c/cosmetologists

10

richard_ramirez•22h ago

My clippers died mid haircut on a busy Saturday

Last weekend I had back to back appointments and my Andis clippers just stopped working halfway through a fade. I tried swapping the cord and checked the outlet but nothing. Ended up having to finish with my backup trimmer and it took twice as long and the client was annoyed. Anyone else had their main clippers fail at the worst time and what do you keep as a reliable backup?

7

claire_campbell•3d ago

Watched my coworker's hairline vanish in 3 months flat

My boothmate started a new medication back in June and by September her edges were just... gone. I felt so bad for her but also I couldn't stop staring during our shift at the salon in Denver. Has anyone else dealt with a client losing hair from a new prescription and found a gentle style that helps hide it?

8

the_jade•4d ago

Saw my client's roots after 8 weeks and finally got why Demi-permanent matters

I had a client come in yesterday who I'd been doing permanent color on for over a year. Her roots grew in with this harsh line every time, and I just assumed that's how it works. Then she went on vacation for 8 weeks and came back with half an inch of regrowth that looked way softer than usual. Turns out the salon she visited used a demi-permanent formula instead. That softer line made me realize permanent color is overkill for a lot of my clients who just want to blend grays. Has anyone else switched formulas and seen a real difference in grow-out?

25

mia_anderson•4d ago

Talked to a fellow cosmetologist at Ulta and it flipped my view on mixing brands

So I was grabbing some new color at the Ulta on 5th Ave last week and this stylist next to me said she only uses one brand for everything. She told me mixing different lines can mess with the pH levels and cause uneven results. I always thought mixing was fine but now I'm wondering if I've been doing it wrong for years. Anyone else stick to one brand or do you mix it up?

14

ivanb41•4d ago

Walked past a salon in Brooklyn that had purple lighting and realized I've been using the wrong bulbs this whole time

I was checking out their window display yesterday and it hit me that cool-toned lighting totally changes how hair color looks, so how do you guys balance salon lighting for accurate color matching without making the space feel like a hospital?

25

harris.vera•4d ago

Heard a client say their stylist didn't wash out conditioner and it ruined their hair

I overheard this woman at the grocery store talking about how her last stylist left heavy conditioner in her fine hair and it caused buildup and breakage over 3 months. It made me double check my own rinse-out technique for every client. Has anyone else seen damage from leftover product like that?

5

simoncarr•5d ago

Torn between keratin treatments and natural texture after a consult last week

Had a client come in wanting a keratin smoothing treatment but then her friend said she was "erasing her culture" by straightening her natural curls. I respect the desire for easier morning routines but also get the identity piece. How do you all navigate that conversation when a client asks for something that changes their natural texture?

6

christopher67•6d ago

Told my coworker that purple shampoo cancels out brass on any hair color and she laughed at me for 3 days straight

Turns out she was totally right because I put purple shampoo on a client with coppery red hair last Tuesday and it turned this weird greenish muddy color and now I have to rebook her for a full color correction, anyone else ever confidently give bad advice that backfired instantly?

4

leo107•10d ago

Had a 5 minute talk with an older stylist that totally flipped my view on foils

I was at a salon swap meet last Saturday and chatted with this woman who's been doing hair for 40 years. She told me she never uses more than 15 foils for a full highlight because she focuses on placement over volume. It hit different because I've been wasting product and time piling on foils like crazy. Has anyone else had a seasoned pro change up one of your core techniques with just a few sentences?

16

ivan522•10d ago

Spent 3 hours fighting with a color melt that should've taken 45 minutes

I had a client come in last Thursday wanting a shadow root with a rose gold midlength. Mixed my formula, applied the shadow, let it process 20 minutes like normal. Then I rinsed and realized the rose gold was pulling way too warm - like almost orange. Had to mix a toner, apply it, wait another 15, rinse again, still not right. Ended up doing a tiny bit of violet additive and reprocessing just the ends. Took me 3 total hours for what I usually bang out in under an hour. Has anyone else had a color melt fight them like this where the undertones just won't cooperate?

8

nelson.gavin•11d ago

The day I realized perms were disappearing from our chair rotations

Last week a new client asked if I could do a perm and I got so excited (she was maybe 22?). I pulled out my rods from the back drawer and realized I hadn't touched them in almost 2 years. Back in 2015 at the Paul Mitchell school in Columbus, Ohio we did at least 3-4 perms a week in the student clinic. Now I feel like I'm one of the only stylists under 40 who even knows how to wrap a spiral perm without panicking. Has anyone else noticed perms basically vanishing from salon menus or is it just my area?

6

christopher_coleman17•13d ago

Finally got my first client to refer 3 friends in one month

Last month I had this woman come in for a balayage, she was super nervous cause her last stylist messed it up. I took my time, walked her through every step, and used a different sectioning pattern than usual. She sent me 3 of her coworkers this week, all booked for cuts and colors. Anyone else see a jump in referrals after nailing one tricky client?

