I recently got a haircut and, before I went in, I was pretty nervous. I imagined getting a hairstylist who wouldn’t know how to work with my hair type and either cut it too short or leave it long because they did not want to take any chances. I have thick, wavy hair that is not coase but it is not silky either. Despite my worrying, my haircut turned out great. I cut off nine inches and my head felt lighter. I love my new short hair, but I will say that there was a bit of preparation I had to do before I went into the salon. Here are some tips for how to get a great haircut.
1) Know your hair and face shape
Everyone’s hair is different and beautiful in its own way. My hair is very wavy and can be frizzy, but it has a lot of volume. Some people have fairly straight hair that is flat but easier to manage. Your natural hair texture will probably dictate what length and shape you decide to cut it. Depending on the haircut you get, you may need to devote more time to styling your hair each day. Also keep in mind your face shape, I won’t go into it, but here is another Her Campus article on face shapes.
2) Look up pictures
Social media like Pinterest and even basic search engines like Google have made it very easy to find dozens of haircut ideas. Be sure to find haircuts done on hair with a similar texture to your own in order to get a better idea of what the style will look like on you. Also, make sure that you save the photos and show them to your hairdresser. They are not mind readers, but pictures can give them a good idea of what you want. You can also show your hairdresser multiple photos if you cannot decide on one hairstyle (that’s what I normally do).
3) Let the hairdresser take control
Although it can be hard, you need to trust your hairdresser. Tell your hairdresser everything you can about your hair: what its texture is, what its volume is, how it looks naturally, how it might change at a certain length, etc. Then tell them what haircut you want (with the aid of photos) and let them do their thing. They will use their eye for style to give you the best haircut they can. If you don’t let them breath or pressure them too much, they probably won’t do a good job because they will be too stressed out.
4) Be flexible
It is just hair. A haircut is never permanent. Even if in the end your haircut isn’t what you hoped it would be, in a couple months it will grow back and you can try again!
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