Home » » Haircare » The Importance of the Consultation

The Importance of the Consultation

© Marlin Bressi

Ask any mediocre hairstylist what the most important part of a haircare service is and you'll get a variety of answers; the haircut, the blowdry, the styling products and so on. But ask any successful hairstylist what the most important part of a haircare service is, and you'll always get the same answer: the consultation.

Consultations are essential when it comes to knowing exactly what the client wants. Yet many stylists will start a haircut without ever going through the consultation process. If this describes your hairdresser, then maybe its time to look for a new one. Think about it, when you get sick and see a doctor, they don't just don't take one look at you and write out a prescription, do they? No, of course not. The doctor takes the time to ask questions, to look at medical charts and thoroughly examine the patient before making a diagnosis.

Ideally, the consultation should be done as soon as the client is seated at the styling station. All too often I see a stylist directing a client to the shampoo bowl before even taking a look at the hair. This is a mistake that could result in getting the worst haircut of your life. Hair appears completely different when it is wet, as compared to the way it looks when it is dry. If your hairdresser shampoos your hair before performing the consultation, then it is very likely that he or she may overlook cowlicks, swirls, and other hair growth patterns that must be thoroughly studied and taken into consideration before the hair is cut. This can make the difference between a hairstyle that it is manageable and a hairstyle that is unruly.

A consultation helps the stylist analyze the hair, and helps the stylist recommend the most flattering cut or style for your face shape. In addition, consultations establish communication between the stylist and client, which is the most important aspect of the beauty profession. If you and your stylist aren't on the same page, then only one of you is going to go home happy. The stylist may give you a perfect cut, but if its not what you want, then it's all a waste of time and money. Communication is vital when it comes to customer satisfaction. Your stylist should be asking lots of questions, such as what kind of career you have. Some careers require conservative hairstyles, while other careers require hair to be a certain length (some employers have strict policies regarding employee hairstyles). The stylist should ask about your lifestyle. If you're a wash-and-wear kind of person, then make sure sure the hairstylist isn't going to give you a look that's high-maintenance or a style that is time-consuming to recreate. If you are getting permed or colored, then your stylist needs to know about any and all previous chemicals your hair has been exposed to, such as permananent haircolor, temporary haircolor, chlorine, hard water, and such. A good stylist should be asking these questions. If your