A few tips from your friendly neighborhood hairdresser during these crazy times!

Twenty twenty hit the salon industry hard.  I think I can speak for most of us when I say: we are tired. We are tired of Covid, we are tired of the masks, we are tired of politics, and tired of the tension.

Every day things we loved about our jobs have almost been stripped from us without anyone even realizing it.  Conversing about every day things, hearing about your family and life, those conversations seem to have gone by the way side in the blink of an eye.  See, we are told in beauty school there are certain topics behind the chair that are taboo; sex, religion, and politics. And it seems as if this year, everything went back to politics. From the most sensationalized election in my life time, to Covid, everything has had something to do with Democrat vs. republican this year. From whether or not people believed the virus would disappear after the election, to whether or not the election was fraud, everyone has an opinion, and in most cases, it’s a very strong one.  And as hairstylists, we are literally TRAINED to avoid these topics.  Trying over and over again each day to reroute conversations is exhausting. And yet some how it always seems to go back to politics and Covid right now.  I'm just ready for it to all be over with.  

Here are a few things to consider when making your appointments that would help all of us out!:

1.   Book ahead!!!  I can not stress this enough.  I always recommend booking your next appointment before you leave the salon, however, I know with some work schedules, school schedules, and just life, some times this isn't possible.  So give yourself and your stylist some leeway when booking.  Don't call and want in THAT DAY over your lunch hour and expect to get in.  I don't know about most of you, but my salon has not slowed down at all since the reopening after our shut down.  Our clients have been absolutely awesome, and so supportive of our business, and have been very consistent about coming in and booking ahead to make sure they stay on top of their hair in the case of another shutdown.  However, this is bad for those that may not plan ahead quite as much.  It has really tightened our schedules up.  Know that we will try to get you in as soon as possible, and we will stay late, and skip our lunch, etc.  But we still have little ones and lives outside of the salon that need our attention.  We have people that at the last minute get quarantined that we are trying to get rescheduled, and we are trying our best to get everyone in as soon as possible, so simply booking ahead, if you have that luxury, would help us both out.  It helps you know you can get in, and it alleviates a little bit of stress from your stylist when she is trying to book other appointments. 

2.  If you can't make it to your appointment on time, or at all, CALL AND LET US KNOW!  No showing your hairdresser, or anyone for that matter has a big impact on their day.  Not only do they miss out on the income from your service, but they are missing out on income from other clients that they have had to turn away due to your time slot being filled.  And more than likely that spot can not be filled when there is no notice.  It literally impacts their entire day.  Please just be courteous and call.  We understand things come up. Right now, people are getting quarantined at the last minute among many other things, just call, trust me, we understand.  But not calling is just flat rude.

3.  If you are sick, stay home.  We can not risk getting sick, and exposing all of the people that have sat in our chair.  Most hairdressers do not get paid sick leave.  If we have to quarantine, that is all income lost.  Not to mention, if we unknowingly expose our clients and someone gets sick, that guilt lies on us, and we truly care about our clients.

We've all had that one client since quarantine 
that was in complete denial about what they did
to their hair!

4. Be patient with us.  We are literally packing people in as tight as we can, and squeezing people in as closely as we can with all of the new cleaning regulations and social distancing regulations that have been placed since we reopened.  We are fixing quarantine cuts, and quarantine colors that we may not have expected.  Sometimes, this might mean that we are running a little behind.  Trust me, we hate it as much as you do.  It gets us flustered, and then we start dropping things more, and we start sweating, it's all a mess.  But we are trying.  We are trying to get to everyone on time, in the same cheerful manner that we did in 2019.

5.  Talk to us.  Talk to us about your family.  Talk to us about your dogs.  Talk to us about the latest book you are reading, or the latest podcast you are listening to.  At this point in time, I would even strike two of the taboos from the list and let you talk about sex and money!  Talk to us about ANYTHING other than Covid or politics.  We are tired.  We miss our old conversations.  Hair dressers tend to look at life through rose colored glasses.  We like to see the beauty in things.  And all of the ugly in the world lately has made that really hard to do.  So please, help us see it again.  Talk to us like you used to.  We miss that.  I have literally been put in situations this year where I have had to move regular appointments and clients around because of the conversations that were had in my chair that offended the next person waiting.  As much as we might try to just smile and say "uh huh", other people around get offended, and this is our business.  We want to get to know you, we care what you care about.  But right now, things are so tense in our nation, that we just can't. We are having a really hard time balancing it all.  Please, please, talk to me about your dog.  (Also, see rule no. 1.... this helps us keep those people that might offend each other on different days and time slots! Do your part!)

