hair but I know that I got to get the damage out...she looked at my hair and saw how healthy the underneath was(there was no highlights under so there for it didnt get fried) so she told me to wait...she said keep it up in a bun come to her a couple months later and she will do just a little trimming instead of taking it all off...

She took so much time with me and that was really nice...I have super curly hair so I am glad I didnt just take it all off thanks to her...

Great thread by the way...

[MNoelH]

Best advice that I didn't follow: Wash your hair after swimming in chlorinated water. Result of not following directions? Green tinged clumpy mess of hair that stuck together and had NO movement and a "Pixie cut for you." Every piece of my hair was half an inch long.

Best advice that I did follow: If you want long hair, quit coming to see me so often. Result of following directions? Almost waist length relatively healthy hair. I have a fantastic stylist now that sees me maybe once every six months. She seems to love my hair more than I do. She trims the ends, dries my hair, and then goes on her own search and destroy to get rid of any splits she may see. While she's eagerly awaiting the "big cut" she doesn't pressure me at all*. When I walk in she always asks if this is going to be it, but always grins when I shake my head no.

*She's only doing this because I've told her that when I settle on a style I like I'm either going to donate or sell my hair so it'll be a big chop.

[boomtownrat]

It's not so much specific advice that my hair stylist gives me (well, she does when it comes to products). It's that she didn't try to talk me out of growing out my silver hair, didn't think I was crazy for trying CO-washing, and so far hasn't tried to talk me out of growing it long. She gave me a great style for growing it out and when I went to see her in October about shaping it up for growing it out, she told me it was too soon and didn't try to make me get a haircut anyway.

[strwbrry dakri]

I think the best thing I was ever told was to quit fighting my hair's tendency to wave - it's not straight, it's not curly. Don't try to make it be so.

[Kirin]

"Don't ever color your hair again, they gray looks like platinum Marylin blonde, and with it streaking in the ultra dark, it looks like a wild custom color job" - it does!

I've gotten more compliments from people and people asking who my colorist is now that I do NOT color.

"Your hair is much much too fine and soft for conditioner, putting all that on is why its flat and you look bald. Use a very gentle shampoo and a good leave in on the ends, You'll be happier". - I am happier following this advice, lemme tell ya. And, added bonus, no more "sore spots' on my scalp either.

[Rivanariko]

to soak my hair in "clean" water before getting into the pool... only thing that kept me from turning green in the summers when I was growing up and kept my hair in relatively decent condition! My stylist when I was younger was amazing, I wouldn't trust anyone else to touch my hair and she always did exactly what I asked for. I haven't been to a stylist since high school though. I can't afford it and I can self-trim just fine for what I want, but I have nothing against stylists.

[bubblyredhead]

" Do NOT dye your hair it is a gorgeous color that anyone would die for"
" To combat the frizz just put a dime size amount of your conditioner in your hair after you towel dry your hair a bit "
" NO we will not perm your hair nor will we cut it" ( at the time I was 14 with hip length virgin hair )

[Dragon]

You don’t need hair extensions. And she is the only one that could cut my hair in a way that my curls still looked nice.

[freckles]

"don't colour again. You won't find a colour that looks as good on you as your natural colour does" -- this was my a stylist who had never even seen my hair coloured, lol, but he really raved about my natural colour, and I haven't dyed since.

[DARKMARTIAN]

I used to want really straight hair. And I believe I was told by my "hair stylist" long ago that in his opinion, I shouldnt do anything to straighten it. He said one day I may realize that I actually like the waves I had.
And he was right! :)

[lapushka]

My best experiences were with the barber my grandparents took me to as a child. When I was about six my mom took me to her regular stylist (a huge salon with only women) and it was such a different atmosphere there than what I had been used to to that point that... I don't know. How do I explain this without sounding negative? I guess I never got used to stylists and the way they do things. Some were great because they just did the cut, and stuck to normal conversation. Those experiences I liked, a lot.

I also like it when stylists are honest, and upfront about what they can and can't do with your hair.

[enfys]

This is a very positive thread, and I haven't ever even visited a stylist.

