It can't be easy to be a hairdresser, stylist, or a barber. Clients can come in demanding the most fabulous hairstyles, and it's your job to tell them what they have sitting on their noggin can't be done up to look like the image of a celebrity they showed you on their phone. Everyone's different, but there's some good general rules to follow.
Reddit user, u/Palludane, wanted the deep dish on your follicles when they asked:
Hairdressers of reddit, what should everyone know about their hair?
Understand Their Position
I just want to know what to do if I want anything besides a trim or a crew cut. The few times I've tried to get something moderately styled, they had no idea what I was talking about, even if I showed them pictures. Honestly, I just have no idea what to really tell them either.
Any advice?
Did you go to a barber and ask this? In my experience barbers tend to just cut hair, not exactly style it. What I have noticed is that there are many people who think a hair stylist and a barber is the same thing. I work in a hair salon and the head hair stylist has done many men's styles before.
Get The Right Tools
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Learn how to properly use a round brush. I'm sick of people getting them stuck because they don't know what to do.
Also product isn't an option, especially when using thermal tools. It's necessary.
Regarding Color...
Don't box dye.
Also professional dye jobs are expensive. Stop expecting to get your 3 ft. Long hair dyed entirely a different color for $50.
Respect The Game. Respect The Price.
You should know that cutting three dimensional shapes into moving structures on three dimensional surfaces, none of which are ever truly symmetrical or the same as others, having had less than 5 minutes to even look at the texture, quantity, arrangement and distribution of said structures is F-CKING COMPLICATED and should be much more respected as a trade than it is.
I got a degree then later went back to hair school and the level of applied technical science is vastly underrated by the general public. Not even touching on the kind of Sherlockian sleuthery required to deduce the hair chemical history and predict accurate outcomes with bespoke mixtures of chemicals to match photographs of unknown origin, print quality, or photographic truth on completely other heads of hair.....
Basically I'm saying be good to your hairdresser and don't stress them out while they work, and appreciate and reward what they do for you and if you are already - stop being cheap.
Get That Coconut All Up In There
Most hair products contain some amount of alcohol. Alcohol will dry your hair and make it weak. If you use hair products that contain alcohol you have to rehydrate your hair. I would recommend coconut oil, almond oil, black seed oil, or cocoa butter.
Curly Q
As a dude with curls that dry out quick and if I don't use pomade or some sort of product my curls get frizzie, what would you suggest? I've always wanted to style my curls but I don't know how. They stick up naturally instead of lying down.
What am I doing wrong?
Figure out your curl pattern type (3a, 4c, etc), don't wash too much, experiment a bit to find your best conditioner (based on your curl type!!) dry with a t shirt not a towel (and scrunch the water out gently!!). I use a curl creme (inexpensive) instead of pomade which cuts down on frizz and encourages curls without....crunch. Also if you can....silk pillowcases. I swear.
No One Likes Snow On Their Shoulders
Wtf do I do for dandruff? I'm tired of this sh-t 😂
Hibiclens aka chlorhexidine 5% soap will do it. Leave it on 5 mins. Keep out of eyes and ears. It is drying. Do it 2x a week.
Purple To Help The Blonde
For Bleach Blondes: to keep orange tones and awful "yellow" colour off your head, use Purple shampoo. Start with regular shampoo, then go in with a purple shampoo, leave in for a couple of minutes, and then rinse and condition.
The purple counter-acts yellow and orange and will go back to a lighter blonde. The longer you leave the purple in, it will go silver and then purple on lighter hair. This can have a cool effect or go badly so use slowly and steadily depending on each brand.
Do not leave in over night, I stupidly fell asleep with it in when I was a teenager and woke up to purple hair. That was fun.
Can't Do It In One Go
was previously a hairdresser and my sister still is.If you are wanting to dye your hair blonde from a really dark colour please do it in stages over a couple of months.like gradually dying your hair a ligher and lighter brown until you are readly for the bleach.
My sister is always complaining to me about people with very dark hair booking 1 appointment for platinum blonde.they alwasy just insist on straight bleaching but bleach on dark hair goes orange.
Instagram Is Not Real Life
Hairdresser of 12+ years here!
1. Adjust your expectations. Whatever you're looking at as inspo on Insta probably was done by a celeb stylist who charged $800+ for a day-long session. It's also probably edited and 'shopped for likes. This is a huge problem in the industry because a client just sees the before and after and assumes it's done in one 2-hour regular hair appointment. Transparency is important!!
