Pro tip: My client called me out on my mixing technique and it changed everything

Last month a regular named Sarah told me her highlights looked patchy near the roots. I was using my standard bowl and brush method I learned in school 8 years ago. She watched me mix her color and said why dont you flip the foil the other way. I was stunned she was right. I had been laying the foil on the wrong side of the section for years. Now when I paint I make sure the foil catches the hair from underneath instead of just dropping it on top. It sounds small but the color placement is way cleaner and more even. Has anyone else had a client notice something you do wrong and actually improve your work?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_kim1mo ago

Oh man have I been there? One time a client watched me section her hair and straight up said "you're holding the comb backwards which is why that part keeps slipping." She was totally right and I had been doing it that way for like ten years. It's honestly humbling when a non-stylist calls you out but also kind of amazing because you realize how much you just autopilot through things. I feel like we get so stuck in our training habits that we forget to actually look at what we're doing sometimes.

tarajenkins1mo agoTop Commenter

Wow, that really hits home. I've had customer point out stuff I was doing wrong with my climbing gear and I was embarrassed but grateful too. It's like your brain goes on autopilot and you stop questioning your methods. I swear half the time we get stuck in a groove and miss the obvious fix right in front of us. Sure it stings a little when a non-professional calls it out but it's way better than keeping a bad habit forever. Good on you for being open to it, most stylists would get defensive.