A woman seeking help from a hair specialist

The beauty industry has no shortage of talent, and it is saturated with creativity. There must be hundreds of thousands of self-proclaimed experts who can, in five minutes or less teach you everything you need to know about weaving, extensions and anything else about hair.

There are even more videos that will have you ditching your regular stylist and DIY at home!

There are always the few that will never try to DIY at home because they would instead seek the help of a salon professional. But with so much talent and creativity, how do you find the needle in the haystack?

With hundreds of thousands of YouTube experts and even more salons, weaving specialist and at home stylist, how do you find the right one for you? It can be an intimidating experience, to say the least.

Then there is that ultimate dreaded experience, you seek, you find, and you try your new stylist out. But to no avail, it is everything you hoped it wouldn’t be! Your ten o’clock appointment turns into an eleven o’clock. Your stylist vaguely talks to you about your service, so you are not sure that you will get what you want. And the one that hits the hardest is, the cleanliness in which the environment is kept is way below standard.

Another one for the books!

And the journey begins again… Your looking for a stylist that can accommodate your needs and create your vision, someone who asks the right questions and listens — someone who takes pride in their workspace as well as the work that they do. You already know this won’t be easy!

I often speak to the stylists in my blogs, but today, this message is for the clients.

5 WAYS TO FIND A STYLIST THAT IS A GOOD FIT FOR YOU:

1) FOLLOW THE REVIEWS- Although reviews can get tricky, in this time of technology, it is accessible to finagle the reviews and make them more favorable. However, even if the review is not complimentary, you may generally find a commonality like; the stylist is timely, or they arrived on time, or they are reliable. Don’t always look for the 5-star review; look for the overall analysis. What is continuously being emphasized throughout most of the reviews, even if it isn’t a headlining review. Reviews aren’t fool-proof, but they are a great start.

2) CONSULTATION- Don’t be shy, talk to your could be stylist to see if you guys are on the same accord. If your stylist doesn’t have time to talk to you then perhaps they are too busy for you, and that’s not a good sign. We get used to that instant gratification, click a button, fill out a form or book online. Unfortunately, that’s not always reality when it comes to hair, especially weaves and extensions. Request to designate time out of your busy schedule and the stylist to make sure you connect via phone or in-person if this is what it will take to build a level of confidence in that stylist.

3) DON’T LOOK FOR GLAM- This is a time when it is easy to critique a stylist based on how glamorous they appear. Again, media sensations would have you believe that a good stylist should be dolled up and dressed to the nine’s. This notion can be deceiving. Sometimes a stylist can be so consumed with their personal glamour that they neglect yours. In other words, “sometimes,” a great stylist doesn’t have to be a diva to do excellent work but, long nails, high heels, and glam can also be a distraction and intimidating to a client. Don’t judge your stylist by how flawless her appearance is. Some stylists, like myself, would prefer to shine the light on their clients and not themselves.

4) BE POLITE- Sometimes, clients develop anxiety after being on the disappointment end of things over and over again. It is still important to let your guard down when seeking a new stylist. Just like relationships that thrive, you must leave the old baggage behind. It is ok to talk about past experiences; it is not ok to use them as leverage. All parties involved should be open to the new experience as though it was the first.

5) BE ON TIME- Stylists are notorious for running late or in some cases not showing up at all! But you should not let that be you if you want to start on a positive note with your new stylist. Good vibes can be broken on both ends when this happens. We can’t always predict a traffic jam or an emergency but try to be on time, especially if it is your first time.

I hope I have been able to drop a few jewels for you guys on finding your next great Weavologist or Stylist!