2. We really do love what we do and want you to be happy. If you're not happy, just let us know so we can fix it. It is much better, for the most part, to see the same stylist to fix it. They know your hair history already and can make the most informed decisions. Stylist-hopping means each person is starting from scratch and you will keep paying more and more money for a re-do that is less likely to succeed
3. Old people can grow mold behind their ears. Hygiene is important!
4.Professional retail products are totally worth the price -- but if you can't afford it, Sally's is your next best bet.
We're Like Doctors. For Your Hair. Just Be Honest.
When your stylist asks you what you have put on your hair, BE HONEST. We ask because we want to protect the integrity of your hair not because we want to gripe at you.
Also, black to Blonde in one appointment is not going to happen. EVER. And it's going to be expensive.
Edit: hairstylist 17 years.
Seriously. Honesty.
I really hope someone sees this and has an answer
Hairdressers, how do I politely say I don't want to talk while getting my hair cut?? It's seriously my main stressor when it comes to getting a hair cut to the point where I just won't get one for a long time just to avoid the small talk I need to endure. How do I politely say that I want to just read a magazine or something???
Just say it! "I hope you don't mind, but is it alright if we skip the chat? I'd like to take this time to relax/read/enjoy the quiet." Of course you'll need to tell them what you want, but after that, it should be fine. Some stylists are also more quiet and reserved but feel compelled to talk, as that's the norm (ie, me). It could be a very welcome change for them!
Hey Curly! Here's A Checklist!
PEOPLE WITH CURLY HAIR
- Water Is you friend. Drink. Put in you hair. It is your FIRST AND PRIMARY MOISTURIZER.
- Other products as Cream, Leave-ins are Oils are moisturizer/sealers for the water that's already in your hair so it doesn't dry and break. I use the LCO Method. Water - Leave in to seal water - Cream to seal Leave In and Oil to Seal the Cream. But it could be as simple as Water and Oils.
- GOOGLE PROTECTIVE STYLES. Start to learn how to braid your hair.
- Use a Satin Scarf/pillowcase when you sleep. It's a f-cking life saver.
- Stretching your hair is a good method to avoid single strand knots because you are stretching your curl patterns and we all know, more curls = more knots.
- DEEP CONDITIONERS ARE IMPORTANT.
- Detangle is a hard process and annoying but it is important to be gentle with your hair at this moment so don't do it when they are dry and don't do it when you are tired !
- FOCUS on your ENDS when you apply products. They are the oldest part of your hair and you want to treat them good.
- CUT YOUR ENDS. DEAD ENDS ARE DEAD AND THEY WILL JUST BREAK YOUR HAIR MORE JUST SNIP SNIP THEM.
- DRINK WATER, USE WATER, BE WATER
- SHOW YOUR CROWN AND BE PROUD OF IT. (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)
Monitor The Product
I've certainly heard about not washing every day, but what if you use a styling product? Seems like if you're going several days just water rinsing and adding more product, things would get funky.
Are you a guy/ do you have short hair?
If your product is water-based (water being the first ingredient) it'll come out with just water.
If it's oil based, that's another story.
A Rapid-Fire List...
So my wife is a stylist and I'm going to list the things she rages about when people f-ck up their hair.
- Box color was invented by an evil wizard who only wants to f-ck up your hair.
- If you have dark hair and want to go light, it's going to take a while. To look good it's going to take several visits. Roots apparently are different. If you get your hair blond, taking care of the roots can be done in one visit.
- Sit f-cking still. You are only f-cking up your hair.
...And A Few More For The Road
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Hairdresser: a couple things,
1. Don't wash your hair every day. Super important. If you can go 3-5 days that's ideal. It takes time for your scalp to adjust and every scalp is different, but for most people you need to allow the natural oils that your head produces to travel down the hair. It really helps keep your hair healthier longer.
2. Product DOES matter, things like sulfates and parabens completely strip your hair, making the cuticle more exposed and therefore more frizzy and damaged.
3. Always always used a heat protectant if you're putting any heat on your head. This really makes a difference, long term heat use is incredibly damaging. From the moment your hair grows out of your head, it will only get more damaged.
4. Trim your damn hair! As I said above, you can take the absolute best care of your hair, and hair that is 3-4 years old or older is always going to need a trim. It's [exposure] to you just living your life is damage enough for it to warrant a trim. Don't wait because you want it longgg, it will break off and that's not going to help you in the long run.
5. Men: WASH AND CONDITION your beards! It's hair, it collects dirt and oil just like our scalp but it's also on your face. Condition helps the coarseness of the beard hair feel much softer, you can use any products on it you use on your scalp, unless you have very sensitive skin, then I would use something recommended for beards specifically!
Are you a hairdresser with helpful information about our hair? Share it with us!
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
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"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
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"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
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"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
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"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
