Booking a consultation appointment in person can seem time consuming and annoying. We live in a day and age where we want everything as soon as possible. Here's 5 reasons why booking an appointment to meet your stylist and talk about your hair goals can be a huge game changer:
1) You won't be rushed for your first appointment since your stylist knows exactly what you need. Have you arrived at your first appointment that you booked over the phone or online, but then you have to explain to the stylist while you are in their chair what exactly you want. Maybe you accidentally booked the wrong thing, or they didn't understand you needed more time because you had more hair than expected and you are being rushed out the door with damp hair or a style you didn't even want. We will take the time to look over photos, discuss your past hair history, and your future hair goals so that we can get you there the best way possible.
2) You aren't surprised by how long it takes, or how much it costs. Have you ever booked an appointment and looked at the salon's "starts at prices" and didn't realize that with all you really needed your highlights would indeed not be $150, but $450 and take 5+ hours? Highlights are not "just highlights" anymore, there are special details, patterns, and custom ways to color dimension into hair. You want a stylist that is well trained and constantly pursuing the latest education.
3) You may not want what you think you want. Have you ever made an emotional decision to have dark brown thrown over your beautiful blonde hair, and then instantly regretted it? Now you have to go through having brassy orange hair to start slowly getting back to your blonde and it feels dry and unhealthy? A good stylist will find out if you are probably going to regret the decision before they give you what you want, preventing you from hating your hair for years to come. Yes some decisions take 4-6 YEARS to grow out if you like long hair.
4) You understand exactly what future appointments will involve to maintain your look. Will you need a toner and a trim between blonding appts? How much will your maintenance blonding or toner appts cost?
5) You understand exactly how to keep your hair healthy. If you've ever gone to get a chemical peel you probably understand the importance of aftercare. your skin may look beautiful when you leave, but it will look twice as bad if you don't use the recommended moisturizers and uv protectants. The same principle applies for your hair. If you don't use the recommended products that your stylist recommends to keep your hair moisturized and soft after chemically processing it, you will look amazing leaving the salon and find that later your hair feels dry and brittle. You can ask if your stylist offers a color "warranty" or "guarantee" for the tone of the color if you buy the recommended after care products from them up to a certain amount of time past the service.
Hopefully you find this helpful if you feel like consultations are a pain. It is an extra step, but if you wouldn't go for a medical procedure without first seeking a thorough in person consultation, why would you trust someone with your hair immediately? Consultations with less experienced stylists will likely be free, but consultations with an experienced and full booked stylist will likely cost money.