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Had to choose between a classic bob and a more modern shag for a long time client
So my regular client, Sarah, came in wanting a big change from her shoulder length hair. She was stuck between two ideas: a sharp, chin length classic bob or a textured, piecey shag with curtain bangs. I laid out the pros and cons for her. The bob is clean, low maintenance, and would frame her face well, but it's a very specific look. The shag is more trendy, adds a lot of movement, and grows out nicer, but needs more styling product and regular trims to keep the shape. I ended up steering her toward the shag because her hair has a natural wave and I felt the softer layers would work better with her texture. We used a lot of point cutting and thinning shears to get that lived in feel. She left super happy, but it got me thinking about how often we guide clients based on their lifestyle versus just the style picture they bring in. How do you all handle it when a client is torn between two very different cuts?
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kelly4705mo ago
That "lifestyle versus style picture" line hits home. I had a client bring in a photo of a perfect, sleek bob, but after asking the kind of questions @kim.abby mentioned, I found out she's a preschool teacher who air dries her hair. We went with a looser, textured lob instead. She texted me later saying it was the first cut she could actually make look like the picture. Asking about their real routine is the only way to avoid those disappointed follow up visits.
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campbell.thea6mo ago
Oh man, the "lifestyle versus style picture" thing is so real... I once talked a client into a cute pixie and then found out she was a competitive swimmer. That was a bad call on my part. She came back two weeks later with chlorine green hair and a look of pure betrayal. Now I ask way more questions, like "do you own a blow dryer" or "how often do you actually want to touch your hair." It saves everyone a lot of pain.
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skyler_patel6mo ago
My salon started a quick three question checklist after a similar mess. We ask about weekly workouts, if they swim, and their typical morning time crunch. It stopped us from giving a high maintenance balayage to a nurse who works twelve hour shifts. Now her lowlights grow out gracefully even after six months.
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kim.abby6mo ago
how often do you actually want to touch your hair" is the key question. I started asking that and "what's your real budget for upkeep" after a few disasters. It filters out the fantasy from the reality pretty fast.
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