Some people love going to the hairdresser while others dread it. How can you make the most of your visit and achieve the best possible look? Stylists share their tips for getting a cut that suits you – and avoiding a hairdo disaster.
Work out what styles suit you
This is “the million-dollar question, with no straightforward answer”, says Charlotte Mensah, an afro and curly hair specialist and founder of The Hair Lounge on Portobello Road in London. “The truth is, the best style for you will always come down to how you feel about yourself. That’s inescapable. Confidence is what allows you to wear any cut proudly, but there’s also nothing wrong with letting your face shape and features guide your choice.”
“There are a few things to take into consideration,” agrees Naomi Brooks, an independent stylist and former salon owner based in Manchester. “Your hair type: is your hair fine? Medium? Thick? Face shape: do you need something that frames your face, or takes your hair away from your face? And lifestyle: do you have the time to maintain certain hairstyles, or do you need something that’s easy and low maintenance?”
“I don’t subscribe to this idea about face shapes: you can have this because your face is like that, and you can’t have that,” says Luke Hersheson, the CEO of Hershesons and author of Great Hair Days: & How to Have Them. “I’m a big believer that everyone can have everything within reason: there is a bob, a short haircut, a long haircut for everyone.”
Be honest with yourself about what you can pull off
“Suitability is key,” says Cos Sakkas, global creative director of Toni & Guy and British Hairdresser of the Year 2024. “You might want something but, if it doesn’t work for you, it is going to look terrible.” When Sakkas meets new clients, he finds out about their life to figure out which styles are best. When not in the Toni & Guy Covent Garden salon, Sakkas teaches at the academy, where they are currently cutting a lot of bobs and mullets – luckily, the models can usually pull these off, whereas many of us might struggle with the latter.
Have a consultation before doing anything drastic
“A thorough consultation is essential when finding the right stylist,” says Mensah. “Use it to ask about their training, whether the style you want is high or low maintenance, and what aftercare and follow-up visits they recommend.”
“When I do a consultation,” says Hersheson, “I spend the first five to 10 minutes just listening and asking questions. If you feel really listened to before a hairdresser starts telling you what they think, that is a really good sign. Our job is to offer an opinion about what people should have. But you can’t offer an opinion until you have really understood how someone wears their hair, what they love about it, what they hate about it.”
Bring along visuals
Gone are the days of flicking through hair magazines at a salon – now it’s all about coming armed with images from Instagram, says Sakkas. “What is really important are visuals,” he says. “I will always ask, ‘Have you seen something you’ve been inspired by?’ Everybody sees a celebrity, model, or influencer who they love.” Sakkas stresses the importance of bringing pictures along to an appointment, recalling a client who asked for a Natalie Imbruglia look without showing a picture: he gave her a pixie crop, rather than the more mid-length style she had in mind. Luckily, it grew on her.
“My advice is to build up a Pinterest board of things you like,” says Hersheson. Then, “I’d seek out great people who can help achieve that. You now have this amazing ability to seek out stylists and almost try before you buy, because you can see their work on social media. It means that, by the time you get into a chair, you feel more relaxed because you know they are talking your language.”
Hersheson adds: “You don’t want to feel like a hairdresser is snooty about looking at pictures. This would be a bit of a red flag. Imagery is really important because one person’s creamy blond is another person’s yellow, and one person’s layer is another person’s shag.”
Get to know your stylist
“I’ve got clients who have been with me longer than I’ve had children,” says Mensah, whose eldest is 33. “You can spend four hours at a time in that chair: you need to like the person doing your hair, and feel comfortable enough to be open with them. That rapport is everything.”
“I think big [hair] changes reflect big changes in an individual’s life or relationship,” says Sakkas. “I will ask: what has made you come to this decision? Once I have an understanding of that, I am able to relate with them more.” Rather than making polite conversation about holidays during a cut, Sakkas likes to explain to clients what he is doing.
Hersheson regularly cuts the hair of some very famous people, including Victoria Beckham, Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley. Does he ever get nervous? “A lot of the people I work with, I’ve had long relationships with, so I suppose it’s about building trust. When you work with someone for the first time, it’s a bit more daunting. You have to build that relationship.”
If a hairdresser tries to talk you out of something, listen
“The most common thing I have to talk people out of, or rather provide another perspective on, is the big chop,” says Mensah. “A lot of people don’t have healthy hair, and the most radical but logical solution is often to cut your hair off. But that is simply not a decision you make on a whim. If someone books in for a wash, cut and blowdry, but decides to go for a big chop after five minutes in the salon, we need to have a conversation. It’s not to discourage them but to be sure this is the decision they want to make.”
