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Can I just speak to my fellow hairstylists for a bit.

I've done hair for 10 years now. I've seen it all. I've had every client, I've worked with every type of stylist.

There is a concept in the hair world (and any business really) called the 80/20 rule. That means 20% of the stylists make 80% of the $$$ and the other 80% make 20% of the $$$.  Does that upset you? Is that because you are an 80%?

Why does this happen? Why do such a small number of stylists in a salon make so much money? Hard fucking work.  That's why. They come in early & stay late. They don't leave for the day if they don't have guests on the book...instead they call their existing client base & building/solidify their business. They dress to the 9s. They treat their clients with professionalism & respect.

I wanna tell you about some of the 80% where I work.


"Janet" is the best example. The first thing you notice about Janet is her appearance...she looks as if she's going to a bar, not to work. She wears jeans, sneakers, t-shirts. She wears HATS 90% of the time. A fucking HAT in a hair salon. Great advertising their Janet!

Janet spends most of her free time in the back room, because she's not busy. If she's not in the back room, she's outside smoking & on her cell phone. Think Janet puts on some perfume after she comes back in the salon? Hell no. She fucking stinks.....wait I take that back. One day I did see her put on Axe Body Spray. Yeah she smelled like a 15 year old boy in a locker room. Starting to understand why she's not busy?

Janet is making the same money today as she was a year ago. Literally ZERO growth over the past year. Its embarrassing....and she bitches & moans about her guests don't prebook, her guests are cheap, her guests don't wanna spend money. Funny how its ONLY her guests who are so cheap. I wonder if that has anything  to do with the fact that she dresses like she doesn't give a shit, she smells like she doesn't give a shit....and really, she DOESN'T give a shit!


I tell all the young stylists who come into our salon a key rule about dressing for success: Dress like you DESERVE a $20 tip, not like you need one. 

Does this remind you of yourself at all? Do you sit in the back room when you're not busy & piss and moan about how slow you are? Do you spend all your downtime outside smoking/on the phone & wonder why your paycheck never gets any bigger? Do you put no effort into your wardrobe & wonder why your guests don't want to spend money? The answer is in the mirror. Instead of blaming the economy, your guests, the salon owner, other stylists....you need to blame YOURSELF. Only you can change your situation in life, and putting a little effort into your look & your job can make a big difference in the size of your paycheck.

Michael Cole has written a great book that has been revised a few times to update. The newest version is called Over The Top. It is a must have for EVERY stylist....it teaches you how to be successful in the salon industry in very simple terms EVERYONE can understand.

What's hot right now?

So what's hot for Spring 2012 in terms of hair??

Well first and foremost, you have to wear what works for your face shape/hair texture/lifestyle.  Always keep that in mind. If you hair is like a Brillo Pad and you don't like to put in effort, then a short smooth pixie cut isn't for you!

I feel like things are still moving to a more natural, & softer style. Colors are still natural, yet bold & beautiful.

Look at this girl:

She has her hair back in a loose, understated braid (yep, braids are still in), her hair color is natural but it has a depth to it. Her style is loose & carefree, but it looks put together. I love this.

Another great example:

Recognize her? Of course you do. Notice her color. Right now I'm really into those colors that are not quite brown, not quite blonde, but sort of in between (just like the first girl I posted). And notice the ombre color...its softer. The light & dark aren't so drastically different here...a bit more subtle, which I love. Subtly, to me, screams expensive, luxurious, refined. 

Short hair ladies, fret not, I haven't forgotten you!

This is adorable...notice the short hair has grown out a little bit, but still maintains the head forming shape (fuller in the crown, tapered in the nape). The colors, again, are subtle but have depth & contrast. The texture is natural & loose, not harsh & contrived. We want to see movement, but not in a contrived way. 

Another fabulous example:

Here's a perfect example of how soft shapes, textures & colors combine. The red here is soft, yet bold. Again, the color is somewhere in between a true red head & strawberry blonde. The bangs are a big longer while the sides & crown are still cropped. The texture is soft & piecey, but not overly thinned out & whispy. For a long time hair has been overtextureized & shredded to death. Thank god that look is going away.

