Finding the Best Hair Salon for you

New to Portland? Looking for a new hair stylist?

Hair salons are a dime a dozen so how do you find a great hair stylist?

Word of mouth is typically a sure bet because who wouldn’t trust one of their best friends. However, word of mouth from that weird co-worker… Well then you probably better start doing some research.

Here’s a list of things to look for when trying to find your next hair stylist (which we argue people value more than a doctor or dentist), so yeah, it’s a big deal:

Is it hard to book with them?

Now, there's so many factors that could also come into play. Maybe they just started at a new salon or they added more days to their work schedule so it looks like they have a lot more openings than usual. However, this is typically a good gauge of client retention meaning clients love this stylist if it’s hard to get in.

Check out their work

Just because someone posts a lot on instagram does not mean they are a great stylist, this honestly probably means they’re trying to get new clients. Just like a lot of us, a stylist might not care or enjoy posting on social media, so sometimes it’s best to look at their work and the type of hair they do and ignore the fact they haven’t posted in over 6 months.

Research the salon

You’ll want to visit a convenient, professional and nice space. When creating yello, convenience was so important when choosing a location because we wanted to be close to downtown Portland while not having to stress over parking. Check the salon website, their reviews, photos, amenities and see what they specialize in. For instance, here at yello we specialize in lived-in blonding (balayage) and shoulder length or longer hair cuts.

Easy to book online

When you’re ready to pull the trigger, make sure the salon’s booking is convenient and easy to use. Whether it’s an individual stylist or a salon, you want to see that they’ve invested in their business with you in mind.

Give your stylist a chance

As a new client, it can be hard for a stylist to do your hair perfectly the first time. It takes time for them to understand your hair and how it lifts or takes to color so make sure to keep this in mind. Just because it’s not 100% what you want the first time doesn’t mean they’re a bad stylist. It might take a few visits and a few more consultations to truly get your desired outcome.

Timing

Have a busy schedule? Make sure you’re not signing up your entire day for your hair if you have a tight schedule. Here at yello we book our balayage appointments for 2-3 hour appointments as maintenance appointments every 3 months (give or take). So someone who comes in with dark hair and wants to be super blonde, we make sure they understand that this will take multiple visits to achieve the desired result. Whereas some salons will book you to get you to that look in one visit, but be prepared to spend 6-8 hours at $100 an hour.

Overall, there’s a list of great Portland hair salons and stylists so be sure to keep an open mind when trying somewhere new and give your stylist some time to truly get to know you and your hair.