Have you ever wondered what your hairdresser is itching to tell you while you’re in the chair?
Sitting in the stylist’s chair should be relaxing and enjoyable, so understanding how your hairdresser thinks will help you both out.
Sarah has lifted the lid on what she actually thought about her clientsCredit: Sarah
Hairdressers leave us looking and feeling amazing after every visit – plus, it’s like visiting a therapist with the in-depth, one-to-one chats you enjoy with your hairdresser.
So we asked the experts to share some hairdressing secrets with us.
From the no shows to unrealistic requests, here are the most annoying things customers do.
Hair stylist and founder of Stylebook Directory, Sarah Yorke, has all the info and insight into the hairdressing world.
With so much experience under her belt, she started up her own hair directory, alongside her hairdressing to help stylists, salons and trainee stylists showcase their hair portfolios.
She has worked in Manchester, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Bishop Auckland and so on.
But Sarah admitted there’s a number of things she’s usually thinking about when working on a client’s hair.
She said: “The usual things that I am thinking about whilst cutting hair are what sort of products the client has used in their hair.
“Also, whether they have cut their hair in-between hair appointments. My brain goes, ‘please put the scissors down!’
“If the hair quality is pretty appalling, I sometimes offer advice on how they can improve their hair – but that’s if they want to take it.”
The hair stylist also revealed that it’s not unusual for her mind to wander when working on a client’s hair – but that’s only because she’s on autopilot and been in the business for so long.
Sarah revealed sometimes she’s actually thinking about her dinner choices or even her weekend plans.
She confessed she cut hair on ‘autopilot’Credit: Alamy
The expert said: “Another is figuring out what I want to have for dinner as I can be quite indecisive with it!
“Since I have been cutting and styling hair for so long – now over 28 years – I’m sometimes on autopilot and my mind switches off.
“I also think about where to go on the weekend and how I sometimes can’t wait to finish work if it has been a long day and how exactly to spend my evenings.”
The hairdresser and founder of Stylebook Directory, which is a directory for clients, stylists and salons alike, also shared the seven most annoying things that customers sometimes do.
‘QUICK TRIM BRIGADE’
Sarah revealed one of the most annoying things is when the ‘quick trim brigade’ type of clients show up.
She explained that there’s no such thing as a quick trim so when customers expect this, it can be more challenging.
The expert said: “I’m always thinking, it takes time and precision to trim, even if it’s the simplest cut!”
CANCELLATIONS
Sarah added that another annoying thing is when customers are ‘no shows’ and do late cancellations.
She said: “These clients are wasting the hairdressers time by having us wait for you to show up.
“When really, you’ve failed to inform them and we could have booked in other reliable clients.”
WOBBLY HEAD PEOPLE
Not keeping your head in one place or moving it around when you’re in the process of cutting and colouring the hair, is an annoying thing some customers do, revealed Sarah.
The hairstylist explained that ‘wobbly head people’ are one of her pet peeves.
She said: “This one is honestly my pet peeve as hairdressers know all too well the mistakes that can be made if clients don’t listen to ‘head up, head down’ instructions!”
UNREALISTIC REQUESTS
Another thing that can be difficult is when customers have unrealistic requests.
Sarah said when customers come in and say something like, ‘I’m not after a colour, cut, layers or extensions, but I do want a new style’, it can be challenging.
She said: “This leaves us with little to no room for creativity.”
INSTANT COLOUR CORRECTION
Something else that can be annoying her hairdressers is when the customer wants instant colour correction work, added Sarah.
She said some people who have dark hair come in and want to go blonde in a day.
But in reality, this actually takes time, money and a lot of colouring.
Sarah explained: “It’s unattainable for a client with black hair to end up with blonde to grey hair until they book in for countless sessions.”
NOT TAKING ADVICE THEN COMPLAINING
Client not taking the professional advice of the hairdresser and complaining about it later, is another thing hairdressers can find annoying.
Complainers are a real bug bear of Sarah’sCredit: Alamy
Sarah explained: “We’re very knowledgeable beings when it comes to hair but we’re not psychics – although I wish we were sometimes!”
LEAVING HAPPY THEN PARTNER’S COMPLAINING
Similarly to the above point, Sarah explained that sometimes clients leave the salon happy, but when they return home, their partner doesn’t like their hair and complains.
She said this can be frustrating for the experts.
Sarah explained that hairdressers are professionals and while there are sometimes annoying things that can make their job more difficult, they love what they do and love making customers feel good by cutting, colouring or styling their hair.
Meanwhile, one woman was left in tears after getting a brush stuck in her hair after a hack gone wrong – and it took PLIERS to get it out.
Plus, experts are warning against social media trend that has seen women turn to thrush cream to treat bad dandruff.
And one beauty fan was left mortified after melting her face mask into her hair while styling it and being told she’d need to cut it out.
