At some point or another, every little girl goes through a stage where she believes that she wants to be a hairdresser when she grows up – the thought of playing with people’s hair all day and using all those cool hair products and expensive styling tools, what fun! For many that dream fades away as they grow up and they pursue other careers in completely unrelated areas. Others though hold on to their dream and when high school is over begin to look for great beauty schools instead heading off to a boring academic college.
These beauty schools do a great job of teaching them all the basics they need to become great stylists and fulfill their career aspirations but once they get out into the world they quickly find that there is a big part of their everyday working life that is more difficult to deal with most days than even the most complex cut and color job – the clients.
My hairdresser is also my friend (I’m so lucky) so I do get a bit of extra insight into just what the life of a hairstylist is all about and a lot of it seems involves biting your tongue so hard that it bleeds, trying to avoid saying to clients what they really want to say! Don’t know what I mean? According to my stylist friend these are the top five things he wishes he could say to a client but knows he just can’t (and still keep his job)
- I’m a hairstylist, not a miracle worker - Sure I can give you a haircut just like Giselle’s or Miranda’s but what I cannot do is give you their face or their figure so please try to be happy with your own and don’t expect that I can turn you into a supermodel clone with a simple haircut.
- Please respect my schedule - If you were running late for a dentists appointment you would call ahead and warn them, so can you please give me the same respect when you are running late for our appointment and give the salon a quick call instead of just showing up fifteen minutes late and getting mad when you have to wait until I am finished with the client who was early for hers?
- Please Tip My Shampoo Girl - She works hard too and deserves at least a dollar or two.
- Beauty School Taught Me to Do Hair, Not How to be a Psychologist - We stylists love to listen to our clients but all we really have is a pair of scissors and an opinion. Please don’t ask us to make life decisions for you – especially since you may very well blame us for the wrong outcome!
- Please Don’t Complain about the Price of a Kids Haircut - Kids are tough to deal with in the chair. They bite, they scream, they kick and they wriggle and they are an awful lot of work!


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