c/cosmetologists

Used to roll my perms in 2 inch sections, now I do 1 inch for tight curls

I swear, when I first started out in beauty school back in 2018, I was doing perms with these huge sections like 2 inches wide. The curls came out loose and wavy, not what the client wanted at all. Then I worked under this older cosmetologist in Tulsa who showed me her method of doing 1 inch sections with smaller rods. Now I get super tight ringlets that last twice as long. Has anyone else had a lightbulb moment like that where a simple change in technique changed everything?

2 comments

the_derek•1d ago

Tried air-drying client hair vs using my diffuser attachment

I tested air-drying on two clients with similar 3A curls last week and the diffuser gave way more volume and less frizz every time. Has anyone found a way to make air-drying work better for curly hair without it turning into a mess?

2 comments

hugomurray•1d ago

That Wednesday at Shear Bliss was my worst day in 7 years

I had three color corrections back to back and the last one was a box dye disaster that took 6 hours to fix. What's the worst single client mess you've ever inherited?

2 comments

mila_brown10•2d ago

My blow dryer ate a piece of my client's hair and I almost lost it

Last Thursday I was doing a final blowout for a regular client, Sarah, and my round brush got tangled in the back section near her crown. I tried to pull the brush out but it just sucked more hair into the vent. Her hair started wrapping around the barrel and I had to shut the dryer off real quick. I ended up cutting off a tiny bit of her hair to free it, maybe half an inch, and she was super chill about it thankfully. After she left I took apart the filter and found it was clogged with lint from months of neglect. I cleaned everything out with an old toothbrush and now it runs way cooler and quieter. Anyone else had a dryer grab hair like that or am I just unlucky?

2 comments

elliot_johnson31•3d ago

Had a client tell me my highlights looked a bit muddy around her roots, and after really looking I realized I was pulling my sections too wide and the color was bleeding way more than I thought.

She was nice about it, but it stung because she was right, so now I keep all my sectioning to under a quarter inch and I have not had that complaint since, has anyone else had to shrink their sections after a rough critique?

2 comments

alice89•3d ago

Pro tip: I finally figured out why my blowouts kept falling flat

For like 6 months I was wondering why my blowouts looked perfect for an hour then just died. Last week I had this client who said her hair felt 'almost greasy' right after I finished. That clicked for me. I was using way too much heat protectant and not letting it dry enough before hitting it with the round brush. Added like 3 extra minutes of rough drying before styling and now it holds for 3 days easy. Anybody else made this same dumb mistake with product buildup?

2 comments

mitchell.lee•4d ago

Debate: Should we charge extra for thinning shears? A salon incident changed my mind

Last month at Ulta in Austin, a client threw a fit when I charged her $15 extra for thinning her thick hair. She said it's part of a basic cut. But using those shears wears them down way faster, and they cost me $120 to replace. I'm stuck wondering if we should build it into the base price or keep it as an add-on. What do you all do at your salons when someone wants heavy texturizing with thinning shears?

2 comments

susanm56•5d ago

Switched from foil highlights to balayage and never looked back

For about 15 years I did nothing but foil highlights on my clients. Every single appointment meant sectioning, weaving, and wrapping each piece in foil. It worked fine but it took forever and my hands started hurting after a while. About three years ago I took a weekend class on balayage in Columbus and decided to give it a real try. Now I do maybe 80 percent of my clients with balayage or some variation of it. The biggest difference is how much more natural the regrowth looks compared to foils. I also save around 20 minutes per full head appointment which adds up fast. Has anyone else made a big switch in their technique like this and found it worked better for you?

2 comments

faith_carter•5d ago

PSA: A $6 bottle brush from the dollar store cleans my round brushes way better than any fancy tool I bought at Sally's.

I was scrubbing foundation buildup out of my curling brushes last Tuesday and grabbed a cheap bottle brush on a whim, and it got into every crevice without mangling the bristles... has anyone else found a random household item that works better than the expensive stuff?

2 comments

lopez.jana•6d ago

Vent: Botched a toner on a client in my own kitchen last Tuesday

I mixed the toner wrong under my cheap kitchen lights and when she walked outside the color was completely uneven, so I had to strip it all off and start over with a demi-permanent i borrowed from a friend down the street - has anyone else had lighting mess up their work like that?

3 comments

sean_torres71•7d ago

The time I tried dry shampoo on a client mid-foiling and saved a disaster

I had a client come in last Tuesday with oily roots an hour after I already started her foil highlights. I was out of time to wash and re-dry, so I sprayed a little Batiste dry shampoo right on the sectioned roots before applying the lightener. It soaked up the oil and the bleach lifted perfectly, no patchy spots. She walked out with clean looking highlights and I saved myself 45 minutes. Anyone else tested a random hack like that and had it actually work?

3 comments

sarah_mason•7d ago

Was convinced I could fix my own curling iron in 20 minutes... took me 4 hours

My old Conair curling iron started sparking at the base last Tuesday and I figured I'd just watch a quick youtube video and swap a wire. I've done basic stuff around the house so how hard could a heating tool be right? Well 4 hours later I had the thing completely disassembled on my coffee table with tiny springs I couldn't get back in place. The video I found was for a different model and the wiring diagram made no sense. I ended up just buying a new one from Sally Beauty the next day. Has anyone else tried to fix salon tools themselves and regretted it?

