c/cosmetologists

Stopped in at an old salon in my hometown... felt like a time capsule

Was back in Springfield last weekend and popped into the shop where I first learned to cut hair 20 years ago. They still had the same metal rolling carts and those old clunky hair dryers from the 90s... the ones that sound like a jet engine. The owner told me she hasn't changed a thing because "if it works, why fix it?" but I noticed she was still using those giant perm rods from back when perms were huge. Made me wonder how many of you still use any of the old equipment or techniques from when you started out?

Called BS on keratin treatments for months. Now I'm eating my words.

Kept telling clients those smoothing treatments were a scam. Too many chemicals, too expensive. Then my curly-haired regular cried over frizz one Tuesday. She begged me to try one. Did a mid-tier brand, not the cheap stuff. $180 later her hair looked like glass. Zero frizz for 8 weeks. She tipped me $50. I have three others booked now. Anyone else eat their words on a product?

Had a terrible Saturday that completely changed my foil technique

Two weeks ago I was doing highlights for a wedding party bridesmaid in Dallas and my foils kept slipping and sliding no matter what I did. I was so frustrated I almost just told her I couldn't finish the job. Then another stylist in the salon handed me a $5 bottle of texture spray and said try this first. I sprayed her dry hair lightly before sectioning and the foils stayed put like magic the rest of the job. Has anyone else found a weird little trick that saved their whole day?

Dropped a whole tray of foils mid-application at a wedding party last Saturday in Austin...

I was trying to work fast on a bride and her 6 bridesmaids when I bumped the tray and foils went everywhere, so I had to quickly re-section and start over while the bride just stared at me - has anyone else had a total setup fail in the middle of a big group booking and how did you recover without losing the client?

Tried using purple shampoo on my blonde client's hair after a toner fade and it turned her ends green instead of brassy

So I had this client come in last Tuesday, she's been coming to me for about 6 months now. Her toner faded after 4 weeks which is normal for her hair type. I've always used purple shampoo to stretch out the time between toners and it works fine. But this time I tried something different - I applied the purple shampoo dry before washing, let it sit for 10 minutes. Big mistake. The ends went like a pale greenish color. Not full swamp green but enough that she noticed in the mirror and got upset. I had to do a quick faded blue toner to cancel it out and that worked thank goodness. So here's my debate with myself now - was the dry application the problem? Or was it her specific hair porosity? She's got high lift blonde with some old highlights underneath. I'm wondering if I should have checked her porosity first. Has anyone else had purple shampoo turn green on them? And if so what did you do to fix it?

Warning: That $60 purple shampoo ruined my highlights

I bought this super pricey purple shampoo from a salon boutique downtown thinking it would make my blonde pops brighter. Used it three times last week and it left a weird lilac tint on my foils that I still haven't fixed. Now I'm out $60 and have to do a toner treatment to get rid of it. Anyone else regret splurging on a hyped up product?

Showerthought: Wetting hair before applying bleach actually helped my foils lay flat

I’d been fighting with flyaways and uneven sections for like 3 years, especially on this one client with super fine hair. Tried a spray bottle with just water before the bleach mix last Thursday and it made a huge difference. The foils didn’t slide around and the lightener processed way more even. Has anyone else tried this or am I late to the party?

Client told me my highlights were "too stripey" and I changed my whole technique

I had a regular come in last month and she flat out said my foils looked like zebra stripes. It stung a bit but she was right. I was weaving sections too thick and not alternating the pattern enough. Watched a few videos from a stylist in Austin who does babylights and started doing finer sections with a V pattern instead. Next time she came in she said it looked way more natural. Anybody else get feedback that totally changed how you do a service?

Debate: Did that $200 keratin treatment save my hair or ruin it?

I dropped $200 on a professional keratin treatment about 6 months ago. For the first month, my hair was silky smooth and frizz-free, it felt like a miracle. But then the buildup started making my roots look greasy after just one day, and I think it actually dried out my ends over time. My friend swears by hers and gets touch-ups every 3 months, but I'm scared to try again. Has anyone else had mixed results with keratin, or did I just get a bad formula?

Hit 500 client sessions last month. Completely fried my hands.

I didn't track it until last week. 500 services in 31 days. My right wrist started clicking on Tuesday. Anyone else keep a hard cap on appointments per week?

Torn between asking for a higher commission split or keeping clients that tip well

I've been cleaning houses for about 5 years now, but I also do some cosmetology work on the side for friends and family. At my salon booth rental, I'm trying to decide if I should ask the owner for a higher commission split on products I sell, since I bring in a lot of repeat customers. Or should I just keep the clients who tip me generously and not rock the boat? The split is 60/40 right now, which feels fair but not great. What did you guys pick when you faced this choice? Go for the better split or stick with the tippers?

