We love when our guests want to switch up their look, or just refresh their existing color! Here are a few tips to get the results you want. Remember, some results may take more than 1 visit, so make sure you talk with your stylist and also listen to your stylist, like REALLY listen. We like to maintain the integrity of the hair and if that means slow and easy, that’s what we do. Especially when going from dark to light.
1. What is your natural color? Not the color you were when you were 5, or 20, but your current natural color.
2. Have you had any color, highlights, lowlights, toners, perms or smoothing treatments in the past 2 years? Sometimes we color our hair and we think that it’s all washed out because it’s from two summers ago. This is not a time where we are judging you if you went out to Walgreens and picked up a box of wine and a box of the Feria Blazing Burgundy and had a box dye catastrophe, it was that jerk -whatever- his- name- was who dumped you who is to blame! Did your sister in law who just finished beauty school throw in some highlights that turned out to be orange and you covered it up with a jet black from Wal-Mart? We don’t care! Be honest, we just need to know what is in your hair so we can get you to where you want to be!
3. Have you had or do you have any current medical issues? Cancer, thyroid, menopause, pregnancy or recent surgeries? Medications and health concerns can affect hair color.
Are you going through any stress at home, at work or just within your own personal jail?
4. Are you going to leave your husband? Is he leaving you? Have you recently gained or lost a substantial amount of weight? Do you have 8 kids at home? Do you work 70 hours a week? Have you recently moved? Is someone you love dying or has someone recently died? I don’t want to cut your hair into a pixie and color it flaming red because your husband impregnated his secretary and took your kids away from you just to be spiteful right after your mother died after you’ve had mousy brown, waist length hair for 20 years. I love doing a dramatic makeover, but not if it’s because of a nervous breakdown.
5. Bring pictures! I know you’ve scoured the internet looking at before and after photos. You’ve googled “blonde bob” more times than you’ve driven to the grocery store in your entire life. Remember, some photos are deceptive. Filters, extensions, wigs and camera angles can give unrealistic images of what hair actually looks like. So bring in your ipad full of your mouth watering pinterest photos and let’s see what cuts and colors really get you excited!
6. Look at swatches. We have a book thicker than War and Peace full of all of the color possibilities! Sometimes we think we want to be Ash Blonde, but when we hold the swatch to your face, you realize that might be the worst choice you ever made in your life next to taking that job as a topless barista that funky summer in Seattle.
7. Ask questions! Common questions being “How long will this procedure take?”, “How much will it cost initially and then to maintain it?”, “Which shampoo and products will I need to lengthen the life of this color?”, “Do I need to return every 4, 6, 8 or 12 weeks?”.
8. Listen to your stylist. Really, we know what we are doing. We will not promise something that is impossible. I know you really want to go from black hair to blonde barbie today, but that is at the very least a 2 session process, spaced 2-3 weeks apart. I believe patience and planning are imperative to receiving that epic color you are looking for!
9. ENJOY THE PROCESS!! Relax, read a magazine, stare into space, the salon is a safe place for you to do nothing but escape from the outside world and change your look!