I have a friend who has found a stylist who told her red highlights would be better than blonde in her ginger hair, and they showed her how to style her fringe with a round brush so it would look more natural than using straighteners. She suddenly loves her hair after 20 years!

[mali]

This is a very positive thread, and I haven't ever even visited a stylist.

I have a friend who has found a stylist who told her red highlights would be better than blonde in her ginger hair, and they showed her how to style her fringe with a round brush so it would look more natural than using straighteners. She suddenly loves her hair after 20 years!

I've had the same experience with my friend.She just wouldn't let go until the hair dresser had the highlightes done without telling her.She cried afterwards,but in 2 days she was loving her hair!

[mali]

Ah thanks, Mali !!! How sweet of you :)

I had a hairdresser when I was thirteen years old help me to grow my hair long. She told me no more perms ! ( can you imagine all my hair PERMED !!!!!!!! It was like having five poodles on my head ! ) She would trim my ends and then dust the length to remove any splits. She taught me how to detangle it gently and even gave me my first wide toothed comb. When I really wanted highlights she foiled them in very lightly and then told me I had to give up blow drying to make up for it. She was just fantastic !!

You're welcome!:p:eyebrows:

[purplebubba]

I had a stylist tell me not to use Pantene because it had some sort of wax in it. And I know that back then Pantene was always being discussed for one reason or another as to whether it was good or bad. So I take that as a decent tip. She didn't mention any salon products or anything sales like.

I mentioned in the other thread I started about mistakes we made that I had an Instructor friend online answer my questions about cosmetology school and helped me decide to go. What I forgot to mention is how she sent me an older version of a Milady textbook and some of the other related books for free so I could get a look at them before I decided. These are $50 and $25 books. And as it turned out when I went to school we were using the newer edition of Milady books. And she has always been encouraging to me no matter what whether I was in or out of school or had a job or didn't. And she's always joined my forums to help me out when I couldn't help someone.

Edited to add, she's the one who taught me about vinegar rinses and baking soda rinses.
She also mentioned one time about using Carnation instant breakfast as a hair treatment. Don't know if anyone's ever tried that.

[Tia2010]

My stylist, who I have been going to for years, told me to stop using pantene because it was ruining my hair ( and it was!) She then gave many recommendations from drug store brands to higher end so I could choose one better suited to my hair needs and helped me understand what ingredients were good for my hair and which ones I should try to avoid.. My hair instantly started improving when I stopped using it ! She also never uses hairspray or harsh products in my hair when shes styling because she knows I don't like them :)

[prosperina]

Not really good advice, but a good action. Today I got my bangs cut and thinned out. I'm really happy with them. I didn't want thinning (or as she called it 'texture') on my hair, but my bangs really needed it. They were huge and floppy and impossible to control. I also got two inches off--the last, as far as I can tell, of my dye damaged ends. So I'm feeling very good and positive about my hair salon experience. I don't go often, but all my experiences in the last few years have been positive.

[enfys]

I've had the same experience with my friend.She just wouldn't let go until the hair dresser had the highlightes done without telling her.She cried afterwards,but in 2 days she was loving her hair!

I forgot to mention her previous stylist had said blonde was her only option! I don't think she'll be going back there in a hurry...

[Qwackie]

"Don't brush your hair when it's wet anymore."
Saved my ends, seriously.

[mali]

"Don't brush your hair when it's wet anymore."
Saved my ends, seriously.

She saved my ends with that advice too.It's so important.Plus scalp massages.:D

[Dolly]

Chiming in on this thread!

My stylist is a long hair as well, and she has never tried to feed me a line of bull.....she never cuts more length off than I want, and never tries to get me to cut it more often than I want......AND, she NEVER washes my hair, because she knows that I used to use shampoo bars and now I use only non-sulfate shampoos.....she simply mists the ends with plain water before she trims them.....

One day, another stylist in her shop said....."Why don't you ever shampoo and blowdry her hair?" My stylist just smiled and said....."If I went near her with a blowdrier, she'd slap me!" We both had a good giggle over that one......

Bottom line, I love her to death, and if I don't feel like self-trimming, she is who I go to see.....will continue as long as she is in business!

[joiekimochi]

My old stylist said, "Don't you ever backcomb your hair! Not once! Not ever! Use a fake hair-rat!"

