Recently I joined reddit and found that a lot of people aren’t sure how to ask for what they want once they’re in the chair ready to get their hair cut. Answering questions like “How do I ask for this haircut?” or “How do I tell my stylist what I want” kept me busy for a couple of hours on the first day I joined. It is true in real life too. If I had a dollar for every time a client explained their haircut and said “but I don’t know the technical terms for that” I would be…well, not rich, but certainly able to go on a vacation to an all-inclusive spa resort and marinate in the warm sun (responsibly sunscreened, of course.) In other words-it happens quite a lot. Here are a few guidelines to follow so you get the style you’re after.

1. Don’t worry about learning hairstylist speak. Whether people come in fretting that they don’t know the right words or come in confidently using what they think are right words but aren’t, my advice is to not worry about the technical jargon. Explaining what you want the end result to look like is much more important than any term you could use. For example, picking a point on your body where you want the length to hit beats guessing how many inches that might cut off. I know you know what I mean when I say that a haircut inch means something different to everyone.
2. Bring reference pictures. Notice that I say pictures, plural. Of course you can always bring just one, but it is good to have a few options and a few angles. This is especially true if you’re changing your style! Having an idea of what you like will help you talk with your stylist so you can tailor the style to what you are looking for and what works for your hair.
3. Manage your expectations. I know, that sounds like a real bummer. Blame it on hair extensions, filters, and AI…they kind of ruin our perception of what is actually achievable. Even pictures posted by stylists on social media of real people aren’t necessarily foolproof, it’s immaculately styled, filtered, and posed for maximum effect. So, if you’re a person who wants a low-maintenance style, you can’t always expect it to look like the picture. You also have to consider your hair type and texture. If you have thick, wavy hair you may not be able to achieve the same style as someone with fine, straight hair.
4. Talk about how much you’re willing to invest. I’m not just talking money, though that does play a part. How much time are you willing to spend on styling your hair? How many products are you willing to use? How often are you willing to come back to get it trimmed? These are all important questions that can affect how happy you are with your haircut.

So, there you go. 4 tips on how to ask for the cut you want. Now you’re prepared to go to your stylist armed with the info you need to leave with a style that actually works for your hair. Unfortunately, not all stylists ask the questions about how much time you want to spend styling or check to make sure that both your interpretations of “take one inch off” match. But now, you are ready for those conversations and will have a much higher chance of leaving with the luscious locks you want.