So you have formulated a hair regimen that works for you. You’ve decided to either transition, continue to relax or remain natural. You have a core group of staple products, you’ve perfected a few looks, and you have even added to your styling repertoire. You have celebrated some success in your hair journey, noticing healthier locks and perhaps longer lengths.
But now it is time for what you normally visit a professional to do – a trim or cut, color, highlights, relaxer touchup and/or sew-in, just as a few examples. You are nervous because maybe this is your first visit to the salon since you began your HHJ. Maybe you are concerned because the practices your stylist usually performs on your hair used to be suitable for you, but now, armed with more knowledge and seeing some progress, you no longer want her to do those same things. Maybe you fear that you will suffer a setback after the salon visit. What to do? Should you kiss or dismiss your stylist? Here are a few suggestions to help you decide:
• Evaluate the relationship with your stylist. Is he or she open to feedback, has s/he received critique from you well in the past, do they value your satisfaction above all? If the answer to all of those questions is yes, then they are probably worth working with. Redefining a standing relationship can be easier than establishing a new one with someone else.
• Consider the health of his or her other clients’ hair. Although you may have struggled in the past with this stylist, it does not mean that your stylist is automatically at fault. Some ladies frequent the salon and still get the hard, brown-gelled up ponytails every two weeks without moisturizing at all in between visits.
It is unfair to judge the skills of the hairdresser based on these clients! Think of or find out if other women who rely on his or her services have HEALTHY hair. Not hair that just looks good.