I Asked My Hairdresser Friend To Tell Me The Things Clients Do That Piss Her Off, And She Did Not Hold Back

Signed, a long-time hairdresser who's seen it all.

Getting our hair cut — we all do it. Some of us find it therapeutic, while others (it's me; I'm "others") always find it a bit awkward.

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But that's nothing compared with what hairdressers go through. Turns out we're doing allll sorts of stuff to make their jobs difficult, frustrating, or just straight-up uncomfortable.

therealbrosofsimivalley / Facebook / Via Facebook: therealbrosofsimivalley

One of my best friends is a hairdresser, so I decided to enlist her help in revealing everything we're doing wrong when we get our hair cut. Here are 16 of the worst things people do when going in for cuts, color, or styling!

1. First thing hairdressers can't stand...when you come in with no idea what you want:

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A stylist can definitely help you narrow things down (bringing in some pictures is never a bad idea!), but you shouldn't go in without a somewhat clear idea of what you want. If you don't have a clear idea, there's no way the stylist will — increasing the chances you'll be unhappy!

2. When you make eye contact with them while they're washing your hair or, worse, massaging your scalp:

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Yes, according to my friend, people actually do this. It's creepy. Please stop.

3. When you come in with dark hair and say you want platinum hair done in one hour for less than $100:

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"Not gonna happen," my friend said. Both on the time and the money fronts — ESPECIALLY if your hair has been dyed before. It takes a LOT to lift hair that much, and you'll probably have to do multiple appointments that take multiple hours each — and that's if the stylist thinks your hair can withstand the process. If you're blonde going dark, it's a LOT easier, but still, don't expect something super quick. If you're going in for any color, chances are the whole process will take over an hour.

4. Or, worse, that you want colored hair in an hour:

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By "colored," I mean a color like blue or purple or green, not a color like brown. In order to get a pigmented color (and not just a tint), you'll need to have almost bleached-blonde hair. It's going to take a WHILE unless that's already your natural hair color. In fact, think of all color like trying to color marker over marker — if your hair is brown and you want it pink, coloring pink marker over brown marker won't work. You'll have to somehow remove that brown marker. 

5. When you lie about what you've done to your hair:

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Your hairstylist isn't asking so they can berate you for using box dye. It's so they know what's going to be possible to do with your hair in one appointment and how color will react to your hair. If you've used box dye or any dye at all, that's going to affect the way color takes. If you lie about it, not only will they quickly find out, but your hair probably isn't going to come out the way you want.

6. When you ask the stylist to trim your sideburns or bangs in the middle of the haircut:

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It's not that it's too late — it's that it's too early. Those things come last!! Don't worry, the stylist will get to them.

7. When you cancel or reschedule an appointment five minutes before:

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This is just bad form to do with any service. There's no way they can reschedule someone into that slot at that point, and they may have already started getting something ready for your appointment or refused a walk-in because they thought you were coming in.

8. When you’re late but don’t give them a heads-up:

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If you are going to be late, please let the hairstylist know as early as you can. Chances are, they aren't going to be mad — but it will give them some time to perhaps push back their next appointment or move/adjust your appointment if necessary. 

9. One more thing about being late — when you're late with a coffee but don't have one for them:

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Look, if you're going to be late because you're grabbing a coffee from Starbucks, at least grab your stylist one.

10. When you try to move the hair out of your face or tuck behind your ear while they're cutting your hair:

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I get it — there are those times when a little tendril of hair is bothering you or falling into your face. But please wait until they're done!

11. When you move your head while they're trying to cut or blow-dry your hair:

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While it's even more annoying to move your head when they're cutting your hair, moving your head while they're blow-drying is annoying too. If you want your hair to look good, keep your head still!

12. Like, please don't tilt your head toward them while you're talking or listening:

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You can look at them in the mirror if you like, but chances are, you're not going to be making eye contact anyway — they're looking at your hair, not you. You may think you're being polite to tilt your head toward them, but I promise that you're making their job harder! 

13. When you talk about your political views loudly so other clients can hear:

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Hairdressers are like bartenders: They're expecting to deal with lots of wild stories and opinions. As long as you're not actively rude to them, it's probably fine to talk about almost anything — but please don't speak loudly about sex, religion, or politics. You're most likely not the only person in the salon, and it just makes everyone uncomfortable. 

14. When you answer "I love it" to the question of what you think of your hair, but actually, you hate it:

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A hairstylist is happy to adjust your hair and make it better 99% of the time — whether right then and there or at another appointment. They want you to be happy! It's MUCH better to do this than to write a bad review or go somewhere else, where the person might not be as familiar with what was done to your hair last time. 

15. Or when you barely answer the question and spend five minutes brushing your fingers through your hair, looking at yourself, before saying anything:

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I don't know why people do this. Are they deciding? If you're scared to ask your stylist to adjust something, see number 14 and just ask them.

16. And finally, when you don’t tip:

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This one's a no-brainer. As in, if you don't tip, you have no brain. Salons take a large commission of what you're paying for your appointment, meaning the stylist might not actually be making that much, even if your appointment was expensive. Please tip!!

Got any more questions for hairdressers? Let us know in the comments below! And if you're in Los Angeles and you're looking for a hairdresser, check out my friend at @hair_by_lovely_loo!