I think spring 2012 is gonna be a good hair year 

Why you shouldn't color your own hair

There is nothing I love and hate more than to have a new guest come in with this story: "I colored my own hair last night and it ended up looking horrible, can you fix it?"

I love it because usually this means big money for me. Color correction is usually an extensive process.

I hate it because it's a pain in the ass & people don't want to pay what it costs to get it fixed.

Here's a word of advice: 

IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO SPEND UP TO $500 TO GET YOUR HAIR FIXED, DON'T COLOR IT AT HOME

Yes, it costs that much. Why? Because usually it involved extra processes (stripping, filling, toning, bleaching) and because of those extra processes, you will need conditioning treatments so your hair doesn't feel like straw.  

So blondie, you want to go brown, but don't want to pay me? So you go get a $5 box of hair color from your local drug store & have a girl's night in. And then I get a phone call the next day. What's that you say? Your hair turned green/gray/black? You don't say! Come on in. 

So instead of spending about $100-150 for me to color your hair (filler, color, deep conditioner), now it's going to cost you $200-300 (neutralizing toner, deep conditioner, stripping, deep conditioner, filler, color, deep conditioner). Yeah you really saved yourself some money there.

Oh whats that Sally No-Patience? You wanted hi-lites so you had a go at it yourself last night with one of those $10 hi-liting kits? And now your hair is orange, streaky and spotty? I'm shocked! Yeah come on in I can fix it. Oh and by the way, instead of paying $80-120 for hilites, now your bill is going to be $200-300 (lowlites/hilites, spot color, toner, deep conditioner).

Let me explain what you need to know when you color your hair...consider this a crash course for you would be home hair colorists. I hope it dissuades you.

First, you need to memorize & completely understand this:

That is the color wheel & the level system. The level system is a measure of the lightness & darkness of haircolor, & the color wheel applies to the tones of your haircolor.

When you lighten hair, you expose something called undertones, which are always in the redish/orangish/brassy family.  That's why when you try to lighten your hair, it turns orange.

After you lighten your hair and it is blonde, you haven't colored over those undertones, you've removed them. Obliterated them. Demolished them. So they don't exist. If you want to go dark again, you have to add those undertones back. That's why when you tried to color your own hair from light to dark, it turned green/gray. There were no undertones left to balance the color.

On top of all that, there's the chemistry side. Hair color is a chemical and your hair goes through a chemical process. 

This is pH chart:

7 is considered neutral (think water). Anything below that is acidic (lemon juice). Anything above that is alkaline (think bleach & draino). The further from 7 you get, the more acidic or alkaline (and harsh/hazardous) the substance is.  Notice where hair is. Its not neutral. Its actually acidic!

And notice where "Ammonia" is. That's the chemical in haircolor & bleach that helps the color do its job. Very alkaline. Without the right knowledge & tools, you can really damage your hair & achieve that lovely hay/straw texture. 

So go head, color your own hair, but remember: When it's screwed up and you call me upset that you need to get in RIGHT NOW for me to fix it, one of 2 things will happen. 1. I will not have an appointment RIGHT NOW because other people were smart enough to make appointments to get their hair colored by a professional. or 2. I will squeeze you in and you will pay a lot of money for me to fix it since it is a complicated, time consuming & delicate process. 

With Love,

Your Hairstylist

this is a blog by a hairstylist, for everyone

I've been meaning to make this blog for a long time, and today is the day.  I feel this will serve 2 purposes: 1. to give a voice to all hairstylists out there and 2. to give everyone else a glimpse into the life of a stylist.

There are hundreds of topics I'd like to address, but first things first: Salon Etiquette.



First, for stylists:

1. Dress like you deserve a $20 tip, not like you need one. You are part of the fashion/beauty industry, so look like it.  Whether you work at Great Clips or a high end salon, be proud of yourself. Show some self worth. People come to you for advice about what makes them beautiful. How do you expect them to take you seriously if you look like you don't care about your appearance?

That means YOU Miss I-Can't-Tell-If-Your-A-Hooker-Or-Hairstylist. As much as you think you look sexy, your T&A show is an embarrassment to our profession. That also means YOU Miss Smock-N-Crocs. Yeah, I know its comfy, but wearing a smock & Crocs/Dance-Gos makes you look like you don't give a shit. That also means YOU Mr. Jeans-And-T Shirt-Cos-I'm-Rock-And-Roll. You don't look cool, you look like a douche. Step it up.

