Going to a new beauty salon for the first time can always be an intimidating experience. Maybe you decided to graduate and are opting for a fancier salon. Your go-to hair pro could’ve also moved and now you’re stuck going to a new place where you feel a bit lost. Salon experiences should always put you at ease but if you ever find yourself in uncharted territory, this is the one thing you should never ask for according to a celebrity hair pro.

Hengame Roein is the girl to go to when you have any burning salon questions. Not only was he voted by Vanity Fair as one of the Iran’s Top Three Stylists, but he also owns salons in a chic Tehran City neighborhood, BORG salon, and Pardis.

His one big no-no? Going against your features and natural hair texture. He explains, “The worse thing a client can ask for is something that goes so against their natural features and/or texture that it is impossible for me or another hairstylist to create,” BORG dishes.

Hengame Roeintan has a few real-life examples because as you can tell, the guy has a ton of experience navigating clients through iffy asks. When pressed further about what a bad ask would be, he offers an example. “This would be a person with ultra-fine Scandinavian hair asking for a super graduated cut,” he begins. “It won’t work.” He also cautions against rich black hair with high porosity asking to go platinum blonde. “[If you] want to go platinum with no warmth to the hue, there will be damage,” he cautions.

Fear not, a good celebrity stylist always has an antidote to this type of tricky behavior. “I prefer clients to ask me what I think so I can direct them to what is best for their face shape, skin tone, and hair texture,” he confesses. Hengame also has a formula he employs whenever a client is asking for something that is completely out of the realm of possibility. He starts managing expectations early on. “This is essential to doing good work and keeping everyone happy,” he says. Great advice for both clients and any up-and-comer artist. آرایشگاه در پردیس

 - آرایشگاه زنانه در پردیس Dry Cuts vs Wet Cuts

When it comes to wavy, curly, and kinky hair types, a dry cut is the way to go. Wet cuts often result in harsh lines and and sharp edges that don’t account for how those beautiful curls and coils actually lie when dry. For those with wavy and curly hair, wet cuts are just limiting. “That wet to dry approach may be better suited for straight, caucasian hair,” Garrett explains. In the modern world of hairdressing, understanding and mastering inclusive techniques like dry cutting is absolutely essential. Not only in growing as a stylist but also to better serve your clientele. 

Ultimately, the choice between dry and wet cutting is often more of a personal artistic decision that reflects the stylist’s aesthetic preferences, sensibilities, and education. “It’s not about the scissors or the comb, it’s more about the hairdresser’s point of view,” Garrett explains. More fundamental hairdressers may choose to work wet to dry because that discipline, that sort of architectural process, works well for them. Dry cutting is more sculptural, Garrett says, more intuitive and post-modern. “With dry cuts I don’t even use the comb,” he explains. “You really want to have your free hand feeling the density and layers.” 

But is one technique better than the other? Not at all. “It doesn’t have to do with experience or talent. It’s not about one being wrong and one being right,” Garrett says. “One is very British, and the other is way more European and Japanese. [The] origins of how we learn the technique influence the cut.”

 All that to say that, when selecting a stylist, clients should look for someone whose work resonates with them, not just someone who does a dry or a wet cut.

Haircutting Is Always Evolving

Looking to dive into the dry cutting deep end? The best way to hone your hair cutting craft is to expand the range of your repertoire, to challenge yourself and continue to learn. “One of the greatest teachers is photography, taking pictures of your work,” Garrett says. Stylists can learn a great deal from looking back at pasts cuts. And with Instagram being so accessible, starting conversations and threads with other stylists can also help expand your artistic horizons. Stylists can really learn from one another, Garrett explains, and that collaborative community is so important now more than ever.

Formal education, classes, and expositions can also help stylists expand their knowledge of trimming techniques. “I’m represented by the Left Brain Group, and so if people want education from me, they manage that,” Garrett says. They have other artists and several stylists on that platform that specialize in razor cuts, curly dry cuts, and other innovative techniques, he continues. Taking a page from the book of a stylist you admire can open doors to new avenues in your own practice to dry cutting and beyond.

Why Hairdressers Frequently Befriend Their Clients

We all know that a trip to the hair salon is a full-on social affair. In between sips of champagne and reflections on how much your hair has grown since your last visit, plenty of gossip typically ensues.

While a hairdresser-client relationship can at times feel over-the-top or slightly phony, one hairstylist tells us there a number of reasons why she finds a genuine connection with many of her clients. Despite how it may seem based on the nature of the conversations in the chair, IGK’s Olivia Casanova considers a fair share of clients legitimate friends.

 سالن زیبایی پردیس Below, she explains how her professional relationships evolve into more, and why being friends with your hairdresser is often important.

Mane Addicts: Given the dynamics of a salon professional’s work environment, do you feel pressured to act like friends with clients who you only know through your chair?

Olivia Casanova: I personally never feel pressured to act like a friend with a client whom I only know through the chair. For me, people skills come naturally. It’s part of the reason I got into the industry. I genuinely want to get to know the person in my chair and create a connection. It doesn’t happen naturally with everyone though, and I don’t push for it if that’s the case. 

MA: Whether you feel pressured or not, do you enjoy treating your clients like pals? Or, would you prefer to keep things totally professional?

OC: I enjoy treating my clients like “pals,” and some of them truly have become friends of mine over the years. I always want my clients to feel comfortable. I want to create a safe space for them. Hairstylists are sort of part therapists, too. As a stylist you’ll go through major life events—both bad and good with your clients—such as pregnancies, divorces, marriages, and bankruptcy. I think to a certain extent it’s important to establish a meaningful relationship with your clients. 

MA: Have you had an instance when a professional client crossed the line with you in a way that felt inappropriate? If so, how did you maneuver the situation?

OC: I’ve had a few instances where a professional client has crossed the line with me. Nothing necessarily inappropriate, but where I felt like I was taken advantage of for being “friends.” There’ve been times when they felt as though they were entitled to receiving discounted or free services.

MA: Has it been common in your experience to develop legitimate, genuine friendships with clients you only met through work? 

OC: I don’t want to say it’s been common, but there’ve definitely been a good number of genuine friendships I have made with clients that I only know through work after doing their hair over the years. When you’re in the industry long enough, you’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands, of different people. You’re bound to have someone sit in your chair who you naturally connect with. 

How do you set boundaries with an especially chatty client who you only want to know professionally?

OC: If I need to set boundaries with an exceptionally chatty client that I only want to know professionally, I try not to engage in personal conversation too much—of course, always being polite though. I’ll always respond to their questions. But I, myself, won’t be asking them too much, in order to avoid prolonging the conversation. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add on this matter?

OC: I think for stylists it’s really important to engage with clients on a deeper level than hair. I’m not saying to force it, but I believe in making your client feel comfortable, especially because it can be intimidating for them walking into a salon at times. You’d be surprised how many clients come in looking for someone to do more than just their hair. You never know someone’s situation at home or in life in general, so it always pays to be kind to them and give them your undivided attention and some conversation if it seems like that’s what they’re looking for. It’s more than just your skills that will keep people coming back.