c/cosmetologists

A client taught me how to actually listen to hair texture

Had a woman in her 60s sit in my chair last month who politely told me I was handling her fine hair all wrong. She showed me how her regular stylist would use just fingertips and barely any tension, and I felt like an idiot for never asking before. Has anyone else had a client drop a technique tip that changed how you work?

PSA: That $200 hot air brush I bought last month either transformed my blowouts or ruined my ends depending on the day

Does anyone else find that the pricey tools either save your time or fry your hair, so which side are you on with that big investment?

Found out 80% of clients judge a salon by the bathroom before they even sit in the chair

I read that stat in a trade magazine called Salon Today last month. It really surprised me because I always focus on the chairs and mirrors. Checked our bathroom after that and realized the lighting was awful and there were product stains on the counter. Anyone else ever pay attention to how your bathroom looks?

Blew my mind that 60% of clients don't come back because of the reception area

Saw a stat from a 2023 industry survey that said 6 out of 10 new clients won't rebook if the waiting area is messy or uncomfortable. It wasn't about the haircut or color. Just the vibe of where they sit. Found it in a post on the Professional Beauty Association site last night. Now I'm looking at my own shop's chairs and magazines differently. Has anyone else actually changed their space based on something like this?

Can we talk about the client who told me my blending was trash?

A lady straight up said my shadow roots looked like muddy stripes, and she was right. I switched to a finer slicing technique and started using a darker demi for the midshaft, and now my blends actually look seamless. What's one critique that actually made you better at your craft?

Vent: Bought a fancy hair dryer that died in 3 months

Saw this $300 dryer all over Instagram and grabbed one. Motor stopped working during a client's blowout last Tuesday. Anyone else get burned by expensive gear that looks good but fails fast?

Heard a stylist say she charges $25 extra for fine hair and it stuck with me

I was grabbing lunch near my salon in Portland last Tuesday and overheard a stylist from the next chair over say she adds a surcharge for fine hair because it takes more patience and product. I never thought about pricing based on hair type before, just length and time. Do you guys adjust your rates for different textures or am I overthinking this?

Had a client last week who completely changed how I approach gray coverage

I had this older woman in her 70s with really resistant grays around her temples. She told me straight up that my previous color job left her with a weird orangey halo after two weeks. I was so embarrassed. She suggested I pre-soften those areas with a 20 volume developer before applying the color. Tried it on her this time and the result was night and day. No brassy tones, even coverage. Has anyone else used this trick for stubborn grays?

Why does nobody talk about how bad salon chairs are for your back?

I spent 8 hours at a busy salon last week and my lower back was killing me by hour 5. The chair at my station just doesn't have enough lumbar support. Has anyone found a good cushion or trick that actually helps?

I compared a $20 drugstore shampoo with a $45 salon brand and found a clear winner

Last month I picked up a cheap shampoo from CVS for my apartment washing station, thinking it wouldn't matter much for a quick rinse. Well, after using the salon brand I normally buy on three clients this week, the drugstore stuff left their hair feeling dry and tangled every time. Has anyone else noticed a big difference between budget and professional shampoos, or am I just being picky?

Saw a stylist at the county fair fix a bad perm with conditioner and a prayer

I was at the Clackamas County Fair last Saturday watching a booth demo. This stylist had a woman come up with a perm that looked like a Brillo pad. She just slathered on a ton of cheap conditioner, let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinsed and scrunched. The curls loosened up and looked way more natural. Made me realize I've been overcomplicating my repair steps at the salon. Has anyone else tried a simple conditioner soak for messed up perms instead of going straight to a relaxer?

Why does nobody talk about how cheap mixing bowls warp in heat?

I picked up a set of plastic mixing bowls from the dollar store for $8 thinking they'd be fine for quick color jobs. First time I poured warm developer into one it literally warped and tipped over, spilling $12 worth of dye on my floor. Anyone got a solid bowl brand that won't cost an arm and a leg but can handle the heat?

Had a bride tell me I was "too heavy handed" with the setting spray yesterday

I've been doing wedding makeup for 6 years and nobody has ever said that to me. She wanted her makeup to last 12 hours without touch-ups but then complained about the extra layer. Has anyone else run into clients who want durability but don't like the texture needed to achieve it?