That also means STYLE YOUR HAIR. You'd think that'd be obvious, but from my experience, its not.

Guess which girl is dressed for success?

2. Take your job seriously. That means act professionally. Beyond dressing appropriately, you need to act appropriately. There are a few simple guidelines that will keep you out of trouble: Don't ask guests on dates. Don't be overly flirtatious with guests. Don't eat food out on the salon floor (it looks tacky & no one wants to watch you stuff your face). Don't chew gum (no one wants to hear you smack in their ear). If you smoke, wear perfume or cologne (Axe body spray doesn't count), wash your hands after smoking and eat a breath mint. Don't check your cell phone on the salon floor (it's incredibly rude).

3. Stay current. Part of your job is to keep guests up to date on current trends. How do you expect to update your guests' looks if you never update your own? Here's a few pictures. If your hairstyle/color resembles ANY of these, its time to update your look:

See your hair in one of those photos? Then it's time to update. Staying current also means continuing your education. Has it been 10 years since your last hair class? Then you're 10 years overdue. Trends change very quickly and every stylist needs to polish up their classic foundation techniques, so get to a class. Redken, Sassoon, and TIGI are some of my personal favorites. Yes they cost money. Yes they take up your Monday. But they are completely worth it and necessary. Its your damn job. Go get updated.

4. The guest is the star, not you! Give them your undivided attention. They pay your bills, remember? Make sure you're really listening to them. Make sure you understand exactly what they want & be honest about what would look good on them. Not what YOU like, but what would look best on THEM. Don't stare at yourself in the mirror during the appointment. You're not that cute anyway. Make them feel like a star & they'll be yours forever. Don't take them for granted.

Now for the guests. Yes there is a list of rules for you, too.

1. Do not ask "So are you going to go to college?"  It's incredibly rude & insulting. I went to school already. It's called cosmetology school. This is not something I do for fun while I get my degree, its my CAREER. Yes, many stylists also get degrees in business or art, but don't be presumptuous. I am very well educated...I can talk to you about politics, philosophy, computers, anatomy, chemistry...So don't treat me like I'm uneducated.

2. I'm the professional. So treat me like it. Don't tell me how to do your hair - tell me what you want your hair to look like & I'll get you there. There are many things you DON'T understand about hair color & design: design principles, color theory, hair chemistry, etc. I'm trained in these things & if I tell you your fat face won't look good in a red neck stacked bob, then it won't. Trust me. You came to the salon because you can't cut & color your own hair, so let me do my job.

3. Trust my judgement. I want your business. I really do. Why? Because I like to pay my bills. I have a mortgage & car payment just like you! So it is in my best interest to make you as beautiful as possible. And sometimes that means doing something maybe you hadn't thought of. I will explain to you why something is the best option for you, and if you still hate the idea, fine. But don't be scared of change. It's a good thing.

If I tell you your burnt, fine, brittle, bleached out hair can't be any blonder, TRUST ME. Platinum stripper blonde hair on the floor is not as pretty as beige blonde hair on your head. If I tell you that your hair can't take a certain chemical process, its not because I don't want to do it, it's because your hair will break off & I prefer to keep you as a guest rather than you be mad I broke your hair off.

4. Treat me like a human being. I may be in the service industry, but that does not give you the right to act like a spoiled brat. You are a grown woman, so do not act like a 5 year old. The golden rule does not cease to exist when you walk into the salon. Treat me with respect & dignity. Talk to me like a grown up. These simple things will ensure that I will bend over backwards to make sure you feel beautiful. Remember, I have scissors, chemicals & very hot tools oh your hair. I can cut, melt & burn your hair off. So don't treat me like shit.


Weelllllll I think that about does it for tonight. I have lots of other things on my mind, but my fingers are tired from typing. Other things you can look forward to reading about: tipping, the perils of at home hair color, the reason drug store hair products suck, the importance of good taste & the next big hair trends.

With Love
Your Hairstylist