6.  Bring us caffeine.  We need it!  Our once 8 hour days have stretched to 10 and 12 hour days because of all of the different precautions, and squeezing people in that have had to cancel due to being quarantined.  Trust me, we don't even care what kind it is, just bring caffeine!

7.  Shop small, buy local.  I know this gets said all the time.  I know that you can get your shampoo and conditioner on sale at some of the big box stores, or on Amazon, but those places aren't keeping your local salon open.  Retail sales can make a big difference in the income of a salon and stylist.  Just keep that in mind next time you stop at Beauty Brands for their liter sale.  Now more than ever, it is imperative that we start thinking small, and support our local communities first.  Let your stylist know if you want something she doesn't carry.  Chances are she can get it in for you!  This literally puts food on her table.

8.  More than anything, know we appreciate you!  We may be tired, and rushing around when you are there, and we may be exhausted from all of the goings on in the world, but we love seeing you.  You brighten our days.  Some times, I'm convinced you bring us more joy that we do you.  We know you love getting your hair done, but we love the relationships we have formed with all of you.  You are important in our lives.  You are not just a number on the books for us.  Thank you for your continued support during this crazy time.  We look forward to seeing you in our chairs and getting caught up with our friends that in many cases have grown into extended family.  

Moral of the story, please just bear with us.  We are trying, and we are tired.  And we know you are too.  So let's just do our best to support each other during these crazy times in our world.  Let's support each other, and help each other see the beauty in things again.  And not just the beauty of your hair, although I can help you with that as well ;).

Why I chose to leave my corporate salon job

"If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough."  This is a quote I have sworn by since the first time I heard it a few years ago.  And I finally took the leap to stop letting fear hold me back. 

In October, I left my corporate salon job that I had had for 13+ years.  And I had never been more terrified or excited for anything in my life.  There was so much doubt nagging in the back of my mind.  But as I sat down and weighed the pros and cons, I decided to take the leap of faith, and believe in myself.  I had worked hard over the last 14 years to build my skills, and my clientele to eventually be able to fulfill this dream, so if not now, when?

I worked for the largest salon corporation in the country (I don't think I can say the name of the corporation since I no longer work there, but it shares a name with a famous talk show host).  This job had been a very good job for me.  It was my first stylist job out of beauty school.  At first, I just thought of it as a starting out place, but then, the longer I stayed, the harder it was to leave.  There was always heavy traffic, with a high amount of walk ins, essential for building a clientele.  They provided all of the advertising, and paid for many of my supplies and tools.  It had funded vacations, new cars, I had bought my first home with it, and it had fed and clothed my children, and myself.  I started out as a stylist, and worked my way up to management.  When I was single, relying on only one income, I still never had to worry where our next meal was going to come from, or how I was going to pay for Christmas.  My children and I always had what we needed, and what we wanted, because of the opportunities provided to me by this job.  I never had to work a 2nd or 3rd job like most new stylists, or even seasoned ones have to do.  I was able to make it work off of this one job, and have extras left over.  But this didn't come without sacrifice either.  I worked in a high traffic mall, therefore, retail hours were required.  There were many nights I worked until 9 PM or later.  Years of weekends were worked, where I missed out on weddings, graduations, and other family functions.  Extended hours were required during the holidays, as we were in a high traffic retail mall.  And being manager, they were even more strict with my hours than if I had been a just a stylist. 

