Clients who bring in a photo of themselves from 2007 and expect me to match it exactly

I had a woman sit in my chair last Tuesday in Nashville, showed me a grainy phone pic of herself from like 17 years ago with bright copper red hair. She kept saying 'this is my natural color, just freshen it up.' Ma'am, you are now salt and pepper gray at the roots, that copper is not coming back without a triple process and a ton of damage. I tried to explain that hair texture and porosity change over time, especially after years of box dye. She got huffy and said I was just trying to upsell her. I ended up doing a demi permanent gloss just to give her some warmth without committing to the full strip and color. She left happy but I knew she was still thinking about that old photo. Anyone else have clients who refuse to believe their hair changed in a decade?

3 comments

3 Comments

martin.riley1mo ago

Is it possible your client was dealing with something deeper than just hair, like maybe she lost someone in that timeframe or that photo was taken during a time in her life she really misses? I've had a few people sit in my chair and it hit me halfway through that they weren't really mad at me, they were mad that time moved on without their permission. The stubbornness about the old color might not be about the actual shade, it could be about clinging to the version of themselves that existed back then. That photo might be the last time they felt confident or happy or young. It doesn't excuse the attitude but it does explain why no amount of science talk about porosity ever gets through to them. Sometimes we're just the first person to tell them a hard truth about getting older and they shoot the messenger.

james_bell1mo ago

Feel your pain, some folks just can't let go of the past.

troy_price1mo ago

Man, @james_bell hit it right on the head there. But what I wonder is, how do you even tell the difference between a client who's just being picky and one who's actually grieving something from that time in their life? Doesn't make the job easier either way, but knowing which one you're dealing with changes how you handle it.