I Want to Change My Hair, But I Don’t Know What I Want

By Annemarie, Executive Artistic Director/Owner of THE LOFT

“I want something different. I just don’t know what.”

Believe it or not, that’s actually a great place to start.

You don’t need to walk into the salon knowing the name of a haircut, the exact shade of brunette you want, or carrying 14 perfectly coordinated inspiration photos.

Sometimes you just know you’re bored. Nothing is necessarily wrong with your hair. It just doesn’t excite you anymore.

And that’s enough.

Start With What You Don’t Want

Here’s something I’ve learned after years behind the chair:

You may not be able to tell me what you want, but you can almost always tell me what you don’t want.

“I definitely don’t want bangs.”

“Nothing above my shoulders.”

“I don’t want to be blonde.”

“I’m not spending 45 minutes styling my hair every morning.”

Perfect.

Those answers give me somewhere to start.

A great consultation isn’t about expecting you to speak hairstylist. It’s my job to ask the right questions, listen and start putting the pieces together.

I’m Looking at More Than Your Hair

When I meet someone who wants a change, I take in the whole person.

I notice how you carry yourself. Your proportions. Your personal style. What you’re wearing. Your shoes. Believe it or not, I might even notice your handbag.

It all tells me something.

Those details become ingredients. Then I add what I know about shape, balance, color, texture and movement—and ideas start forming.

Sometimes I look at someone and immediately think, I know exactly what I want to do.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean cutting off ten inches or completely changing your color.

Sometimes your current hair already works beautifully on you.

You’re just bored with it.

And bored doesn’t always require a transformation. Sometimes it requires a really good tweak.

Even Hair You Love Should Evolve

One of the easiest mistakes we can make as hairstylists is giving someone the exact same thing year after year simply because she likes it.

If it still looks great, I’m not suggesting we change it just for the sake of change. But I am going to keep looking.

Could we change the shape around your face? Move the length? Add dimension? Shift the tone? Give you a different way to style it?

Part of my job is keeping your hair feeling current and keeping you excited about it.

You shouldn’t have to hate your hair before we start talking about what’s next.

Sometimes I’m Going to Ask Why

There are also moments when someone sits in my chair ready to change absolutely everything—and I want to understand what’s happening outside the salon, too.

Did you just have a baby? Go through a breakup? Start a new chapter? Have you been thinking about this transformation for six months—or since Tuesday?

I love change. Transformations are one of the things that keep me excited about this industry.

But I also want to know that you’re ready for the change you’re asking me to make.

Hair can be incredibly emotional. Sometimes you’re not simply choosing a new hairstyle. You’re trying on a new version of yourself.

And when you’re ready for that?

That’s one of my favorite things to be part of.

Bring the Pictures

You don’t need to find the perfect inspiration photo. Bring several.

Maybe you love the front of one haircut but hate the length. Maybe you love the color in another photo but not the layers.

Show me.

Pictures aren’t instructions. They’re conversation starters.

We can look at them together:

This part? Yes.

That part? No.

I love this idea for you, but I’d change the length.

That’s how we create something that isn’t simply copied from someone else.

It’s designed for you.

You Don’t Need to Know What You Want

That’s what I really want clients to understand.

You don’t need the vocabulary. You don’t need to know what’s trending. And you definitely don’t need to apologize because you can’t explain exactly what you’re looking for.

Tell me what you love.

Tell me what you absolutely don’t want.

Tell me how you live, how much work you’re willing to put into your hair, and how you want to feel when you leave.

Then let’s figure out the rest together.

Because sometimes the best transformations don’t begin with:

“I know exactly what I want.”

They begin with:

“I think I’m ready for something new.”