“Most of the time, I have to talk people into it,” Sakkas says with a laugh. “I will never talk somebody out of having a restyle unless it’s going to be an absolute disaster.”
“If it’s not going to be good for the hair, I’ll refuse,” says Brooks. “We’re all about healthy hair and, if it’s going to compromise that, I won’t do it.”
Say if you don’t like looking in the mirror
If you can’t bear looking at your reflection during an appointment, you are not alone. “Let your stylist know,” says Sakkas. “They can move your chair so you don’t have to look at yourself.” Alternatively, bring a book, listen to a podcast “or even just close your eyes, relax and let us do all the work. A haircut should feel like self-care, not something uncomfortable and awkward”.
Don’t be afraid to go back if you aren’t happy
It takes time to get used to a new haircut, the stylists agree. “It can take a few days or even a week for your brain to adjust to a new look after a dramatic change,” says Mensah. If you still aren’t happy, “contact the salon to speak with your stylist or a manager about the issue,” she says: most salons will be happy to arrange for a complimentary adjustment.
“What I find is that a client will decide to go elsewhere because they’re too embarrassed to come back,” says Sakkas. “You dump a problem on another hairdresser. If you were to go back to your hairdresser, it might just need a tiny tweak,” like a bit of weight being taken out or some advice on how to finish it. “Generally, the unhappiness is because you’re not used to it, and it can be fixed really easily.”
“The worst thing that someone could do is go and slate that stylist on Google,” says Hersheson. “And that happens, unfortunately.” Instead: “Always go back and discuss it,” he says.
Embrace greys
Hair changes as we become older: “It is simply a part of the aging process,” says Mensah. “The way I deal with greys is by wearing them. They came out of my head after all; what else can I do, if not embrace them?”
Grey is now a massive trend, says Brooks; instead of spending a fortune on covering them up, people are “free to be who they are”.
If you do want to delve into colouring, “think about what suits your skin tone, your lifestyle, your personal style,” says Mensah. “Colour should feel like an extension of your story. It’s not just about following trends, it’s about finding shades that empower you.”
Be prepared to put the work in between cuts
“Taking care of your hair at home is just as important as what happens in the salon,” says Mensah. “Think of your routine as an extension of the work your stylist has set in motion. Without it, you won’t see the same lasting results. For afro and textured hair especially, consistency is everything; keeping your strands hydrated, protecting them at night, and handling them gently are the pillars of healthy hair. What I do in the chair lays the foundation, but what you do day to day is what allows your hair to truly flourish.”
“Invest in good shampoos and conditioners,” says Hersheson. “You get what you pay for and a lot of the cheaper ranges are very cosmetic based: they have cheap silicones in them that are not particularly beneficial in the long term. I would invest in good-quality stuff.” How much should you be spending? “North of £20, unfortunately,” says Hersheson.
Make sure you don’t leave it too long to get a tidy up. “Six to eight weeks has been the traditional period between visits,” says Sakkas. “If you have a shorter haircut, then six to eight weeks sits perfectly. If you have a really short crop, six to eight weeks can make a big difference to the original style. If you have longer hair, you can get away with eight to 10 weeks.”
There is no shame in having the same style if it works
“I haven’t changed my hair in the last six years. I’ve been wearing it natural and fully embracing my texture,” says Mensah.
“When you have a length that works for you, there are so many different variations,” says Sakkas. “You can create three or four different styles, depending on your mood, how professional or how ‘Sunday afternoon’ you want it.”
“Beyoncé has had the same shade and pretty much the same style throughout her career,” says Brooks. “Some people do just have that signature look and that is OK: it is about enhancing that with different things, like a pop of colour, or changing the layers slightly.”
Know that even the pros have made mistakes
“When I started hairdressing,” says Sakkas, “I had hair past my shoulders, and then I got it cut into a short crop and bleached it. I’m not sure it was really right for me.”
“Back in the late 80s and early 90s, I experimented with all sorts of crazy hairstyles,” admits Mensah. “One that stands out was a cut where the back of my head was shaved, and the rest was coloured orange and shaped into a bob – very Salt-N-Pepa-inspired. My father was convinced there was something wrong with me.”
Hersheson recalls having a spiky boyband-inspired look in the noughties. “These things feel right in the moment,” he says. And, if not, it will almost always grow back.