Ever go to a salon and you feel like the hairstylist is trying to convince you to buy $100 worth of products?
Okay, trust me, I know those hairstylists. And while some might just be product-aholics themselves and think every person needs a hair product cocktail of 7 products every time you style your hair, sadly there are a few hairstylists out there just focusing on trying to make an extra dollar.
And yes, most stylists make commission off of hair products. But the truth is, we only make minimal there, like 10% or 15% among all the salons I have worked at.
Let’s do the math:
$2 x 5 color and cut clients a day x 5 working days = $50
…Doesn’t really make for a dramatic change in our paychecks. So while there might be a handful of money focused/not people focused stylist (yet probably still VERY talented), there also is lots of stylists, like my self, who really care about you AND your hair. I mean, hair kinda is my passion. I say all that to say, we actually are suggesting things you need especially based off of what we see, feel, and hear from you in the consultation.
I’m considering doing a series on “PRODUCT TALK.”
And today, I will be talking about “What Types of Products Do I HAVE to Have.”
Let’s get started!
If we are getting really particular, the type of products you need depends on your type of hair and what you are doing with it. But for the sake of a relatively short post, let’s stick to a general overview.
A:
First off, everyone needs shampoo AND conditioner. Even men. Even fine haired girls. Even… everyone. Conditioner actually does something. It closes the cuticle of your hair, and nourishes it, and balances the PH in your hair to its “happy PH stage.” Did you know that the average hair pH level is 4.5 to 5.5? Yup.
Check this out:
Acidic solutions help the cuticle layer lay as flat as it possibly can. Shampoos frequently tend to be alkaline which makes it even more necessary for conditioners to restore the pH of hair.
(https://www.quora.com/Why-is-hair-conditioner-acidic)
I guess I kinda jumped right over shampoo… but I think we all are grown enough to know that sometimes you just need to wash your hair.
B:
Secondly, after a shower, you need something that evens the porosity of your hair. Lots of these products are called leave in conditioners, preps, primers, or even some heat protectants.
Here is my go to analogy. Your hair strand is like a road and over time with heat, color, or just the sun and atmosphere, your hair gets “potholes” in it like a road. Water gets stuck in there (cue the forever long blow dry), products get stuck in there (cue the uneven distribution and product waste), and your cuticles on your hair are just icky (cue the frizzy, rough hair). A prep or primer spray helps to fill those holes and allows blow drying to go easier and styling in general.
C:
The third is a heat protectant. If C is not a part of B, and you are blow drying, curling, or definitely straightening, then you really need a heat protectant. Let me be straight with you, I see multiple girls a week who have heat damage all the way up the hair strands and there is no amount of cut that will fix that unless you are ready for a pixie. The damage is done. You can make it look better, but its never going to be great.
D:
Lastly, there are styling products. I am not even going to elaborate on this much because this is getting a little far out of context for this topic of BASIC NEEDS but most people need a styling product. Styling products help you to achieve your style. So whether it’s volume you crave, or to tame your frizz, or spray your style so it doesn’t move, that’s all styling products. I hear so many gals say their curls don’t hold, or its so frizzy and fried, or something else. Well, most peoples hair doesn’t hold curl well without something. And yes, you can flat iron your hair to death (literally) until its smooth, but you are burning through every last bit of that heat protectant to do that. You need assistance with a smoothing product. So talk to your stylist. Name your concern and hear them out!
Okay ladies (and guys), I hoped that helped on what type of products you need and hopefully the next time you see your stylist and they recommend something you will be able to understand why they are suggesting those products.