3 comments

gavin692•8d ago

Had a client question my color choice yesterday

This older lady at my chair in Nashville asked why I picked a warm brown instead of the ash she usually asks for. I explained how the warm tones would blend better with her silver growing in and she actually listened. Anyone else find that customers get stuck in their old routine and miss out on better results?

2 comments

vera_palmer•10d ago

Still can't believe I dismissed those $8 hair cutting shears

I picked up a pair from a beauty supply shop in Austin last year as a backup and they've become my main pair for blunt cuts. They're still sharp after 40+ haircuts, has anyone else found a hidden gem that surprised them?

3 comments

cameronn62•10d ago

Switched from foil highlights to balayage on a client last month, huge difference

I had a client with really fine hair who kept complaining about the line of demarcation showing up after 3 weeks with foils. Tried balayage on her last appointment and the grow-out looks way softer and more natural. Has anyone else seen better retention with balayage on thin hair?

3 comments

jesse_green55•11d ago

I finally stopped buying those expensive highlighters for the face

Ok so I kept dropping $40+ on those fancy liquid highlighters that go viral on social media. But I noticed they all looked kinda chalky or greasy on my clients with oily skin. Last month I grabbed a $6 cream eyeshadow from the drugstore in a champagne color. I dab it on the cheekbones with a damp sponge and it gives this natural wet look that lasts all day. My clients have been asking what brand I use and they're shocked when I tell them. Has anyone else found cheaper alternatives that work better for certain skin types?

3 comments

abbyg60•12d ago

Rant: My color mixer died mid-appointment yesterday

I was right in the middle of a full balayage on a regular client, maybe 45 minutes in, and my color mixer just stopped spinning. Just a little click sound and nothing. I had to grab a bowl and a brush and do it by hand for the rest of the appointment. My wrist is still sore today. Has anyone else had a mixer fail at the worst possible time?

2 comments

the_hayden•14d ago

Why does nobody talk about how much cheaper sharpening your own scissors is?

Found out my local shop charges $25 a pair but I got a basic stone for $15 at Sally Beauty last week and sharpened 3 pairs myself in 10 minutes. Has anyone else switched to doing it at home and saved a ton?

3 comments

lucasjackson•17d ago

I keep seeing stylists use purple shampoo like it's regular shampoo and it's driving me crazy

Watched a girl at my salon in Austin literally lather purple shampoo all over her client's head and let it sit for 5 minutes like it was a clarifying wash. Then she wondered why the ends turned blue-gray. Purple shampoo is a toner, not a cleanser. You gotta put it on wet hair, work it through, and rinse after 30 seconds to a minute max. Who else has seen this mistake ruin a good blonde?

2 comments

angela687•17d ago

Why does nobody talk about how long toner takes to remove

I had a client come in last Tuesday wanting to go from a dark brown box dye to a platinum blonde... I told her it would take a few sessions but she insisted on trying it all in one day. Well after 4 hours of stripping and toning we got to a pale yellow... but the toner I used just would not fade evenly. It took me another 3 appointments and about 2 weeks total to get that color looking right. Has anyone else dealt with stubborn toner that just hangs on way too long?

2 comments

angela687•20d ago

PSA: Stop overloading your foils with bleach at the scalp

I've pulled off 3 fallout-free bleach and tone jobs this week alone just by keeping my foils 1/4 inch off the roots and using a fine tooth comb for saturation, so why do I keep seeing people lay down gobs of lightener that bleed through and ruin the whole section?

2 comments

vera_palmer•21d ago

Found out the hard way that using a towel to dry my brushes was leaving lint in the bristles

After 3 months of wondering why my shadow application looked patchy I tried air drying them upside down in a cup and now they blend like new, anyone else dealt with mystery residue ruining their work?

3 comments

blair597•22d ago

Serious question, are color correction clients worth the headache?

I was at a salon expo in Portland last month and overheard two stylists arguing about this. One said color corrections are the biggest moneymaker and she charges $300+ every time, no regrets. The other said she stopped taking them because the stress and time just isn't worth it, especially when clients come back complaining about damage. I've done maybe 5 color corrections this year and every single one was a nightmare. Like one lady wanted to go from box black to platinum blonde in one session and got mad when I said it would take 4 visits. But I also had a $450 correction job last week that went smooth and the client tipped $60. So where do you all land on this? Do you take every correction that walks in or do you screen them hard and only accept certain ones?

3 comments

the_holly•22d ago

My client's mom dropped a truth bomb about my chair side manner

I was doing a blowout on a bridesmaid last Saturday and her mom was sitting nearby watching. She said I had a habit of rushing through the consultation like I was checking boxes. Made me realize I treat questions like a script instead of actually listening to what people want. Has anyone else had a client's family member call them out on something that ended up being good advice?

3 comments

davis.adam•22d ago

Had a client last week who made me question everything about my color matching

I've been doing hair for about 12 years now, mostly in a small salon outside Portland. Last Wednesday a new client came in, she was maybe 60, silver hair, wanted a toner to warm it up. I grabbed my usual shade but she stopped me and said 'you know, my skin tone changes in summer, maybe try something lighter.' I never really thought about seasonal skin shifts for older clients. She was right, the lighter shade looked way better. Has anyone else adjusted their toners by season for silver hair?

3 comments