/// Consultation
The consultation is key element of any service you do and is your first step to get an undesrtanding of your clients personality as well as fashion sense. There are a few steps to follow during your consultation to help you select which Balayage Technique to use.
STEP 1:
Meet and Greet – This is the opportunity when your client arrives to asses the clients fashion sense and peronsality, to see if they are casually dressed or office ready, also to get an undesrtanding weather they are shy or timid or out going and bubbly. Using simple question at the start will give you a good foundation to build your consultation. For example :”Have you just arrived from work?” if they are smartly dressed, or if they are in active wear, “Have you just come from gym?”. This will help you to develop a picture of their lifestyle.
STEP2:
Hair History – This is the moment you find out your clients past hair experiences. A few key points you beed to find out is weather the hair is natural or previously chemically treated. If the hair is chemically treated then you need to ask: “What colours have you previously had?”, “Were they pernament, demi pernament or semi pernmament?” also to ask “Was the colour applied in a salon or at home?” this will give you an undesrtanding what types of colour they have had previously and will help you with you product selection. Other key elements you will need to take into consideration is if they have had any relaxing or perming chemicals as this with make the hair fragile and will also alter your product selection.
STEP3:
State of Hair – Its time to examine your clients hair. To start with alaways check the clients scalp consition as this could determine weather you can proceed with any colour services at that moment in time. It is also good way to check is the client has any sensitivity as skin testing may have be applied by someone else. Whilst you analyse the scalp you can determine the clients natural base for examp,le, depth, % of the grey and undertone:
- YELLOW
- ORANGE
- RED
This will help you later with your color selection of if you need to add any additional services to your balayage to archieve the clients derired result. The last step is to check the hair its self, the best way to do this is to check the 3 main areas:
- POROSITY
- ELASTICITY
- TEXTURE (PET)
STEP 4:
The Clients Hair Desires – Now you come to part where you can start to talk looks. This selection will be easier with a few tools to help you, like photos of your previous work or what the client has found themselves as well as shade charts. When deciding which tecnique to use a few simple questions will help you decide the best way to archieve the desired look by asking:”How distinctive would you like the colour to be changed?” “Subtly or more noticable?”. This will help you undesrtand how much lighter the clienty would like to go and what strength products you have to use. Another question to ask:”Would you like to colour you have at the moment to be considerably different or just a subtle change?”. This will help you narrow down the tecniques. Then you should find out what they like about their hair and see if they would like to highlight any ares for example :” Would you like to enhance the texture of the layers to show more movement trough the hair?”. Now you have all your information you need to advice your client by suggesting shades and tones that will compliment their skin tone and their personality. Once you have all your information select the correct tecnique of balayage and confirm with them colour selection making sure the client is happy with and can envision the final result. During this time, you should always ask the client about heir hair cut, if they are getting a complete restyle then you will need to take this into consideration where you will start your colour appliucation. There is nothing worse than archieving a beautiful balayage if they are about to get it all cut out.
STEP5:
Flying the Nest – This is the time to find out your clients home rituals. You need to see how they style their hair at home so you can decide how you will approach your balayage tecnique. Ask :”Do you curl your hair at home or wear your hair straight?”. This will help you decide where to start blenmding and what angles you will use. You will also need to find out about their life styrle :”Do you go to the gym a lot?” or “Do you swima lot?” this will help you with any colouyr selection so the clients colour will last. You should take into consideration what products they use at home and advice them on anything they may need to keep their colour looking rich and bold. Finally find out how often they visit the salon to get their colour topped up and you should give them recomended time frames or any upkeep services they may need to follow to keep their desired look at its best.
GO GET YOUR COLOUR ON!