But the stress was overwhelming.  The rules were constantly changing.  They were always switching things up to stay on top of the game.  There was always a new initiative for the stylists and management.  When I was younger, and fresh in the industry, this was ok.  But after 14 years of being in the industry, I had proven myself.  I wanted more freedom.  I was tired of the rules always changing.  I was tired of the corporate chain of command.  I was tired of someone always questioning whether my best was good enough.  I was tired of feeling like just a number.  I was tired of commuting an hour a day.  I was tired.  Then one day,  after an especially trying time period at work, my friend told me a salon in town was for sale.

I made the choice to go look at it.  Looking wouldn't hurt anything.  The owner was wanting to retire, but still work.  It was a turn key operation.  The stylists were staying.  And the location was perfect.  If I was ever going to leave where I was at, this was the best possible scenario in which to do it.  I decided as long as the doors kept opening, I was going to keep walking through them.  My feet might have been shaking the whole way, but I kept pushing forward.  As soon as I made the offer, and we signed the contract, I left my job, and started working at what would be my new salon once the closing date arrived.  I was terrified.

But now I am asking myself why I didn't do this years ago.  It is such a laid back environment, and I found an amazing mentor in the current owner.  She has made this salon a success for many years, so I will be picking her brain as often as she will let me!  So many of my loyal clients have followed.  Some that, quite honestly, surprised me.  Several of them have told me it is easier for them to drive 60 miles roundtrip every 6 weeks than it is for me to do it every day.  And I have gained new customers, people that would have come to me before, but couldn't find the time to squeeze that drive into their already busy schedule.  I am off by 6 at night.  No more nights of missing tucking my kids into bed.  I am off by 4 on Saturdays, and am off on holidays.  My stress level is down, and my whole life is better for it.  And I'm matching the money I was making at my previous job.  I miss the group at my old salon.  We were like a family, but I'm doing my best to stay in touch, as are they. 

I am not in any way knocking the corporate salons.  I think they are a great place for people to start their careers, and for some, can make a great lifetime career.  I made one of these salons a home away from home for nearly 14 years, and it afforded me some really great opportunities, and introduced me to some of the best people I know.  But for me, it was time to move on.  So as I set out to pursue my crazy, scary dreams, and we approach closing day, I am less terrified, and more excited.  I made the decision to no longer let my fear stand in the way of my dreams.  And I encourage each and every one of you to do the same.  Whether it's with your career, your personal life, or marking something off of your bucket list, go out and do something that scares you today.  It just might pay out abundantly.

Happy Wife, Happy Life? I say "Happy Hairdresser, Happy Life"

Ever heard the saying "Don't piss off your hairdresser" or something along those lines?  I hear it all the time, jokingly, from people sitting in my chair.  However, after 13 years in this industry, I have realized this actually holds some water.  The sad reality of it is this:  Many people (waaaaay more than you would ever think), don't understand common courtesy in a salon.  So, here, my friends, are a few little tidbits I'm going to toss out there to help you avoid finding yourself in a situation where you have just made someone angry, who just so happens to be holding very sharp shears. 

1.  Put your cell phone down.  The other day I did an entire eyebrow and lip wax on a woman who was talking on her cell phone the entire time.  She was on it when she walked in and made the appointment, she was on it when I took her back to be seated, and she was on it the entire time I was applying hot wax to her face.  Seriously woman, put the phone down, or next time, I'm waxing around it.  So rude.  There is nothing that is so important it can't wait the 30 minutes that an average haircut takes.  And if something is that vital, you need to be off dealing with that, and not sitting in my chair.  But the next time someone comes in, talking about the guy they met on Match.com and refuses to put the phone down... I'm serious, I'm cutting and or waxing around it.  Consider yourself warned.

2.  Don't bring your children to your color appointments.  Many hairdressers have children as well, it's not that we aren't sympathetic to you trying to squeeze your appointment into your busy schedule.  We actually very much appreciate that you are making time for us.  However, I personally, come to work as a break from my kids on some days.  It can be an escape from all of the craziness going on at home.  Many other guests in the salon at any given time are also doing the same.  None of us have time to try to entertain your child while we are working.  I LOVE kids, LOVE THEM, but when I have my hands covered in color and lightener, I can't play with your child.  Nor can I have you turning your head, and moving all around trying to see where they are, or what they are doing.  Your hair WILL BE tiger striped if you do this.  Promise.  And it won't be my fault.  Also, do you know how expensive those hydraulic chairs are?  The levers are not mini trampolines.  And let's be honest, a 2 hour color appointment is a LONG time for a kiddo.  Unless your child is getting their haircut too, I pretty much guarantee they aren't having any fun either. 

