Moving away from your hometown can be tough for many different reasons; missing your loved ones, building a new routine, creating a new group of friends and colleagues… These can all be thrilling, exciting experiences – but one of them doesn’t leave room for trial and error: finding a new hairdresser. So, how do you find a new hair guru to take care of your tresses? Let’s find out together.
Research, Research, Research.
Finding a new hairdresser nowadays doesn’t have to be a door-to-door activity (thankfully), so you can start the process in the comfort of your own home, using your phone or laptop or any device that allows you to surf the net and scroll on social media platforms. Using keywords such as “hair salon” or “hair salons near me” or “best hair salon in…” can work wonders. Social media can provide insightful content to give you an idea of what a stylist’s job looks like, what kind of products they use, what the salon per se looks like, their location, and more – so you can work out your commute, see their skills on video, etc.
Read Online Reviews.
Reading online reviews can be incredibly helpful, but only if they are genuine. Usually fake reviews are quite obvious, but if you’re unsure you can always look for some of the most common “green flags” in a review. First, check the name: generic names or strings of numbers and letters that seem too random to be remembered by a human being may belong to a bot or a spam account paid to write a fake review. Check if their account has left other reviews on other services and look for comments that generally sound “human” and not constructed.
Check Their Website.
Nowadays most hair salons don’t rely on a website, especially if it’s a small business. However, if you’ve got your eyes on a hair salon in particular and they do have a web page dedicated to their business, make sure you go and check it out. This can provide you with additional useful info such as their price list, and give you access to an online booking service.
Go And Visit In Person.
Sometimes it really comes down to the most obvious solution; there is nothing like going to say hi in person! Going to visit a salon can be a great way to do an initial vibe check. You may need to book a consultation first, which is usually free of charge in most places. This way you can take your time to ask questions, have a look around and simply have a hands-on experience of the general feeling of the hair salon. There are many things that can make your journey in a hair salon more pleasant and comfortable, such as: are they offering you a coffee on your visit? Do they have your favourite brands in their salon? Does the staff look happy? Do they sound passionate about their job? Are they being honest with you during the consultation?
A good hairdresser’s goal isn’t to sell you a product or to make you go for an expensive treatment if it ends up not being what you need, resulting in you never going back; therefore, if the shade you want isn’t suitable for your hair’s current conditions, don’t get discouraged if your selected hairdresser says no. Instead, try hearing someone else’s opinion if you’d like, and ultimately discuss the best strategy together.
Also, certain hair stylists may not feel confident enough to replicate a specific haircut you’re proposing. Respect their honesty and find if there is one of their colleagues that can help you with that, or explore different ideas with their assistance!
Ask As Many Questions As You Can.
When you go and visit a hair salon, make note of the most important questions you may have. Are they experienced in handling and treating human hair extensions? Do they know colour theory and which shades might suit you best? You may also want to inquire about their area of expertise, depending on the type of service you’ll be requiring. From colour technicians to avant-gardist haircut professionals, usually hair salons have a roster of hair experts that have specialised or are in the process of specialising in one specific area – may it be colouring techniques, blonde shades, haircuts, long hair care, hair extensions, styling or bridal hairdos.
Conclusion:
Finding a new hair salon can be a challenge, especially if you’ve experienced some unpleasant treatments in the past, or if you know the pain of a botched haircut. Take your time to thoroughly research the salons in your area, pop in to say hello, or – why not? – simply ask around, especially if you spot one of the locals with a gorgeous blowout or a fresh new haircut.