[lapushka]

When I had my last haircut (quite short inverse bob) it was cut very much to precision, which isn't easy to do if you have it all gradually layered in the back instead of shaven. Boy, that guy could cut hair like no other stylist I've *ever* been to and it was very much noticeable because every one who entered that salon wanted that stylist. He also detangled my hair with a wide tooth comb before he even dragged out the finer tooth one! I couldn't believe my eyes. If I ever decide to have my hair cut again (excludes trimming), I would go back to that stylist. Definitely!

[OrangeStripe]

Well I've never gotten my hair cut in a salon, so I haven't been given any advice, but I thought here would be a good place to tell my nice experience the other day.

I went to get an updo done for a dance, and the stylist was WONDERFUL. I booked on the tuesday and told her I wanted some dutch braids- which she'd never heard of! So she had until Saturday to practise them, and they turned out really lovely. She had also never worked with long hair before, so I thought she handled it really well. The head stylist told her to straighten my hair, but she wouldn't do it until I said it was okay (I don't mind if it's for a special occasion). The whole time everybody in the salon was saying how lovely my hair was. She also didn't try and sell me on any products, and If I hadn't asked her to use hairspray to keep it all in place, she wouldn't have used that either. So overall I'm very happy with my one stylist :D

[sophiamarie]

I love the stylist I go to now. Best advice was at my last trim, when I reminded her I'm growing out my shortest layers. She said, "your hair is in wonderful condition, let's just take a little bit of the longest part to help slowly even things up." Then that is exactly what she did!

[GRU]

Oddly enough, the best haircut of my life was the one I got when I was 17 and my mother took me to Supercuts. Long layers perfectly cut.

My first good stylist was at Borics back when I was in high school. I went to her religiously every six weeks for almost two years until she moved a couple hours away. (I then floundered around for a few years until I found my current stylist. I don't get cuts anymore, but I've been going to the same hairdresser since 1992 and would never let anyone else near my hair!) My brother always commented that it never looked like I'd gotten my hair cut after I'd been to see Lucy... which was exactly the look I was going for -- maintenance of my existing style, not recreating a new style every time I walked through the doors!

Places like Supercuts and Borics get a bum rap most of the time, but just like any salon, there ARE good stylists in those places as well as bad ones!

[Intransigentia]

During my shorthair days, I had so much fun with my stylists! I used to go to the local beauty school, and stick with a particular student through their time there. There was the crazy punk girl who went to the same clubs I did, and she was totally unafraid of giving me the wild colours and cuts I wanted. And the guy who gave me the most perfect A-line bob I've ever had, and then dyed it the perfect black-cherry-red that I've never been able to re-create. Then for a while when I had a fair amount of disposable income, I went to a super-fancy salon where the cool people go, and they treated plain old little me like a rock star, and I could just kindof say "make it like - " and wave my hands around, and I'd leave with exactly what I'd envisioned. They carried me from A-line bob to just past my shoulders.

[aenflex]

I have never gotten what I would consider to be 'sage' hair care advice from any stylist that has cut or coloured my hair. I am not sylist bashing, I have had numerous excellent cuts, styles and colour services over the years, and have learned alot about creating styles and looks.
I just have never gotten what I consider to be hair care advice that works for me. You know, I've always been advised to wash every day, or every other day at the least, lather twice, get regular trims. Well those are the exact opposite of what works for me.
And as for the treatment after the cut, that always bothers me that the 1st thing the stylists tend to want to do is layer in product and brush it out (wet) while blow drying. I understand at the salon that time is of the essence, however blowing and brushing when wet and loading in products are also counter-productive to me.

Someone else said 'during her short hair days she had the most fun with a stylist'...ITA. The same goes for me. Now that I am growing and have stopped chem. services, flat irons and styling aids, I really just need a trim once a quarter.

eta - I've never been to a salon that catered to long hair. So I might be missing out on something. However I've worked in a salon, I guess a nicer one, and have been a regular customer of our local concept Aveda salon as well as Avante Garde and Pinache, both of which are some of the high end salons in my county, as well as the normal ones like Supercuts and Regis.