3.  Do NOT ask me if I am any good at my job.  Rude.  That's all I have on that one.  Oh, and most hairdressers I've met that aren't any good, don't realize it, so you're not going to get a "Yes, honestly, I suck" answer.  It's not going to happen either way. 

4.  Find a girl (or guy) and stick with them.  Attention picky clients!!!:  If you are that particular about your hair, and you want it done JUST like the lady did it last time, go back to the same lady!  I am not her, she is not me.  We are going to have different techniques, no two hairdressers are the exact same.  I can do my best, but more than likely I will not be able to duplicate someone's work.  Be loyal.  Pre-book your appointment before you leave each time.  It will get you further than you realize.  If I have to hear the entire appointment, about how great "Judy" was last time, and how I'm not doing it just like she did, you're probably NOT going to get my heart put into that haircut.  NOT saying that I would ever mess it up intentionally, but if I already know my best won't be good enough for you, then I'm probably just going to do my best to just get through the appointment.

5.  Don't put your hands in your hair while I'm cutting.  Piggy backing off of that last one... Please DO NOT try to check my work while I am still cutting your hair.  Do you realize how sharp my shears are?  That's a quick way for one of us to lose a finger, and chances are, it won't be me.

6.  Don't try to help me at the shampoo bowl.  Getting your hair shampooed is a way for you to sit back and relax during any service.  Just let me do the work.  So many people try to "help" by lifting or tilting their head when they are trying to predict where the sprayer is going next.  Do not do this.  More often than not, this is when you see people with water down their backs, or in the worst case scenario, when you see one or the other of us, if not both, get sprayed in the face.  I appreciate your eagerness to help, but it is absolutely not helpful.  And if I get sprayed in the face... I'm mad.  Promise.

7.  Just remember we are people too.  We have our good days and our bad days, and as much as we try to leave our problems at the door, you never know what someone is dealing with behind closed doors.  We try to conduct ourselves in the most professional, courteous manner, and we would appreciate the same from you.  Don't take your bad day out on your hairdresser.  In fact, if you've had a bad day, in all honesty, that's one of the worst days to come to the salon.  See Below:

8. Don't make drastic hair decisions on bad days.  When I went through my divorce, my hair went through a transformation.  I went from long, gorgeous blonde hair, to short, chopped 2-toned reds.  That day, I loved it.  Looking back, I ask myself what I was thinking.  If you want to change your hair because your life is changing, awesome.  I'm all for drastic changes, in fact, it's an adrenaline rush for me.  But the last thing as a hairdresser that I want, is for you to hate your hair.  So please, don't come in and chop all of your hair off because you are mad at your boyfriend, and he likes it long.  You WILL regret it, and chances are, you will be mad at me for letting you do it. So please, just don't put either one of us in that position.  There's a saying "A woman who is about to change her hair, is about to change her life".  Let's just work together to make sure that's a positive change!

Seriously, there's clip art about this?

Bring a picture, then!!

9.  Bring a picture.  If you are going for something "a little different", please have a point of reference.  Nothing will irritate a stylist faster than you expecting us to read your mind.  Just remember, "a little off"  to you, could be way different to me.  With Pinterest and Google, there is no
excuse for not having a picture with some general idea of what you want.  Not mind readers here...

So, there it is.  Just a FEW tips on how we can all peacefully coexist.  I love my clients, and I don't think any of them would intentionally do anything that they would consider rude.  However, there are different professional courtesies from industry to industry, and how is everyone supposed to know if we don't enlighten them?  That's what I'm here for folks... Until next time...

