How easy is it to get a bad haircut these days?  It seems like it’s become difficult to find a stylist who really knows what he/she is doing.  We’ve all spent hundreds of dollars testing out different hairstylists.  Save the money and take these into consideration before your next cut.

1. Always get a hair cut by referral, never by walk in.  Many of us will go into well-known commercialized salons like Toni and Guy or Vidal Sassoon because of the name, not the stylist.  When you go into a salon by walk in, they typically give you to the slowest stylist with the least experience.  Bad idea!  Ask a friend with an admirable hairstyle whom he or she gets their her hair cut by or even ask her to ask her stylist whom they go to.  The point is, never go by walk in!
   
   
2. A great stylist is like a tailor.  Every haircut is custom fit to your face shape, bone structure and facial features.  This is an important factor that many newer stylists ignore or have yet to be trained on.  Nobody wants a “one size fits all” haircut that looks like it was cut on a mannequin.  For example, a bob that works great on Victoria Beckham may need to be altered to complement your features.  Make sure you go to a stylist that understands this concept. 
   
   
3. Make sure your stylist is passionate about what he/she does.  Ask yourself if your stylist is more concerned about where the next party is and random gossip or what she is doing to your hair to make you look sexier than ever.  A stylist who truly cares about how you look and the quality of work they are doing won’t be talking too much since they are concentrating on their work.  Secondly, look for signs that they love what they do in their conversations with you.  Are they talking about a new technique they learned or even explaining what they’re doing to make you look your sexiest?  The sad reality is that being a hairstylist is nothing more than a 9-5 job for many.  Find one with passion!
   
   
4. Check the salon reviews on online directories like Yelp and Citysearch.  The beauty of user-genrated content is that you get real, honest reviews and recommendations.  If you don't know anyone who can recommend a great stylist, a couple mouse clicks and research can mean the difference between a disappointed client and a happy client who's confident with her new hair.

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written by Phil, July 17, 2008

Wouldn't a stylist aggregate website be awesome? Like what Rotten Tomatoes does with films and movie reviews, and Metacritic with films, books, albums, and others. Finding the perfect stylist can seem to last forever and is so tedious when you've just moved to a city and don't know anyone. I don't know how the demand for a website like that would be if it existed, or if enough interest can be generated to make such a thing a success. But, it would make life for some (me) so much better!

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