6 Things Hairstylists Wish You’d Stop Doing Before Your Appointment

Have you ever shown up to your hair dye appointment with unwashed hair, thinking the dye will absorb better? This is one of the most prevalent myths hairstylists would like to debunk.

And there are other seemingly innocent behaviors that could inadvertently sabotage your service, too. We spoke to fivehairstylistsabout the things they wish you’d stop doing before your appointment.

1. Arriving with dirty hair for a hair-dyeing appointment.

For some reason this has become a commonly spread myth, and the hair stylists we spoke to wish it would die: Dirty hair doesn’t make it any easier to dye your hair.

“I have found that the dirtier or greasier my client’s hair is, it causes the lightener or color to be less effective,” said Nickie Alton, a master stylist at The Canyon Salon and Extension Bar in Westlake Village, California. “The dirty buildup on the hair acts as a barrier and makes it harder for product to penetrate through the hair cuticle.”

“In a perfect world, I wish all clients would come with freshly washed, dried and smoothed-out hair before their appointments. The more manageable the hair, the easier it is for us to work with — especially for color services,” agreed Dawna Jarvis, a former salon owner and master stylist based in Los Angeles.

Kristina Maccaro, a color specialist and owner at Love Lane Salon in New Jersey said thathair washed a day or two before is typically fine. However, “if your hair is overly dirty, like right after the gym or if you’ve already used a can of dry shampoo in it, and you are coming in for a color service like highlights or gray coverage, it can be an issue.”

“Dirty hair can make the hair appear darker, causing color misformulations,” she added.

If your hair is washed but not thoroughly dried, it can also be an issue if you have thick or long hair, as it can delay the process and the next client, according to Nikki Corzine, owner of The Canyon Salon and Extension Bar.

2. Showing up with freshly washed hair before a chemical treatment.

On the contrary, if you are coming in for a chemical treatment, like a relaxer, a perm or an on-scalp treatment, it’s best to avoid washing your hair right before your visit, as the chemicals can irritate your scalp.

“If you are coming in for any services that require an on-scalp lightener or highlighter (like a double process blond), do not wash your hair before! Stripping the natural oils from your hair before an intense service like that can cause a lot of discomfort,” Maccaro said.

“Clients’ most common mistake is shampooing their hair before a chemical service appointment,” said Petula Skeete, a hair stylistbased in New York. “People tend to want to come with clean hair not to embarrass themselves or for other reasons, but as stylists, we are not bothered by that. Come as you are.”

3. Showing up with tangled hair.

Brushing out tangles before your appointment is essential. “All clients should detangle their hair before arriving for their service,” Skeete said. “Tangled or product-laden hair can slow your process and add more time.”

“The more tamed your hair is, the easier the whole process will be,” Alton said, in a similar vein. “If you come into your hair appointment with your hair untamed, it will take up time to brush it all out, which could result in not getting your hair to your goal that day due to timing.”

Doing the prep work and removing tangles yourself can also help your stylist with other hair services. “This allows us to see the hair’s true length and helps with a more precise application, whether we’re doing color or installing extensions,” Corzine added.

4. Booking the wrong services when you’re unsure what you want.

This can create a huge issue with the salon’s ability to schedule and handle time management. For example, Skeete said that if you book a trim and end up needing a full haircut with a specific style in mind, it will delay other customers.

“I don’t think clients are the ones making communication mistakes,” she said.

“As professionals, it’s our job to ask the right questions and conduct thorough consultations to avoid miscommunication. I believe the responsibility for clear communication is on us as professionals — that’s what sets great salons apart from good ones,” she added. With that in mind, make sure you call the salon and ask questions before you book.

5. Not having reference photos for what you want (or don’t want).

Picking the latest trendy hairstyle doesn’t guarantee good results, as it may not suit your hair texture or face shape, said Skeete.

“I love when clients bring plenty of pictures — not just of colors they love, but even ones they don’t like. Both are very helpful,” Jarvis said.

“Don’t try to speak hair lingo,” Maccaro noted. “If you have reference photos of yourself, it’s even better! If not, look for celebrities/models/photos of people that have similar skin tone, natural hair color and facial features as you.”

6. Lying about at-home experiments and not disclosing previous treatments.

This includes dyeing your hair at home or even doing your own chemical treatments, especially if you don’t have a go-to stylist that you visit regularly and who knows what products have been used on your hair.

“If you have used henna or chemical straighteners in your hair, your hairstylist needs to approach color services with extra care. Not sharing your hair history can cause avoidable damage,” Maccaro said.

The same goes for chemical products. “Clients doing their chemical service can cause issues and damage,” Skeete said. “A client may want to get something done at home to reduce the cost, but end up creating more damage to their hair than necessary.”

“At-home experiments make our jobs harder because we’re working blind,” Corzine said. “Many people don’t realize that correcting home hair experiments often becomes more expensive than if they’d visited the salon in the first place.”

Alton also said it’s important not to cause unnecessary damage with products at home. “This is especially the case with drugstore hair colors, like box dye and box bleach. As a hairstylist, I will never recommend coloring your hair at home, as many things can go wrong, sometimes not reversible,” Alton added.

In short, coming in with freshly washed, dried and smoothed-out hair is the top priority (unless you’re doing a chemical treatment). Be honest about previous treatments and come with many reference photos for what you want and don’t want. When in doubt, always communicate clearly with your stylist.