The Experts Answer Your Top Hairstyling Questions
What’s your favorite part of a trip to the salon?
Maybe it’s the kicky rush of “girl time”...sharing tips, gossip, even “hair horror stories” with a roomful of friendly ladies.
Or maybe you just love the sheer decadent bliss of pampering your hair...giving it all the indulgence and special attention you know it deserves.
But for all that, there’s only one part of the salon experience you can’t find anywhere else:
THE STYLISTS!
“It’s always a thrill to watch a truly gifted hairstylist at work”
That’s right.
These trained professionals have logged years, sometimes even decades, behind the salon chair, tending to a galaxy of unique hair needs and concerns.
And helping hundreds of clients realize their personal hair fantasies has taught these artists more about styling, nurturing, and protecting your hair than any of us could even dream of!
That’s why, in our quest to always present you with the finest, freshest, most useful hairstyling tips and techniques…
...we decided to go right to the experts!
In this regular HAIR TALK series we’re calling “L’ANGE PRO TIPS,” we’re posing your most pressing hair-related questions to today’s top names in styling and hair care…
...so you can put all their skill, ingenuity, and wisdom to work for you!
We decided to start our series by asking these experts about the most basic salon procedure of all:
THE HAIRCUT
You might think there’s not that much to know on this subject. After all, it seems pretty straightforward. You tell the stylist how short you want your hair, they cut it. What else could there be to it besides that?
Plenty, as we found out when we spoke to these styling wizards.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
First of all, you want to consider what you want the stylist to achieve with your cut before you even walk into the salon.
Nelson Chan, a Beverly Hills stylist whose client roster includes Lady Gaga and Heather Graham, says “pictures, pictures, and more pictures” are the best way to make up your mind about what style to get.
Chan suggests trying on variously styled wigs at a wig shop, photographing the results, and sharing them on Facebook for reactions and suggestions.1
ASK YOURSELF: WHAT DON’T I WANT?
For Joseph DiMaggio, a session ambassador for sustainable-beauty brand Davines, it’s all about making it very clear to your stylist what does NOT work for your hair.
He says a quality stylist will always construct your new look around what you don’t want your hair to look like.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
According to our top stylists, the amount of time you allow to pass between haircuts is also crucial.
And they’ve got some different ideas about the appropriate window:
- Micki Charles, New York’s Red Door Salon: Wait up to to 10 weeks maximum for longer, lower-maintenance hair2
- Mia Silverio, Paul Labrecque Salon, Philadelphia: Schedule a cut every 4 to 6 weeks for “super-healthy” hair
- Charles Baker Strahan, Herbal Essences Celebrity Stylist: About every 10 weeks is necessary for getting rid of split ends...otherwise, your hair can’t grow
But for Jon Reyman, a prominent entertainment industry stylist and founder of the online salon tutorial program Salon Pro RX, 10 weeks might be even too soon...as long as your stylist really knows what they’re doing.3
According to Reyman, a good haircut should potentially be able to last up to 4 months without a touch-up.
“Your hairdresser should be able to manage length and density,” he says, and firmly believes that if you have to get your hair cut every six weeks, that’s “a sign of a not-good cut.”4
One thing the words of these master stylists makes very clear:
Even for a salon procedure as straightforward as a haircut, a touch of expert knowledge goes a long way in making sure your hair gets the most out of it...every time!
That’s why we’ll be regularly sharing “L’ANGE PRO TIPS” right here at HAIR TALK.
So, if you have a question or concern about your hair you’d like us to bring to the best hairstylists in the world…
...just send us a quick email, and keep watching this space…
...for information, advice, and special industry secrets so valuable, it’s the next best thing to having today’s top hairstyling geniuses right in your home!
CITATIONS
- “Interview with Nelson Chan- Hollywood Celebrity Hair Stylist.” Asian Fusion, 10 Aug. 2015, www.asian-fusion.com/1025/nelson-chan/.
- “Micki Charles (@mickicharles01) • Instagram Photos and Videos.” Instagram, www.instagram.com/mickicharles01/?hl=en.
- “About.” Jon Reyman, www.jonreyman.com/about/.
- Peng, Chelsea. “60 Epic Hair Tips, Tricks, and Secrets.” Marie Claire, Marie Claire, 29 Mar. 2018, www.marieclaire.com/beauty/tips/a12866/pro-hair-tips-youve-never-heard-before/.