10 Things Your Hairstylist Really Wants You to Know

(but she’s probably too afraid to tell you)

I was a hairstylist for over 25 years and lemme tell ya, in that time, you sure come across a lot of interesting and peculiar things and people. I’d have to say that in my 25 years, I truly did enjoy my work.

The client/stylist relationship truly is a unique one. When you’ve been our client long enough, we know more about your life and problems than your own best friend or even your therapist knows.

Yup, we know it all.

So, while I’m not a practicing hairstylist anymore, I’ve taken the liberty to speak for other hairstylists. Some may agree with everything I say; some may not. But I can surely tell you from 25 years of experience these are just a few of the things that really piss off most hairstylists.

Now, in keeping with the motto of “customer is always right,” no matter what, we let a lot of shit slide. A lot. Because we truly do value your business and your loyalty and we really do love you.

But we don’t love everything you do

There are some things you do that reeeeeeeeeeeeeally get on our nerves. I know, hard to believe.

Here are 10 things you do that kinda irritate us…kinda 😶

1 If you’re sick, stay home

Don’t come to get your hair done when you have some sort of contagious sickness like, oh I dunno, the cold, the flu, shingles, whatever. If your doctor tells you you are contagious, stay home.

I love you but I don’t feel the need to share your sickness with you. If I catch what you have, I have to stay home, miss work and lose pay. Unless you are prepared to pay my bills for me please stay home.

The same thing goes for your kids. If they’re sick, don’t bring them in for a haircut. It can wait. Trust me on that.

2 Don’t bring your kids to your appointment

Speaking of kids…

Don’t bring your toddlers/babies/highly energetic or whiny children to the salon if you are getting a color or hilites. You’re gonna be here under a cape, rendered totally useless for at least two hours.

I’m not a babysitter and neither are my co-workers. Leave your kids at home or get a babysitter. If you can’t find a sitter, re-book for when you can. Your kids running around the salon is only cute to you. Trust me on that one.

3 Please call if you’re going to be late

If you’re gonna be really late, like more than 30 minutes, have the courtesy to call please. We are on schedules. 9 times out of 10 there is someone booked in right after you. If you’re late, you set my whole day in chaos along with the remaining clients of the day.

Don’t show up late, breeze in like an effing queen, act like nothing is wrong and expect me to drop everything and do your hair. It’s inconsiderate. Capiche?

4 Please call if you can’t make your appointment

The same rule applies if you are going to miss your appointment. Call. It takes two seconds. Unless you are in the emergency room, bleeding from the heart, delivering a baby, or someone is dying, call.

I wait around for you for up to 30 minutes (salon rules) and pass up other clients because I’m waiting for you. It costs me money when you don’t show up or call. And it’s disrespectful.

5 Do you want a change or not?

Don’t tell me you really want a change and then say “but don’t take anything off the length”. What exactly do you want me to change then? Do you want a mullet? I don’t do mullets.

If you want a change, for the love of God, mean it. You get me excited for nothing otherwise. And don’t tell me you want platinum blonde hair even though you have jet black dyed hair. Please don’t.

You may as well just shave your head now.

6 Don’t ask me if I know what I’m doing

(this applies to new clients or walk in customers)

Please don’t sit in my chair and ask me if I know what I’m doing.

“No. As a matter of fact I have no fucking clue what I’m doing. I woke up this morning, decided I wanted to be a hairdresser and this place just hired me on the spot. I know, crazy right??”

Do you ask your new dentist or doctor that? I have a certificate, proudly displayed, just like them. Yup. I had to go to school to learn how to do this. I’m a professional. Your question insults me.

7 Don’t gossip about my coworkers

If you happened to have one of the other girls in the salon do your hair last time you were here and you hated it, don’t complain about it to me. She’s my co-worker and chances are, she’s probably my friend too.

Don’t talk crap about the people I work with. I’m not the quality control board. If you had a problem, take it up with management. If you’re not sure you can trust any of the stylists here now because of her, then don’t come back. Your mistrust makes us uncomfortable and suddenly we have to prove ourselves to you.

8 Stay off the phone

Stay off your phone while I’m trying to do your hair. I don’t have time to stand around and wait while you talk to your best friend about how drunk you got last night and how much fun you had, bla bla bla, all the while I’m trying to either apply colour, hilites or worse yet, cut your hair.

It’s also really hard to cut or do many other things to your hair while you’re swinging your head around and chatting up a storm with your bff.

You’re on my time now. Call her later. Please.

9 Don’t treat me like your bitch

Don’t assume that just because I’m ‘only’ a hairdresser that I don’t have an education or feelings. Don’t disrespect me. Just because you make more money than me, maybe even have a degree, and you live in a rich neighbourhood doesn’t give you the right to treat me like dirt.

Your poop smells too, Felicia. Don’t be mean to me. It’s rude and ugly. I’m also a human being. Just like you.

10 Don’t ask me for a discount

If you can’t afford the service, go somewhere else or wait until you have more money. I’m not being mean. The salon owner has set the prices for a reason. I can’t give you a discount.

I have bills to pay too. I can’t pay rent if I give all my clients discounts. Do you ask for a discount at the grocery store or Walmart checkout? I didn’t think so. Don’t ask me for one either. Please.

This is who we are

Now you need to know I’m not writing this to be a bitch. I wrote this for 2 reasons. 1) I love writing and 2) this may help some hairstylists and clients have better relationships.

I think if you understand a lot of these points, you will have a wee bit more respect for us and the work we do. So many people, to this day, still think that a hairstylist is a girl who went to beauty school because she dropped out of high school and she’s too dumb for a real job or education.

That’s so not the case. We go to hairstyling school because we love beauty and fashion and have a passion for it. It has nothing to do with whether or not we are educated or smart or anything like that.

Please stop thinking that.

In closing

I hope you don’t hate me. Well actually I don’t really care if you do or not. But also I hope you don’t take this out on your hairstylist…geesh. I wrote it, not her. Grow up. If you were irritated by anything I said here…well…

“To be irritated by criticism is to acknowledge it’s deserved”

You have to know that for the most part, we love you. A lot. Really. And we appreciate you. A lot. Honestly. I’d have to say that I probably really truly loved 90% of my clients. The other 10% probably did a lot of what I talked about in this article 😣

But we do love you. ❤ Truly! ❤

Peace and Love

xo iva xo