Most people have had bad haircuts at the hairdresser where they weren’t able to accurately explain what style they wanted, so they walked out of their hair appointment with a style they weren’t really happy with. While stylists should certainly be able to deliver you a style you love, it’s true that there are some things you can do to make it easier to get the perfect look. Here are a few tips that will help you get a truly fantastic haircut.

1. Use a Picture Reference

One of the best things you can do to help hair stylists deliver the perfect style is to have reference pictures available. This is especially helpful if you’re not super knowledgeable about the wording associated with the current trends. If you want hair salons to get you the cut you want, it’s best to find a picture or a few pictures that show off what you’re looking for.

2. Be a Bit Open To Change

Even if you have pictures for reference, not every picture will work well with every hair type and hair texture. Some pictures have been edited. You might not be able to get the exact hair color in the picture, for example. If you’re starting with a darker color, it might be hard to get to a specific lighter color. Curly hair and straight hair often take cuts very differently. While hair stylists will do their best to give you the cut you’re looking for, they’re not miracle workers and you’ll like the end result more if you give a bit of control over to your stylist.

3. Ask Questions and Talk With Your Stylist

Hair salons can sometimes be very therapeutic places, and it’s common for people to talk with their stylists. However, if you want to get a great cut, it’s critical that you ask lots of questions about the cut itself. Ask about what styling products they’re using, whether they have any concerns about damaged hair or dull hair, the terms they would use to describe what they’re doing, and more. This can help you talk about your hair more correctly next time. Many stylists have hundreds of clients, and it can be 6-8 weeks between appointments, so being able to repeat what they said last time can be very helpful.

4. Be Exceptionally Specific

Hair stylists generally like it when you get super specific about what you want. That way, they don’t have to guess what you’re looking for. Don’t say, “I’d like some partial highlights.” Instead say, “I really love the idea of doing golden highlights with really warm tones from top to bottom all the way around.” Especially if you’re doing an appointment for hair color, when the difference between ashy tones, beige tones, and blonde tones can be huge, you want to be as specific as you can. It doesn’t make you an annoying client to be precise.

Get the Haircut You Want

There are definitely some issues that can stand in the way of getting the precise haircut you want. Your hair type, whether you have curly or straight hair, and the exact hair color you’re looking for can all impact what cut you’re able to get. However, at the end of the day, your stylist wants to give you a great haircut experience and a cut that you’re happy with. Get in touch with your local Ogle School salon to get a haircut experience that you’ll really love.