How to speak hairdresser: get the cut you want

BY Donna Duggan Beauty expert

Your guide to haircut success

How to speak hairdresser: get the cut you want

You ask for “a little bit off at the ends” and you walk away with a pixie cut that you hate. Director of Esstudio Galleria Aleks Abadia suggest the best way to ask for exactly what you want so that the hairdresser is on the same page as you.

Show what you want

“The first step to getting exactly what you need is to take some inspirational pictures to the salon,” says Abadia.

Bring in magazine cuttings or photographs on your phone of the ideal cut, colour and style you are going want.

Be clear on what you don’t want

While it's important to give your hairdresser a list of dos, it's important to give them a list of don'ts as well. Be as specific as possible.

“Tell the hairdresser what colour and cut you don’t like so there is absolutely no chance that you will end up with something that you loathe. You may think it’s obvious, but your hairdresser isn’t a mind reader,” says Abadia.

Discuss the specifics

Abadia says it's crucial to go over the nitty gritty details with your stylist such as whether the cut you want suits your face shape and if the colour you want will suit your skin tone and eye colour.

Describe the blow dry you want

You may have the perfect cut and colour and then the look is ruined with the wrong blow dry. To help avoid this be as precise with you want as you were with your haircut and colour. “Whether your want it dead straight, textured, straight with a bit of body, loose waves or big curls with volume be specific about the look you want, ideally with a photo reference,” says Abadia.

Happy hair day tips

You’ve come to the salon for hair expertise so why not keep an open mind if your hairdresser recommends something different to what you had in mind? “Obviously not all cuts and colours are going to work on everyone. A good hairdresser will advise what is the best for you,” says Abadia.
If you're intent on a colour change, be prepared for the fact you may not be able to do it in one session.“With particular colours, particularly the blonde colours, sometimes you need to work in stages. If you want to go for a certain colour it make need to take a few sessions to get to the desired result,” says Abadia.

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