What every hairdresser wishes you knew

So many times I hear people say "My hair will never look like this again" or "I can never get my hair to look like it does when you do it" when I am done doing their hair.  A big part of  styling your hair is the products we use.  We don't make a killing off of these products.  And if you use the right products, you really don't have to do as much to make it work for you.  I want to sell you the right products, because I want you to be able to trust me.  I want you to come back, and I want you to come to me with any problems you might have.  Each product serves a different purpose. Some products are for volume,some are for smoothing, some are for hold, and depending on what look you are going for determines the product I use.  If you want to try to duplicate that work, using the right products correctly are a big first step.  And also, professional products really do make a difference.  They might have a higher sticker price, but they are more concentrated, they have less alcohol (which is drying) and a majority of them tend to be color safe.  They contain less of the harsh chemicals that can be damaging to your hair.

Branching off of that, learning how to use a round brush can change your life!  It can reduce the amount of time that you are curling and flat ironing.  It can be tricky, but as long as you keep pulling the brush from the scalp out to the ends, you won't get it caught in your hair.  NEVER spin without moving the brush outward.  Larger barrel brushes produce volume, smaller barrel brushes produce more curl.

You know that little button on the front of your blow dryer?  That is a cool shot.  Heat opens up the cuticle of your hair, which helps shape it during the styling process.  However, cool seals it back up and locks your style in.  So, when using that round brush, after you have that volume or curl in your hair, push that cool shot and lock that style in.  It also gives some more shine to your style.

Conditioner is soooo important.  Just like that cool shot seals your hair back up, so does conditioner.  It protects it from heat, UV rays, and harsh elements.  I have heard people say that conditioner makes their hair too heavy, or they are already greasy, so they don't need conditioner, but you do.  It's just like with skin care, if you don't moisturize, your skin will over produce oil, so will your hair.  Its also vital to take care of your scalp to maintain healthy hair and conditioner is a big part of this as well.  Your hair and scalp will be healthier in the long run, and will thank you.

Every stylist has a different way of doing things.  Your last stylist may have cut your hair before the color, or may have waxed you before the cut.  And I may do it the opposite way.  She may have cut the layers first, then done the ends.  She may have done the base color first, then the hilites, where as I do them in one step.  I can assure you that there is no right or wrong way to do hair.  And you reminding me the whole time that I am doing it differently that the last lady is not going to accomplish anything.  I will still do it my way because it is the system I have worked out over time.  Questioning your stylist the entire time they are doing your hair does nothing other than make it obvious that there isn't a trust built, which is very important.  It can make for a very long couple of hours for the both of you.  Asking questions is fine, but repeatedly comparing me to your last stylist is borderline insulting, considering I don't go to your job and question you.

If you're not happy with your color or cut, we WANT you to let us know so we can fix it for you.  You are walking advertisement for us.  A referral is the best compliment you can give us.  Therefore, we want you to be happy, and spread our name all over the place.  The last thing we want is for you to be UNHAPPY and spread our name that way.  I never get offended by a client calling back and asking me to fix something.  Sometimes things lay differently when styled at home, and sometimes there is just a flat miscommunication.  Let me fix it for you, it's my job.  Remeber, anything is fixable, and you're never married to it.

It really is easier to book your appointment ahead of time.  Sometimes, we can stay late, or squeeze you in.  But other times I might have a family function that I can't be late for. Sometimes, you get lucky and you can get in with us for a cut and color on Saturday.  But other times, I might be booked out for two to four weeks, and by then your color and style will be long overdue.  It is easier for us to keep up on your style if it doesn't get way grown out.  Blending is easier for color, and growing length is easier because we can ensure that the hair is staying healthy.  Don't know your schedule that far out?  We can always call and confirm with you ahead of time and change some things around.

No show appointments, and late appointments really do mess up our entire day.  Every appointment is booked based on the appointment before or after it.  Most of us have ourselves booked down to the 15 minute increment.  And being 15 minutes late can cause a snowball effect for the rest of my day,  and potentially cost me clients and a lot of money.  And not showing up without a phone call is just rude.  That can equally mess up our entire day, because who is to say I wasn't counting on that money?  A phone call is only courteous.  We realize things come up, and sometimes you have to cancel.  I have never been upset with a client for cancelling, but no show make me furious.  And I am far less likely to attempt to squeeze a client in or stay late for one that frequently no shows me or is late without any sort of call.  That's just bad manners.

