A client in her 70s asked me for a full bleach and tone last week.

She said she wanted to look like she did at 25, but her hair was already so thin and dry. I mean, I did a deep conditioning treatment first and talked her into a softer honey blonde instead. How do you handle those requests when you know the client's hair can't take it?

4 comments

4 Comments

drew_jones312mo ago

Man, that's a tough spot... you ever get someone who's just set on an idea that would wreck their hair? I had a client with really damaged hair insist on platinum, and it took forever to explain how we could get a bright look without snapping it all off. You did right by her, even if she didn't see it at first. That deep condition first was smart.

the_paul1mo ago

Funny you mention that @the_thomas, because it reminds me of something that happened to my buddy a few years back. His girlfriend wanted to go from box dye black to bright red in one sitting and wouldn't listen to reason. He had to basically bribe her with a dinner out just to get her to agree to a test strand first. That strand snapped right off, like a dried out twig. She ended up crying and thanking him later, but man, that was a tense hour in the salon. Sometimes people just need to see the proof before they'll believe you.

the_thomas2mo ago

I used to just do what clients asked, but that "talked her into a softer honey blonde" approach is the real pro move. You saved her hair.

irisowens2mo ago

Talked her into" sounds like you're pushing your own taste. Sometimes clients actually know what they want.