Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

c/cosmetologists

21

angelamurphy•1d ago

Pro tip: That salon visit in Savannah taught me a new foil technique

I was down in Savannah last month visiting family and stopped into a random salon for a trim. The stylist there showed me how she does her foils by folding them into tiny triangles instead of straight sections. I tried it on my last client and the color melted way smoother. Has anyone else tried a weird foil fold that actually worked better?

23

the_sage•2d ago

Switched from foil highlights to balayage after 8 years - here's what happened

I was a die-hard foil girl forever. Like, I refused to try anything else because I thought balayage was just lazy foils (you know, that whole 'it won't be as bright' argument). But last month I had this client who wanted that lived-in look and begged me to do freehand. So I caved. Did a full balayage on her level 6 base with some baby lights near the face. She left happy, but I was nervous. Fast forward 3 weeks - she came back for a root touch-up and it blended SO much better than foils would have. No harsh line, less processing time on her ends. I'm kind of embarrassed it took me this long to try it. Anyone else have a technique they swore off for years then finally gave in?

5

oliviabutler•4d ago

Warning: That $200 hot tool set on Amazon is a fire waiting to happen

I bought one of those cheap hot tool sets for $200 last month and the curling iron started smoking during a client's appointment. Has anyone else had a tool just give out like that on them?

1

lee.cora•4d ago

That whole dry cutting thing I was dead wrong about

I used to roll my eyes at the stylists who insisted on cutting hair dry. For 7 years I was strictly wet cutting everything and thought dry cutting was just a gimmick. Then I took a class 3 months ago at a salon in Portland where the instructor proved it with my own client. Her curls came out so much more balanced and she actually said 'this is the first cut in 5 years that I don't need to fix at home.' Has anyone else been converted to dry cutting after fighting it forever?

7

carr.luna•5d ago

Just overheard a new stylist say blowouts are 'just drying hair' and I had to walk away

I was grabbing a new bottle of shampoo from the back room and heard this fresh cosmo grad telling another new hire that blowouts are basically just drying hair with a brush. I had to bit my tongue so hard. Like girl, no. A proper blowout is about tension, sectioning, and knowing how to use that round brush to get volume and smoothness. I have been doing this for 7 years now and I still mess up the back crown sometimes if I rush. It made me realize how much stuff they don't teach in school anymore. My teachers drilled us on blowouts for weeks. Has anyone else noticed newer stylists skipping the basics because they think it's easy money?

7

the_riley•5d ago

Spent $160 on a pair of shears that were supposed to be "lifetime" and they chipped after 2 weeks

Bought some fancy Japanese shears from a booth at a trade show, thought I was investing in good gear. Now I'm back to my old $40 pair that's lasted 5 years, anyone else get burned by overpriced tools?

9

noraroberts•5d ago

I finally gave in and tried bond repair treatments after 8 years of thinking they were hype

I used to tell my chairs in Chicago that Olaplex was just expensive conditioner and there was no way it could fix broken disulfide bonds. Then my own hair started snapping off after too many balayage sessions and I grabbed a bottle out of desperation. Three weeks in and I'm actually seeing less breakage has anyone else had a product change their mind completely?

16

finleym37•9d ago

Tried that new bonding glue on a set of extensions and my hair turned into a sponge

I got a sample of some professional bond glue from a supplier in Dallas and figured I'd test it on a mannequin head first. Big mistake because the glue soaked into the hair fibers and made them all stiff and crinkly like a wet paper towel. After three tries with different drying times it still looked like a tangled mess of straw. Has anyone found a bonding glue that doesn't ruin the hair texture?

16

rowan_ross•10d ago

Had the worst Tuesday of my career - three clients in a row with botched box dye jobs

Last Tuesday I had three people come in back to back, all trying to fix their own dark box dye disasters. The last one was a lady from Cleveland who used a $5 kit from the drugstore and ended up with orange roots and black ends. I spent almost 2 hours just lifting the color without destroying her hair. Has anyone else had a day where it felt like everyone ruined their hair at home the same weekend?

20

quinn341•11d ago

That $200 color correction I did last week completely fried her hair

I had a client come in with box dye disaster she tried to fix herself, and after three rounds of color remover and a bleach bath her ends literally turned to mush. I ended up having to cut off 4 inches and refund half the service because I misjudged how damaged it was from the start. How do you guys test for porosity and elasticity without wasting product on hair that's already shot?

0

coleman.hannah•14d ago

Warning: what I saw at a cosmetology school in Columbus last week

I visited a friend who teaches at a beauty school in Columbus last Thursday and I was surprised by how many students were skipping the basic sanitation steps. Like they would grab a comb, use it on one mannequin, then just put it back in the drawer without cleaning it first. Has anyone else noticed this trend with newer stylists coming out of school?

16

jessica331•14d ago

Rant: That one week where every toner turned orange on me

I had this nightmare week back in March where I did 4 blonde clients and every single one of them pulled orange after toning. I used the same violet formulas I always use at the salon in Portland. Turned out the new batch of developer we got was old stock from a supplier mix up. Has anyone else had a bad batch of developer mess with their toner results?