These are just a few tips to help understand the world of a hairstylist.  As a stylist, we trust our guests as much as they trust us.  I have known some of my clients longer than I have known my husband.  And I am truly convinced that I have the best clients in the world.

The cost of being a "wealthy" hairdresser

In my last post I wrote about how some people seem to have the notion that cosmetologists, hairdressers, barbers, whatever you want to call us, rake in the big bucks.  Don't get me wrong, there are some very famous, very rich hairdressers.  However, most of us aren't lucky enough to get a celebrity or two in our chair on a monthly basis.  And if you stick it out, there is definitely some money to be made in this industry.  But it takes time, and patience.  And with the face paced life we are conditioned to live, patience is not a virtue that most hair dressers are blessed with.  So sadly, many of the people that devoted a few years of their life to breaking into this industry let it end after a few short years.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average income of a cosmetologist $22,770, or less than $11 an hour.
The average cost to attend 1 year of beauty school is $18,000.
The average career length of a cosmetologist is 5 years, which means that the education of a cosmetologist costs approximately $3,600 per year that they are practicing, which brings the average income down to less than $19,200.
For the rest of these estimations, I am going to use personal/ professional experience, and I have picked the brains of the girls that work for me to see how much they guess that they spend each year.
A good pair of shears costs around $200.  And trust me, that is an underestimation.  This cost can go through the roof.  But most hairdressers have at least 2 pairs.  Plus a pair of thinning shears, another $150.  All three of these shears need to be sharpened around four times per year, costing around $30 per pair.  That's $90 four times a year ($360 a year) just to maintain your shears so you can work.  Also, you need a good pair of clippers, about $150, a razor, around $40, and blades that need to be replaced after only a couple of uses, costing about $15 a case.  There are curling irons that cost around $50 apiece that get replaced every couple of years.  Brushes, combs, and clips that get replaced about once a year due to wear and tear, costing roughly $75 a year, and blow dryers that if you are lucky last a year, coating about $100.  Factoring those costs into the average career length, that takes the annual salary down to approximately $18,375.
I am lucky enough to work for a company that provides continuing education at no cost to its stylists, however, most of my other stylist friends try to go to at least one hair show a year to stay up to date on trends and techniques.  A cheap weekend for one of these shows would be around $500, and that's if you can share expenses with someone else.  Then you have licensing fees, around $100 a year.  Then you have our cost for our personal appearance.  At my job, hair, makeup, and wardrobe are a part of the dress code.  You show up without all of those done up, I send you home.  It. Is. Required.  No exceptions.  You don't want to walk in to a place your appearance into the hands of a girl that doesn't look like she knows how to take care of herself.  So let's aim LOW on this, between the cost of makeup, clothes that are constantly being ruined due to hair color, and a couple of pairs of GOOD shoes because of being on our feet all day, the average spent per year is probably around $1000 for personal appearance/ hygiene cost (don't tell my husband it can be done for this low, I don't want him getting ideas about my shopping budget).  These numbers bring the approximate average down to around $16,775.

There are a lot of other costs that I could factor in, but let's call it good there.  Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.  Figured at 40 hours a week, which is considered full time, the average person working for minimum wage in America is making $15,080 a year.  That is only $1695 less than the average cosmetologist.  Not much difference in the scheme of things, huh?

Then why, you ask, does it cost so much to get your hair done?  Let me run some figures there too.  If it costs around $100 for you to get a haircut and color, your stylist is by no means taking all of that home with her.  The average stylist only brings home either a percentage of what she charges, around 50%, minus taxes, or you have to remove the cost of all of their product.  For a stylist that is self employed, when you break down their cost on a average color client, they are really only bringing home an average of 50% after all of their costs as well.

So like I said, the average stylist doesn't get rich.  Not in money anyways.  But I consider myself very rich in relationships, knowledge, and my heart is pretty full because of the career I chose.  Not very many people can consider themselves that lucky.  And I would take that kind of wealth over money any day.

