By hair care expert Gabrielle McCarthy at www.Virtualhaircare.com

(Gabrielle started off as training manager for Toni & Guy London, London trainer for Wella, head colourist at trend leading salon London salon Michael Van Clarke, Australian Colorist of the Year and Educator of the year and is now a leading consultant for global fashion brand Vidal Sassoon in Sydney Australia. She is publisher of Virtualhaircare.com which provides free hair help, advice and tips to over 1 million visitors a year)

I bet you never knew that 80% of a hair salons new clients are recommended by their existing clients! If you’re not a salon owner then you may think that’s not such a useful fact to know but what its telling us is that being recommended to a hair stylist or salon means that you are more likely to like what you get. Your friends aren’t going to recommend anything to you that they don’t think you would like and you are not going to take their advice if you don’t value their opinion or like their hair.

If you can’t rely on your friends  for a recommendation then why not ask a person that you don’t know! As a stylist  I’ve often had customers  come to me that have simply asked someone in the street who’s hair is the style or colour  they want.

The look of a hairdressing salon  is also a good indicator of what to expect. If the salon is neat and fresh with up to date decor and staff that look like they take a pride in their appearance, this will tell you a lot about whether they keep up with trends and advances in hair care and styles. Also, look out for awards and photographs done by the salon staff themselves. New one’s that is, not old tatty ones!

As we cover in other sections at Virtualhaircare, a consultation is vital . If you feel that someone is on your wave length and has a good understanding of what you want then you are more likely to get it. Consultations give you the opportunity to back out if you don’t feel this and therefore are better done/booked in advance of your first appointment. Come visit us for more on salon consultations. And here are some tips on color and other hairdressing services.

Finally you really do get what you pay for in life and hairdressing services are no exception. Top hair stylists charge top prices because they are popular. Those that are priced just below that are often very good but maybe not so well known but those that are cheap cannot perform at their best as they have to cut corners somewhere to make any money. So whether that’s on training or allowing enough time to do a good job on your hair, if it’s cheap you get a haircut that looks like it!

Come visit us at Virtualhaircare to find out everything there is to know about your hair and how to keep it looking great! You can also visit the Virtual Salon for tips and practical help plus how to style or blowdry  your hair at home with advice from the online hair care experts.

See you there! Gabrielle McCarthy hair care editor

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