6

hayden720•14d ago

Hit 3,000 blowouts yesterday and honestly it kinda hit me weird

I was just counting up my appointments for the year and realized I've done over 3,000 blowouts since I started at the salon in Chicago back in 2018, and for some reason that number made me feel old and proud at the same time - anyone else ever get caught off guard by a milestone like that?

15

mitchell.wade•16d ago

Question about handling a bad day with bleach and foils

Last Tuesday I had a client come in for a full highlight and she wanted icy blonde, but her hair had old dark box dye on it. I did a test strand and it lifted okay, but after 45 minutes the foils started showing orange spots I couldn't fix. I ended up having to tone her twice and it still came out patchy, cost me an extra $30 in product and she left unhappy. Has anyone else dealt with box dye surprises and found a reliable prep method?

1

luna_jackson28•17d ago

Rant: Learned a lesson about hair bleach timers the hard way

I had a client in my chair last Thursday in Portland, and I set my timer for 45 minutes on her balayage. But I got distracted talking about her vacation and didn't check the clock after the timer went off - must have snoozed it by accident. Her ends came out practically white and snapped when I tried to comb through them. I had to do a deep protein treatment and trim 3 inches off, and she was pretty upset even though I comped the service. Has anyone else had a stupid mistake like this take down their whole afternoon?

25

blairf48•17d ago

Tried a buttercream vs my regular oil sheen on a client last Thursday

The buttercream looked great for about 20 minutes then melted into a greasy mess under the dryer. My cheap oil sheen held up all day through humidity. Has anyone else had this happen with buttercream on coarse hair?

4

elliotw37•18d ago

Just realized that pinkify gloss was a waste of $45

I bought that pinkify gloss from the supply store last month cause everyone on instagram was raving about it. Used it on three clients and the color faded weird after just a few washes. Has anyone else had better luck with a different pink toning gloss?

6

ramirez.caleb•19d ago

Had three clients back to back cancel on me this morning and then got a walk-in who wanted a full balayage with no appointment

The walk-in ended up being super chill and tipped 40%, so I guess my day went from the worst to the best in like 2 hours, but has anyone else had that kind of wild swing where you want to cry and then you're laughing?

4

dakota_fox•19d ago

That $8 fine mist spray bottle from the grocery store changed my whole blowout routine

I kept getting hot spots and frizz with my regular spray bottle until I grabbed the cheap continuous mister in the cleaning aisle. Has anyone else switched to a finer mist for wetting down sections?

8

ryan_kim63•20d ago

Tried mixing developer with a different brand of toner after my supplier ran out...

I was in a panic last Friday when my usual brand was backordered, but mixing 20 volume from one line with a purple toner from another actually gave me the coolest ash blonde I've ever gotten on my client without any patchiness, has anyone else tried mixing brands when you're in a bind?

22

mitchell.dakota•21d ago

Had a client last week who changed how I think about hair health

I was working on a woman in her 60s who came in with beautiful silver hair but complained it was getting brittle. She told me she washes it with cold water only and never uses heat tools, and her hair looked better than mine after years of hot styling. Has anyone else had a client's simple routine make you rethink your own habits?

22

alice991•21d ago

Changed my mind about using those pre-blended toners after my client's roots came out purple last Tuesday

I was at my station at Shear Bliss Salon when I mixed a supposedly foolproof dusty lavender toner from a bottle and it pulled bright purple on her regrowth, so I had to spend 20 minutes fixing it with a demi-permanent neutral beige, and now I'm back to mixing my own formulas - anyone else had bad luck with those all-in-one toners?

16

rileygonzalez•23d ago

Hit 50 foil highlights in 45 minutes for the first time yesterday

I was trying to beat my personal record and finally cracked it after 3 months of really focusing on my sectioning technique. Has anyone else tracked their timing like that and found a weird number that surprised you?

7

ivanb41•24d ago

That convention demo in Dallas made me swap out my whole brush kit

I was at a hair show back in 2018, somewhere near the convention center in Dallas. A stylist from some local salon was doing a live cut and she used this one round brush I'd never seen before. She talked about how the bristle angle changes grip mid-blowout. I bought three of them on the spot and now I barely touch my old ceramic ones. Has anyone else had a random demo totally flip their routine?

22

lisa671•26d ago

Debate: Are expensive hair oils actually worth it?

I used to think spending $40 on a tiny bottle of hair oil was a total scam. My go-to was always the $6 drugstore stuff and it seemed fine. But after trying a sample of a high-end argan oil from a salon last month, my split ends looked way better after just a few days. Now I'm torn - is that just placebo or is there really a difference in quality? Anyone else flip-flopped on this one?