Cosmetologists: What people think we do VS. What we ACTUALLY do

I live the high life.  I get to sit around, and primp, and read gossip magazines, and get my hair done at least once every two weeks.  Oh, and when I'm not busy, I get to go shopping!  When shopping gets boring, I can always just sit around outside smoking, and getting caught up on the local gossip. I take selfies any time I am having a good hair and makeup day, and I make sure that I flirt with every man that walks through the door of my salon.  In fact, I wear the lowest cut shirts possible to make sure he tips me really well!  I work bankers hours, when I actually work, because, after all, I am never really at the salon.  And when I am on yet another break, I will just sit around and wait for appointments to come in, because I really have nothing else to do.  You have to have the IQ of a gnat to do hair.  Lucky for me, it takes NO brains!  I make so much money that I don't know what to do with it all.  All of the amazing vacations I take are starting to get old, maybe I will just buy my own island.

Now, you want to know the truth?  That whole paragraph up above? It's a load of crap.  That may be what a majority of people seem to perceive as the truth, but I'm about to give you a rather large does of reality... I'm a hairdresser, but...  I'm a plumber.  The other day, I actually took apart the pipes under one of the shampoo bowls and pulled out a hair ball the size of a sewer rat.  And it stunk.  Welcome to my glamorous life.  Most days, I am a therapist, a chemist, an artist, and a sales woman.  I come in early, and stay late to squeeze people in that can't come in during my working hours, and on my busy days, some times my only break all day is to pee when a merciful client relives me in the middle of their blow out because they notice that my teeth are starting to float.  And speaking of floating... cruises, vacations, all of those trips?  Ya, I'm scared to go on them because a whole week out of the salon means a whole week without pay.  Paid vacations don't exist in this industry.

By the way, say you have someone in your chair who is wanting to go to a pale level 9 blonde from a level 6.  Natural from the scalp to about 3 inches out, and heavily hi lighted at the ends.  How do you formulate the end result?  And to top it off, you're out of 30 volume developer, so you're going to have to make it.  No brains, huh?  That's where the chemist and mathematician comes in.  We have to cut through the underlying pigment of the natural hair, prime the over processed ends, and make it all look even, for a pretty end result.  Hence, the artistry.

"I like this shirt", said no Hairdresser Ever!

And let's break down the men factor.  I don't want your man!  I have a man.  And one is all I can handle.  The last thing I want is another one.  Yes, I smile at him. Yes, I talk to him, and carry on a conversation.  THATS WHAT WE ARE TRAINED TO DO!!!! I don't want to spend half an hour in awkward silence, I'M A TALKER!!!  All I want, is to give him a good haircut, collect his money, and send him on his way until 4 weeks from now when he needs another haircut, repeat.  And as far as the low cut shirts, and dressing skanky?  Our wardrobe is limited.  I went to put on one of my favorite shirts today, only to have to change because unbeknownst to me, I was attacked by a color tube last time I wore it.  If I wouldn't incinerate while blow drying, if it were up to me I would wear turtle necks all the time!  Do you know how unpleasant it is to pull a clump of hair out from between your boobs and NOT know who it belongs to?  It's rather disturbing.  And we won't even talk about the whole hair in the bra issue, AND the belly button... Yuck!

So if it's that bad, why do we do it?  Because it's not that bad.  Because all of that stuff is worth it.  It is worth the long days, and the negative stereotypes to be able to do what I have a passion for.  It is worth knowing that you can turn someone's entire day around just by doing something you're good at.  People come to their hairdressers to feel better about themselves, and I am lucky enough to get to be a part of that.  I have seen people become engaged, get married, have babies.  I have watched kids grow into young adults, and graduate.  I have shared in great joys, and great losses.  I get to be a part of people's families, and their lives.  We give advice, and we receive it as well.  We get as much out of some of those visits as the client does.  Some of our clients enhance our lives as much as we do theirs.  They become extended family.  Our clients are more than clients, they are friends.  I have a little old lady that is like another grandmother to me.  I watched her bury her husband who suffered from Alzheimer's last year, she brings me treats for holidays, and helps me plan out dinner ideas for the week.  If I go more than two weeks without seeing her, I get sick to my stomach for fear that something happened to her and I didn't know.  I love her.  And I love spending time with her.  That 45 minutes every Saturday is as therapeutic for me as it is her.

