4 Simple (But Effective) Steps To Know What Hairstyle Will Look Best On A Client

Have you ever had a client give you free reign to do anything you want with their hair? They are ready for a change and trust you to make them look gorgeous!

How do you know what style and length will look best on them?

Do you take the time to do a thorough consultation or do you just jump in and go for it…and hope for the best?

Or do you give them a safe haircut – a haircut you’re confident doing without knowing if it will be a good look for them?

The Client Wants You To Choose

It was a few years into Rachel’s hairstyling career when Lynn first sat in her chair. Lynn hadn’t had a haircut in over a year and was ready for a change. She told Rachel, “Just make me look beautiful.”

Rachel felt equal parts excited and terrified. She watched other more experienced stylists in her salon do consultations for clients who asked them to pick which hairstyle would look best but she done it herself.

Lynn’s hair was down to her bra strap with no layers. She had a slight natural wave and it was definitely in need of a new shape.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel pushed the doubts out of her mind and turned her focus to making Lynn look beautiful.

Are You Cautious Or Do You Just Go For It?

What emotions come up when you have this kind of situation where you are the one has to decide what haircut will look best on someone you just met? Are you confident and eager to get started? Excited and terrified, like Rachel? Or do you feel full-on anxiety?

Pro Tip: If you are feeling full-on anxiety and aren’t confident that you know how to figure out what hairstyle will look good on them, don’t guess! You need to be honest with the client sitting in your chair.

Obviously, you don’t want to appear like you don’t know what you’re doing but you can say that you’d like to get a second opinion just to make sure you’ve selected the right style.

Consider asking a more seasoned stylist in the salon to assist you because you can’t undo a wrong haircut.

As the next step, I highly recommend that you get further training so you are prepared the next time this opportunity comes up.

The Evaluation

Let’s walk through the four steps needed to determine the right haircut for any person sitting in your chair. You’ll do these steps during the consultation.

There are several important factors you’ll need to look for when establishing what hair length and what geometric shape will work best for the client. I’m referring to the perimeter of the haircut. Will the perimeter be rounded, A-lined or squared? Will it be soft?