Chapter Two Styling Hair-31 to 42 SHAUNA GREIG

Mike Rose
The Mind at Work
Chapter 2 Styling Hair

Rose introduced with the initial appearance of the Salon, whether it was bright and vibrant with lots of mirrors and playing music. He observed that you begin with making a small road map consulting with the customer on what your going to do, asking as many questions as you want to give them exactly what they want. An interesting fact is that 90% of hair stylists are women although men and women both need their hair done. Rose discussed how there is a wide range of salons such as homes, small neighborhood shops, specialty shops that are specifically for braiding and also, upscale urban salons. Some hair stylists only do cutting while others will color hair depending on what they are most comfortable with to give the customer exactly what they want. You have to consider the shape of their face, their bone structure. If they wish to have their hair colored, they need to consider their skin tone and eye color. Also, a crucial factor is what type of hair they have, whether short or long, curly or straight, or thick or thin. Another factor Rose observed was hair stylists should reference to pictures of others hairstyles to give the customer a graphic idea of what they could get. There are a number of variables, there could be one specific hairstyle and it would look completely different on every single person although they asked for the same thing. Some have curly hair; others have straight hair or even straight hair with a little wave. Rose discussed that you need to make sure you tell the customer throughout the consultation that their hair looks good and make them feel comfortable by giving eye contact using the mirrors. A lot depends on how you hold your tools. One hand could be used for the scissors and another hand could be used for the comb. Also, tension is a crucial factor. If you pull and tug on the customer’s hair too hard, it could hurt them and give them a negative response to your work and if you pull too hard, the end result could turn out differently than you had originally imagined. Little things are crucial, the angle that you hold the blow dryer, the tension applied while drying the hair, the amount of time it takes you could damaged the hair by making it too hot, and the attachment of the dryer. Even myself, I never have thought into any of these things that Mike Rose discussed. Rose talked about using a hot iron, there are ways you can test if it is too hot by using a towel but you have to use your own judgment, which only takes time to acquire the skill. Also, the hair products used should be only the best such as shampoos, conditioners, gels, and sprays. He also talked about the coloring theory. “You have to develop an eye for how what’s right for one person is not right for the next,”(40). Mike Rose quoted, “ All of the stylists interviewed-from people working in small neighborhoods to trendy and expensive salons- spoke of the importance of determining what the client wants and negotiating one’s aesthetics with client need,”(41).