Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

Like most of my readers, I love to save $. But there are times when you shouldn't try and cut the cost- you could end up spending more!
One of those times is when dealing with your hair, which as you can tell by the title of this post, is the topic.

As a hair stylist I see it all the time, women (& some men) trying to be cheap (yeah, I said it) and seeing a low budget stylist.
Let's say you found a stylist, and s/he did your hair right. A month later to find another stylist offering the same service for half the price, so you decide to try them out. Sometimes, that old saying is so true- you get what you pay for! You've tried out the least expensive stylist, and you hate your hair. I mean just HATE it. It might have looked ok when you left the salon, but after you've really had time to examine it, you realized it was cut uneven, breaking off in spots, or the color is just way off (or God forbid, all three) So now you have to go back to your original stylist for repair. You end up paying for the same service all over again- or even more if they have to do certain corrective treatments. This could have been avoided.
Once you find a stylist you like, try and stick with them. If you do want to try a cheaper or even just a new stylist. Be VERY careful. Make sure you are 100% happy with the services provided before leaving or paying. Ask for references or photos of their work (especially when using a homebased stylist) If you are going to a beauty school, make sure they are actually being supervised. It's your hair, its ok to be picky or in diva mode. After all, hair is a woman's glory. If you're trying out a new salon, talk to others in the waiting area. Ask them about their experiences there. Which services they are getting and which stylist they prefer. Once again, its your hair, its ok to ask questions.

Another problem I see too often is hair maintenance. Between salon visits, it is important to maintain your hair properly. That can be the difference between paying $50 and $25 for a salon service. If you get your hair permed/relaxed/dyed or any other chemical service, you def have to maintain it. There are products you can use at home to help.
For instance, if you get your hair relaxed (chemically straightened) make sure you either wrap or cover your hair with a silk scarf or bonnet when sleeping. What most people dont realize about relaxed hair is that there is no such thing as a healthy relaxer. Relaxers are damaging to your hair, especially if not cared for properly. Sleeping on cotten (even high quality cotten) can lead to hair breakage. To repair hair breakage, I would recommend protein treatments which can cost anywhere between $15 & $25 extra at a salon. And if the breakage is too bad, you'd have to cut-not trim, but cut your hair to stop the breakage.
Using the right shampoos & conditioners can also help. If you have color treated hair, make sure your shampoo is made to treat color treated hair. The same with relaxed hair.
Since we're on the topic of shampoos and conditioners, lets talk about
salon brand v. drugstore brand shampoos. There are some salon brand shampoos which I find work great when dealing with damaged hair versus their drugstore counterparts. Redkins and Paul Mitchell both have great leave in conditioners which work wonders on chemically damaged hair. Both are more expensive the drugstore brands.
A few drugstore brands I do not recommend are V05 and Suave. I find that both brands tend to leave the hair feeling dry and very brittle. You may be tempted to buy the 99 cent shampoo and conditioner versus the $8 one, but it could once again be a case of, you get what you pay for.