13

faith27•15d ago

Saw a stylist in Miami using a flatiron on wet hair and it blew my mind

Watched her at a salon on Collins Avenue last month and her sections were bone straight in one pass with zero steam or sizzle, has anyone else tried that technique with a higher heat setting?

12

pat_harris•16d ago

Had a day last month where I did 8 haircuts back to back... then a day where I had 2 no-shows

Last Tuesday I booked 8 cuts between 10am and 6pm, finished every one on time, and walked out with $680. Then this past Wednesday I had two no-shows in a row, sat around for almost 3 hours, and made maybe $100 total. Do you guys find the feast-or-famine rhythm gets worse the longer you're in the chair, or does it smooth out once you build a solid regular base?

1

faith27•20d ago

Finally got my gloss application down after that disaster at the community center

I volunteer at a senior center over on 5th Street every third Saturday, and last month I offered to do a little gloss touch-up for one of the ladies there. Big mistake. The color came out patchy and uneven because I rushed the sectioning. I felt SO bad I went home and practiced on my mannequin head for like 4 hours straight that night. Found out I was missing the part where you really saturate the mid-lengths before the ends. This Saturday I tried it again on three different residents and every single one came out smooth and shiny. My hands were shaking less too. Has anyone else had a total failure in a public setting that forced you to relearn a basic technique?

5

joseph48•22d ago

Got told my blowouts were too puffy and had to rethink everything

Last month a regular named Mrs. Chen finally told me she hated how I did her hair. She said my blowouts made her head look like a basketball. At first I was mad but then I looked at photos and she was right. I was overfilling the sections and using way too much tension at the root. So I changed how I section and now I use smaller clips and focus on smoothing the midshaft more. Its been three weeks and Mrs. Chen actually complimented my last two blowouts. Has anyone else had a client drop a truth bomb on them like that?

7

robin896•22d ago

Vent: My flat iron vs my blow dryer for root volume

I spent 6 months using a round brush and dryer to lift roots on fine hair, then grabbed my flat iron on a whim last Tuesday and got way better volume in half the time. The flat iron just lifts right at the root without pulling the whole section flat. Has anyone else found a tool works completely opposite to what you thought for a specific technique?

7

finleym37•23d ago

Tired of clients who book balayage then ask for a full foil halfway through

Had a woman in Peoria last week change her mind mid-application and get mad when I quoted her the price difference. Anyone else dealing with people who don't understand what they booked for?

15

hannahj49•24d ago

That moment I realized I was using too much developer for 10 years

I've been doing hair for about 12 years now and it wasn't until 6 months ago that I figured out I was using way too much developer with my color. A new girl straight out of school named Jess was working next to me at the salon in Nashville and she asked why I was using a full bottle of 20 volume for a root touch up. She said her instructor taught her to measure with a scale instead of just eyeing it. I blew her off at first but then I weighed my color mixture and realized I was using almost double the amount of developer I actually needed. All those years of wasted product and weaker color payoff because I thought more liquid meant better coverage. Has anyone else had a junior stylist or assistant correct something you've been doing wrong forever?

4

kelly_rivera•27d ago

I was shocked to learn that over 60% of cosmetologists develop some kind of wrist pain within their first 5 years on the job.

Read that stat in a trade magazine last month and it made me wonder, how many of us are just ignoring the early warning signs until it gets bad?

17

gray314•27d ago

I finally stopped ignoring the pH balance thing after seeing the proof

Used to think pH balanced shampoo was just marketing fluff. Been doing hair for 8 years in Nashville and never paid attention. Then I read a study from a cosmetology journal my old instructor sent me. Turns out alkaline products above 7.0 can strip the cuticle layer permanently over time. I tested my own favorite clarifying shampoo with cheap strips from Amazon. It tested at 8.5. Blew my mind. Now I check everything before I put it on a client's head. Has anyone else actually tested their products and found something shocking?

-1

faith27•28d ago

Tried a 20 volume developer on my roots last week instead of 30

I usually use 30 volume to lift my dark roots, but I figured I'd test 20 volume to see if it would give a softer grow-out. It barely lifted at all, now I've got this weird orange band that I have to fix with a toner. Anyone else ever swap volumes and regret it instantly?

27

joseph_bailey•28d ago

Can we talk about how long it actually takes to fix a bad toner?

I had a client in Dallas last month who wanted silver but walked out looking green. Took me 3 color corrections and 6 hours to fix it. What's the longest you spent undoing a mistake?

14

mason.drew•29d ago

Tried Demi-permanent over permanent for a color correction last month... night and day difference

I spent 3 hours fixing a hot roots disaster on a client from Seattle after she used box dye, and the demi-permanent blend blended the line way smoother than my usual permanent formula would have. The result was so much more natural with zero banding, even on the second application. Anyone else switch between the two based on the situation or are you loyal to one type?

28

gray314•1mo ago

Tried a $12 paddle brush vs my $45 one - big difference in frizz control

I was at Target last Tuesday picking up some stuff and grabbed their cheap paddle brush on a whim. Used it on a client with super fine hair and the frizz was out of control like half way through the blowout. Switched back to my ol faithful Wet Brush Pro and it smoothed everything down no problem. That cheap one just couldn't grip the hair right at the roots no matter how I angled it. Anyone else notice a huge gap between budget brushes and mid range ones or is it just me?