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Photo: Damien with his daughters, Stevie.
Damien is a staff writer for Hair News Magazine. His articles, quotes,
and interviews have appeared in all types of media and publications in
several languages.
How To Find A
Good Hairstylist
Hair
News Magazine
by: Damien R. von Dahlem
The day will
come when you will have to find a new stylist. It is as
inevitable
as death, and about as pleasant.
In
the days before I became involved in the beauty industry, I can recall
when my very pregnant stylist informed me that after the baby was born
she would no longer be cutting hair.
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Once the initial
shock wore off, I manifested emotions such as - denial, anger,
pleadings
to God, and pretended acceptance. When at last it was time for my
next haircut and not knowing what else to do or where else to go, I
simply
returned to the same salon and another stylist cut my hair.
Not only did
she do a fine job on my hair, she changed the look altogether and it
was
much better than the already terrific job her former coworker had been
doing, and I remained a client at that salon for the next fourteen
years.
I took this
lesson with me when I entered the beauty industry. You might
argue
that it was just dumb luck, but it wasn't. Throughout those
fourteen
years my stylists changed many times, but the quality of service and
workmanship
did not. This was because I went to an excellent salon with
superior
staff training and mentoring.
In other words,
it is finding the right salon that is critical, not the right stylist,
and all the better so as stylists tend to move on every year or so for
no particular reason.
Over the years
I have been asked many times how to find a good stylist or salon and
over
time I have worked out the following formula with very good results:
1.
Do not ask friends, relatives or coworkers whom they recommend.
As it turns out they will rarely tell you who their stylist is because
over the course of time they have told that stylist every detail about
their personal life and they don't want it to slip out. They also
don't want you to show up with the same cut and style that they have.
What they will
do is give you the name of a relative or friend who cuts hair because
every
single person on the face of the earth is related to a hairstylist, or
at least knows one socially. If you actually go there and you are
unsatisfied with the service, there is no graceful way out of the
situation
without offending the person who gave you the referral.
Instead I recommend
asking a total stranger. If you see someone on the street or at
the
grocery store who has a cut that you like, simply stop them and
ask.
You needn't be embarrassed, it is quite flattering to the person whom
you
stopped and they will be eager to brag up their salon or stylist.
After you have done this a few times you will see a pattern emerge.
2.
Age, gender, sexual orientation, race, and years of experience, have
nothing
to do with the talent of a stylist.
Don't get caught up in those nonsensical stereotypes. They will
neither
serve you, or become you.
Instead I recommend
screening the salon. Do they have an internship or apprentice
program
for training their new stylists. How often do they have education
in the salon, (other than product education). How often do they
go
to an IBS, (International Beauty Show), in Long Beach, Chicago or New
York.
How many of them have been to an advanced academy with Toni & Guy,
American Crew, Paul Mitchell or the like.
In my salon
we braught select beauty school students into our internship program
for
six months. By the time they graduated beauty school they hit the
floor running and are usually better than stylists who have been
cutting
hair for five years or more in other salons. We have mandatory
technical
training in the salon every two weeks. Failure to attend is
grounds
for immediate dismissal. Stylists are required to either attend
an
advanced academy at their own expense, ($1,000 - $3,000), or attend an
IBS at a minimum of once every two years. Twice per year our
stylists
are required to compete in a National Cosmetology Association hair
cutting
competition or State competition. Every single stylist is
required
to do straight razor cuts from day one.
Now, I don't
expect every salon to meet our standards, but I do expect to see some
degree
of professionalism above that of the average salon, or they don't get
to
touch my hair.
3.
Last but not least, I always give the straight razor test.
Walk up to a stylist in the salon who isn't doing anything and ask him
or her to show you their straight razor. If it isn't in their
tool
belt or on their station ready for use, or if it has a guard on it,
turn
and go. Those people are not serious about hair cutting.
Imagine
your plumber not knowing how to use a wrench.
If the salon
is dedicated to being the best, you can bet the stylists are too, and
it
does not matter a hoot whom you choose in that salon.
(Word of caution. There is a growing trend in salons toward
'booth rental'. What that means is that the hairstylists are not
employees of the salon. They only rent a chair, so there is no real
'salon standard'. The stylist may or may not be good.)
