As a Hairstylist, I have seen some pretty gnarly things on the cutting floor. There are some things that are justifiable and some things that we just need to discuss. So let's have a chat, shall we?

1. Ear Cheese

Trust me we get it. When you get older, its harder to clean around the ears. But your teenage son that “just doesn’t like to take a shower” is an awful excuse. At least use a wet wipe. My trimmers cannot cut through dirt.

2. Body Odor

Trust me, were not all perfect here. After a long day at work, its normal to have some BO going on and that’s okay! I have that too! Nothing that a couple squirts of perfume/cologne and a quick swipe of deodorant can’t fix. You still may not smell like a dozen roses but let me tell you, something is better than nothing.

Again, your son that “just doesn’t like to take a shower” isn’t a good excuse. I also hope that everyone knows that your sent gets trapped in your hair. We know what you’ve been doing on your downtime, my friend.

3. Surgery

Surgery is something that I hope no one ever has to go through. Recovery time is awful, lonely, and really just a pain in the butt. Hairstylists have no problem working with you or taking their time to make sure we're not making the situation worse. We really are just here to make it better!

But if you just had surgery and an incision is made anywhere near the top of your head, we have to turn you away. If there is a chance hair will get into an open wound, we can not perform a service to you. To protect you from infections and to protect ourselves, we will ask that you come to see us when the wound closes. It’s really not the stylists choice in this situation either, it’s a state law. Work with us.

4. Skin Conditions

There is nothing worse than someone that has a serious skin condition and won’t ask for help. I really just want to help you feel 10x better. There is nothing in this world that feels better than a free and clean scalp. Take our recommendations. We are not doctors so we can not recommend medication, but there are products out there that you can use along with what your doctor recommends. We aren’t just trying to get the product sale. We just want you to feel the best you can feel! That’s our job as a stylist.

PS. Dandruff is different than dry scalp.

5. Hair History

As a stylist, we NEED to know your hair history. It may just seem like hair to you but to us, it’s chemistry. Especially when we are doing color, it is so important that we know about that 6 boxes of color you already used before this. If you don't tell us the truth, expect green, orange, or broken off hair to exist when we’re done because we didn't know what we could have done to prevent it. PS. Please stop using box color unless you're a professional and know why you are using it.

6. Head Lice

I just made you cringe a little, huh? Yes, watching videos and reading about what it makes you itch your own head even when you know that you don't have it. To start, I want to say that head lice and nits are the same things. One is just a growing baby form.

Either way, lice DOES NOT (let me repeat for the people in the back, DOES NOT) make you a nasty person. It does not make you someone that doesn’t wash their hair. It does not make you someone that has horrible hygiene habits.

It simply makes you a victim of someone else’s unknowingness. (Hopefully, they don't know.) Lice are honestly hard to spot in early stages unless you truly know what you are looking for. Let a professional (preferably a doctor) help you look if you feel itchy.

Whether you know this or not, your stylist checks your head and your child’s head every time you sit in the chair. Please, do not think this is because we think you are a gross person. It’s simply a state law. We have to check. It is also a state law that we must send you home without completing the service if we find either lice or nits. They are both a form of easily transferable lice and we as hairstylists must protect ourselves and other clients from.

So please, the next time we tell you that something is up, let us direct you to the products you need for removal (or see your doctor) and come back to see us when the problem is solved. We would be more than happy to serve you then.

It was a nice chat, right? People don't believe this stuff actually happens, but let me just tell you... It does. We are hairstylist that want to see you walk out with pride. Walk out showing your hair off to all of your friends and tell them where you got it done. Walk out of that salon like Beyoncé walks off of a stage.

So please, the next time you walk into the salon, remember what we see throughout the day, and try to help us avoid that.