My old mentor swore by backcombing for volume but I thought it was outdated

I had this cosmetology teacher in Phoenix who insisted backcombing was the only way to get real hold for updos. I ignored her for like a year and just used texturizing sprays and powders instead. Last month I did a bridal party and all the hair fell flat by the reception because we were outside in humid June weather. I went back to her method on the next client and the volume stayed for 6 hours easy. Has anyone else found old school techniques that actually beat modern products?

Talking to my aunt made me rethink foiling techniques

My aunt has been doing hair for 35 years and she told me last week that she still uses the paper wrap method from the 90s. She said she never switched to the plastic because her clients always came back with cleaner lines. It made me wonder if I've been overcomplicating things with all these new tools. Anyone else ever go back to an old technique and get better results?

3 years ago I accidentally sprayed purple toner all over a bride's white dress 2 hours before her wedding and somehow fixed it with a paper towel and hairspray

Last month I had a client bring in a photo of pink hair from Pinterest but when I mixed the color I forgot to add the correct ratio of developer and ended up with neon orange instead, has anyone else had a color mix disaster like that?

Shoutout to the client who made me realize I'd been sectioning hair wrong for years

I was doing a full highlight on a regular client last Tuesday, and she casually asked why I was clipping the top sections so tight against her head. I told her that was how I always did it, and she just laughed and said her old stylist used to leave a little more room near the crown for blending. I brushed it off at first, but later that night I watched a few technique videos and sure enough, I'd been making my sections way too small and too close to the scalp for like 4 years. Next day I tried it her way on a different client, and the color blended so much smoother with less banding. Has anyone else learned a basic trick from a client that made you feel a little dumb but grateful?

Watched a stylist in Memphis fix a bad color melt with just a bowl and some dish soap

I was shadowing at a salon during a trade show and saw her strip out dark blue buildup in 10 minutes flat. Has anyone else used dish soap as a quick fix for over-toned hair?

That talk with my old mentor changed how I see highlight placement

I ran into my former instructor from beauty school at a grocery store in Portland last Saturday. She told me she's been doing all her highlights by hand now, no foils at all. She said it makes her look at the hair's natural movement instead of just following a pattern. It made me wonder how many techniques I still do out of habit instead of really thinking about them. Has anyone else gone back to a simpler method and found it worked better?

Pro tip: Stop using 40 volume developer on virgin hair unless you want damage

Had a girl come into my chair in Miami last month with straw hair from using 40 volume at home. She thought more lift meant better results. I had to do a 3 step bond repair just to get her hair salvageable for a simple gloss. Then she told me her mom taught her that trick back in the 90s. Why are people still spreading this info? Has anyone else had to fix this kind of damage from DIY color?

Stopped by a salon in Nashville yesterday and nobody was wearing gloves for color

I walked into this busy salon on 2nd Avenue and watched three stylists do full foils and balayage with bare hands. Is that just accepted in some places or am I right to be grossed out by the chemical exposure?

Clipped my thumb with a razor comb at 9am and kept working anyway

I was doing a men's fade on a walk-in Tuesday morning, not even half awake yet, and I nicked the hell out of my thumb joint with a razor comb. Blood everywhere, client didn't even notice because I just wrapped it in a paper towel and kept going. Finished the cut one-handed basically, got him out the door with a solid fade. But my thumb still throbbed for the next 3 hours while I did two more color services. Nobody tells you how much you use your thumb until you can't use it. Has anyone else had to push through a dumb injury mid-service and just prayed nobody asked to see your hand?

Used to scrub my perm rods with a toothbrush between clients. Now I just toss em in an ultrasonic cleaner I got for $60 on Amazon. Night and day difference. Anyone else upgrade their sanitation game recently?

That cheap pink lotion from the beauty supply is actually ruining my foils

I mean, I was totally skeptical when my coworker told me the bargain brand developer I was using was causing banding. Figured it was just brand snobbery, you know? But after three back to back clients getting that weird line across their highlights, I finally swapped to the mid tier stuff from CosmoProf. The difference was night and day after just one retouch. No more hot roots, no more muddy gold bands. Now I'm wondering what other cheap products I've been ignoring. Has anyone else had a beauty supply product mess up their formula without them realizing it?

Hit 100 foil highlights in under 2 hours last week

Been doing hair for 6 years and finally broke my personal record for a full head of foils in 1 hour 45 minutes. Anyone else track their timing like that or am I just a nerd about it?