Tracking: Keeping Hair Styling Records

First of all, these are my real fingernails! The Viviscal pills have multiple benefits! LOL! Please see my separate article on Viviscal.

Pictured is the start of my hair log from October 19, 1998 to present day. I literally know about 13 years of history on my hair. I started tracking in October 1998 after having so many horrible hair salon experiences. I have been to Manhattan New York to Brooklyn, NY to White Plains, NY to North Carolina to South Carolina and still could not find a good fit for a hairdresser. Does this story sound familiar?

So keep track of stylist name, date of service, actual services provided, and any chemicals used. The only purpose it will serve is a sanity check and some tracking of changes you find.

Please understand that I do not recommend salon hopping. You lose liability of who did what. All hairstylists have the same licensing respective to the state that the license was issued. Hairstylists are like doctors. Their practice is their practice. Doctors sometimes have different approaches to helping to heal. Within three months or about six visits, your hair should be more solid even if you are trimming bad ends off regularly.

Professional hairstylists learn to respect another hairstylist's practice because the variables surrounding a hair service are only witnessed during the time of service. Over the years, I have learned to turn down clients and send them back to their stylist because expecting perfection in one visit sometimes is a tall order especially when it comes to chemicals.

If a hairstylist is more concerned with the health of the hair, they may require a treatment service before performing a multi-dimensional color service. Yes, it will cost you two visits to get the color service and then you still may need a third service to lift your haircolor to an additional dimension. So if you have dark hair and want to go blonde, one visit usually is not the healthiest way of doing it.

When it comes to relaxers, it may take a few tries to find a good fit unless you are relocating from another city and want to continue with your same regimen and same product brands that were working for you from whence you came.

Also, I have found that over the last few years, I look for hairstylists with my same hair type (Type 4). To my surprise, I have found that most hairdressers have type 3 hair so their hair is lower maintenance than mine. I usually rule out male hairdressers because they usually keep a low maintenance haircut.

These are my preferences based on my experiences. Many have given up on hairdressers . . . I am a hairstylist, and I have sometimes felt the same sentiment. However, I am determined to educate myself and share my findings so that others do not have to repeat the same mistakes. I am committed to the advancement of the hair industry globally.

I have to remind myself regularly that "the only thing constant" is change. Stay flexible but grounded . . .