Help your clients achieve their best summer hair ever.
It’s prime time for vacations, beach days and pool time, but that doesn’t have to mean downtime in your salon. There are proven methods for encouraging clients to return to your salon, while still keeping with the relaxed nature of the season. We spoke with education pros about their top summer hair hacks, all of which will offer value to your treatment, service and clients, along with dollars to your salon.
How To Reduce Buildup
Even if your clients are using a leave-in conditioner before heading into a pool, you know as a hairstylist that their hair will not retain the moisture. That said, mineral buildup from pool or saltwater is inevitable and requires treatment to maintain hydration and colour.
Best Way to Promote Hydration
Encourage your clients to embrace their natural texture by using the right mix of products. “Textured hair can be drier, more porous and needs the added moisture to control it without weighing it down,” says Anthony Barnhill, digital education manager and lead artist for Malibu C.
Here’s where hydration comes in. “It’s better for curly-haired clients to use a leave-in product, because the conditioner will regulate the pH of the hair,” says Stephanie Cohquette of Mesh Coiffure in Montreal. “Whether your clients’ hair is straight or curly, summer humidity can lead to a frizzy texture,” says Cindy Duplantis, a Redken artist and Chatters ambassador based in Mississauga, Ont. “Help your client make the best of what they have by using an anti-frizz product, which will add moisture and control the hair.”
Routines Are Made to Be Broken
While many stylists encourage their clients to use their favourite products year-round, Cohquette says she advises hers to change their routines seasonally. “Haircare is the same as skincare, and it’s almost unthinkable to consider using the same products on our skin and body throughout the year, so it makes sense to apply the same rule to caring for hair,” she says.
When it comes to consultations, that’s the time to evaluate your client’s needs and make the right recommendations. “Most hairstylists don’t educate their clients and that’s the time you really need to give the rationale for your advice,” says Cohquette. During her consultation, she explains that it’s always good to have more than one product in your routine, and follows with recommendations for five options to try. In doing so, she ensures that her clients have a few product options to try in between appointments.
Know What’s Best for Blondes
Know What’s Best for Blondes“For blonde clients, sun protection is key,” Duplantis says. Since the heat can be a big issue for this shade, she always recommends a leave-in conditioner with protein. A product like this can be a strengthener for almost any hair type, making it an easy one to retail at any time of the year.
Why Your Clients Need Options
It’s a given that with clients heading on vacation or to the cottage, the time between appointments can be a bit longer. That said, you can extend the life of a client’s hairstyle with a few easy tricks. “When I do haircuts in the summer, I’ll go a bit shorter,” says Cohquette. “I try to visualize how it will grow and even if it’s overgrown it will evolve and change and still look good,” “For vacation, the wet-look is an easy one to show clients,” says Duplantis. “Just loosely work a light styling product through the hair, and tell them to use their fingers to rake it back.”
Summertime Essentials
The tips you need to keep your clients happy, and their hairstylist (that’s you) top of mind in and out of the salon.
Value Added
For Cohquette, products come first when styling, but sometimes clients need a tool that requires a quick tutorial from a pro. “I’ll often get them to bring in their own tools so they can build their confidence in knowing how to use what they already have” she says.
Prescriptive Hair Care
Finding out the type of shampoo your client uses in their regular routine can give you
some insight into what they may need in the summer—or any other time of the year. “Helping them understand the product helps give them a solution to their hair issues and needs, and it teaches them how to choose items based on their performance rather than simply choosing one that smells nice,” she says.
Breaking Bad Habits
Know how your clients manage their hair at home. “Many people rub their hair with a towel, which makes hair frizzy,” says Barnhill who suggests clients with textured hair use a microfiber towel or a cotton T-shirt to squeeze the water from hair.
Best Product
Summer’s must-have item: Dry shampoo. “It’s lightweight, and gives a bit of volume—always keep a bottle handy especially for your fringe,” says Cohquette.
Photos: amika; Wella Professionals
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