Hairdresser debunks biggest myth about appointments – as clients have no idea

Hairdresser and senior colourist Luke Gregory has been sharing tips and industry tricks with The Mirror and his latest involves appointment myths clients fall for

Visiting the hairdresser is often seen as a luxurious occasion, as it’s a chance to get pampered, have someone wash and style your hair and leave feeling like an entirely new person. However, for some, this can actually be rather daunting, as they might be nervous about changing up their look.

As such, you might want to spend ages before your appointment researching exactly what you want your hair to look like, saving numerous pictures to show your stylist.

But according to an expert, many clients often mistakenly believe they shouldn’t show these pictures to their hairdresser on the day, as they think the hairdresser won’t like them.

Luke Gregory, a Senior Colourist at SALON64 in London, claims this is the biggest hairdresser myth that his clients fall for.

Speaking to The Mirror, he explained that the comment “I know hairdressers don’t like pictures but…” is nothing but a massive misconception.

“We LOVE pictures,” he proclaimed. “They give us an insight into your thoughts and what you feel is warm/gold or cool/ash.

“Just manage expectations, it should always be said that we’ll do our best or can do a variation of Holly Willoughby’s beaut blonde.”

He continues to warn people to pick their photos carefully and be realistic about what can be done in just one appointment.

Customers often ask Luke to go from brunette to blonde to brunette again in the space of a week as they’ve seen celebrities changing up their hair in that same amount of time, but he says this is often just down to the “misleading magic of social media”, as well as image enhancing apps, wigs and extensions.

And if you’re picking photos of yourself from the past to recreate a look you loved, make sure as much hair is visible in the photo as possible – he’s previously had people bring in snaps from holidays showing just a “sliver of hair tucked behind an ear”.

Not exactly ideal.

His final tip is to not go overboard on the number of pictures you bring to the salon.

Instead, he advises: “Take a small selection of similar pictures or make a Pinterest/mood board. Sometimes too many images can contradict one another. Try to just bring a few of your favourites.”

Luke went on to share some top tips for people wanting to get their hair coloured for the first time.

“Book a consultation a week or so before your service which should include an allergy ‘patch’ and compatibility ‘strand’ test. This helps clients digest the process of what happens in the main appointment and also benefits the colourist allowing them a little thinking time. Win-Win,” he said.

“Ask you colour technician if they would prefer you to arrive for your appointment with clean freshly washed or day-old dirty hair depending on colour application and result.”

He adds that if you’re not happy with the colour of your hair, don’t be afraid to speak up during your appointment.

“Just say. Colourists and perfectionists want to make sure they get every hair perfect. For the sake of a five-minute chat or a simple toner it could be game-changing.”

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