My point: you have to take the good with the bad.  No career is perfect.  But while it isn't as glamorous as most may think, it is so worth it!  No career is perfect.  And you won't get rich in money at first doing it, it will fill your heart as soon as you start forming relationships with your clients.  And if you still don't believe me about the whole rolling in the money ordeal... Stay tuned.  I will be breaking that down for you very, very soon!!

A few tips from your friendly neighborhood Hair Stylist

Coming down from the busiest month of the year, I just thought I would pass along some advice.  Here are a few random tips that your hairdresser may be too nice to share with you. Lucky for all of us... I'm not that nice :). Enjoy!!

1.  When you ask us to "hook you up", what you're really asking us to do is basically hand you money out of our own pocket.  Most of us are commission based, or self employed, which means... time = money.  Believe it or not, we are not making a killing off of you.  We paid $10,000-$20,000 for an education that we may or may not still be paying on.  We have overhead costs, continuing education costs, and someone had to pay for that color I am putting on your hair, and if it's not you, it's me!  We have to buy our shears, and pay to maintain them, we have to buy our own brushes, appliances, and product.  We have to pay to replace the clothes that we ruin with color almost every day, and to replace the bras, that after a few wears have hair stuck in them that you can never get out.  In other words, it's not free for us to come to work, so we certainly don't want to work for free.  We offer discounts and promotions when we can, but when we do give you a discount, graciously accept it, don't EXPECT it.

2.  So you're ready for a major change, but you don't want to lose any length, you don't want any layers, you don't want to do color or a perm, and you don't want your eyebrows waxed??? I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do for you then!  Go buy a new outfit.

3.  I CAN NOT give you 3 layers.  Well, I can, but I can also promise you won't like it.  You pick where you want your shortest layer, you pick where you want your length, and we blend from there.  Trust me, you don't want me to chop 3 layers into your hair.

4.  3 terms your hairdresser can't stand: die, pluck, and roots.  People die... You COLOR hair.  You PLUCK chickens, you TWEEZE eyebrows.  You have "regrowth" or, you just need to get your hair done, but ROOTS are for trees.  Know that your stylist is silently cringing if you use these words.

5.  I would rather fix your hair and have you happy, than for you to leave hating your hair because you're afraid to hurt my feelings.  It's not going to hurt my feelings if we tried something and you don't like it.  Anything is fixable.  We will figure it out!

6.  Hair doesn't fix itself.  One of the biggest complaints I hear from people in my chair is that they can never get their hair to look like It does when I do it.  Your hair will never look like it does when your hairdresser fixes it if you don't buy the products necessary to style it.  We don't recommend these products just to try to sell you something.  Once again, believe it or not, we're not making a killing off of the product either.  We are tryng to give you the tools to put in your tool box to make it easier for you!  Just like the house doesn't clean itself, your hair doesn't fix itself.  You have to do what it takes!

7.  If Pantene worked as well as the commercials say, all salons would carry it.  Don't ask me what you can buy from Walmart that will work.  I, personally, will not recommend anything from a discount or grocery store.  In fact, I don't even know what they carry!  And by the way, the only way to fix split ends is to trim them, all Pantene and other like products are doing is coating your hair in wax, causing more build up, which leads to less shine, and less volume.

8.  Just as I have the ability to brighten your day, you have the ability to brighten mine.  I have some of the best clients.  There have been plenty of days that they have completely turned my day around.  On the flip side of that, there have been a lot of days that have been ruined due to someone taking their bad day out on me.  Bottom line... We're people too!  But always remember, don't be mean to the girl with the scissors.  Unless you have eyes in the back of your head, you can't see what I'm doing back there ;).

9.  Don't call me on a Saturday, 2 hours before I get off, and expect me to be able to squeeze you in. Sometimes, I can.  But a lot of times, I just can't.  It's not always possible for me to stay late to get someone in just because they didn't plan ahead.  If it's that important that you get your hair done, plan ahead... We have to.

10.  The biggest compliment you can give me, is a referral.  If you love your hairdresser, assure that she stays in business, and spread her name around!