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It is criminal how many people walk into a salon brimming with excitement over the anticipation of the new look that they will be having, and how many of these same people walk out in tears over their new look. Note, these are not tears of joy! Liaising with your stylist over your desired hairstyle is very much a two-way communication street that often fails somewhere along the lines - either from the stylists end, the customers end, or both.

You often hear stories where customers described one hairstyle to their stylist but it seems that the stylist heard something completely different. So to clear up this mass scale miscommunication, here are a few tips on how to communicate with your stylist:
One of the most effective forms of communication in such scenarios is the use of visual aids. What you may describe as a soft fringe may mean something completely different to someone else. So the best thing is to show your stylist pictures of the hairstyle that you would like. Even if the picture is not an exact match, you can still give the stylist a great idea of your taste.

It is just as important to point out pictures of hair styles that you do not like. Again, this allows your stylist to build a mental profile of your taste that they will bear in mind when they are cutting and styling your hair.

Another visual aid that is useful is to show the stylist with your hands how much you would like cut off. This is far better than saying that you want two inches off the length, as your hair may be the type that bounces up a lot when dry, and cutting off two inches may make it too short for your liking. Instead it is far better to show your stylist how short you would like your hair, and let them use their expertise to make the judgment call as to how much needs to actually be cut off.

Secondly, it sounds strange but, when you arrive at the salon, wear clothes that are typical to your dress sense. This is important as it also adds to the stylist building a mental profile of you and your taste. If your stylist sees your taste in fashion, he/she can make suggestions to your style that he/she thinks you may like and after cutting your hair, is more likely to finish your cut with a style that suits you and your taste.

Thirdly, if you have done all of the above and are not convinced that your stylist understands the hairstyle that you would like or, are feeling a bit nervous, why not ask your stylist to repeat what they are intending to do to your hair back to you? This way you can confirm whether or not they understand you or whether or not they have interpreted your descriptions correctly.

I guess a bad stylist is a bad stylist and no great communication techniques will change that but, I have faith that the majority of us are good, and will do justice to their skills if the problems surrounding miscommunication are improved.

Learn more about this author, Sumantha Dutta.
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