Changed my mind about using those cheap Amazon shears

I was at a hair show in Columbus last month and overheard a stylist say she ruined her client's hair with a $15 pair of shears that chipped mid-cut, and she had to pay $200 for a fix. She said cheap steel creates micro-fractures that snap under pressure, but I didn't believe it until I saw the damage she showed on her phone. Has anyone else had a pair of budget shears let them down like that?

Appreciation post: my Saturday client at Hair by Design

Last Saturday I had a woman in her 60s come in for a root touch-up, and she told me she'd been coloring her own hair for 2 years because she thought salons were too expensive. She finally came in after her daughter insisted, and she said she felt like a new person. It hit me different because she paid $65 for a service that took 45 minutes and said it was the best money she'd spent all year. Made me wonder how many people out there are avoiding professional help just because they assume pricing is out of reach?

Bleach disaster at a wedding last Saturday changed my whole approach

The bride wanted icy platinum but her hair was box-dyed black - I lifted too fast and got orange splotches. Now I always do a strand test first no matter what the client says. Any of you had a color meltdown that taught you a hard lesson?

Pro tip: stop overworking the bleach on fine hair

I was watching a girl at my station last week fry her client's hair because she kept checking the bleach every 5 minutes and reapplying more. Fine hair processes way faster than you think, usually done in 20-25 minutes max with 20 volume developer. Her client ended up with gummy strands and I wanted to say something but didn't want to step on toes. Anyone else see new stylists making this mistake with fine hair?

I had a client call me out on my blow-dry technique last week

So I'm doing a full blowout on this regular of mine, right? And she just casually says 'you always start at the nape, but my last stylist would do the crown first and my roots stayed voluminous way longer.' I was kinda defensive at first (nobody likes being critiqued mid-service) but then I tried her method on the next three clients. Honestly the lift at the crown is so much better when you start there while the hair is still really wet and heavy. Has anyone else experimented with changing up their sectioning order for better root volume?

Serious question, was last Saturday the best or worst day of my career?

I had 4 clients cancel and then a bride walk in with a photo of a haircut that I'd never done before, all in the same day. Has anyone else had a shift that flipped from terrible to great so fast?

Decided to try that new hair oil everyone's been hyping up

I was super skeptical about argan oil treatments for months, figured it was just another overpriced bottles with fancy labels. Then a client with the driest ends I've ever seen came back after using it for 3 weeks and her hair felt legit soft and shiny. Has anyone else had a product they doubted actually work out better than expected?

Had the worst client day of my career last Wednesday. Just awful.

Started with a perm that barely took on one woman because her hair had too much buildup. Then a color correction where the previous stylist used black box dye and it pulled green. Third client of the day canceled 10 minutes before her appointment. My last client wanted a precision bob and I was so rattled by then I cut one side a quarter inch too short. Total lost money for the day was around $240 in cancellations and fixes. Has anyone else had a day that snowballed like that or was this just my bad luck?

Hit 1k salon clients and realized I was wrong about loyalty programs

I hit 1,000 clients in my chair last month here in Denver and honestly it made me rethink the whole loyalty card thing. Everyone pushes those stamp cards or punch deals but I never offered them and my retention is still solid. Most of my regulars keep coming back because I remember their favorite color formula not because they get a free haircut every 10th visit. Has anyone else skipped the rewards system and felt fine about it?

Pro tip: Saw a huge difference in my balayage after switching toners.

Used Wella Color Charm for years then tried Redken Shades EQ. My blondes stayed cool way longer, like 2 extra weeks. Anyone else notice a big shift with a toner swap?

Bought a $400 hot comb and it ruined my client's hair

Splurged on that fancy ceramic tourmaline comb everyone raves about. First use left scorch marks and a chemical smell. Now my client needs a trim and I'm back to my old $30 model. Anyone else have a tool that was hyped but flopped bad?

Wasted $150 on a fancy hair color training kit that was basically a scam

Everyone swears by those high-end hair oils but I got better results with plain coconut oil from the grocery store.

After my ends turned crispy from a $45 argan oil blend, I tried $6 coconut oil as a deep treatment and my hair actually stopped breaking. Has anyone else had better luck with kitchen staples over salon products?

Heard a client say silicone-based primers are killing long-wear makeup - anyone else split on this?

I was doing a bridal trial yesterday and the bride said she read online that silicone primers break down foundation after 8 hours. I've been using a silicone primer for years and my makeup stays put through 12 hour shifts. But then I thought about it, some of my clients with oily skin do seem to have their makeup slide off faster when I use a silicone base. I've also tried water-based primers on a few girls and the wear time was way longer on them. Is this a real thing or just another internet myth? I'd love to hear what other stylists are seeing on their chairs.