Hairdresser Archive

Hair color dictionary: customer-hairdresser; hairdresser-customer

You sit in the barber’s chair, surrounded by shiny scissors, fragrant hairspray, and the soothing sound of blow drying. The hairdresser smiles and asks, “How can I help you?” You think for a moment and say with a firm voice: “I’d like a Vollagé!”

Uh-huh? The hairdresser looks at you like he’s suddenly got spontaneous diarrhea. A full what? He raises an eyebrow and asks, “Excuse me, what do you want?”

“Well, a full Vollagé! So, soft streaks.” “…Do you mean balayage? Or was it foilyage?”

This is where the big misunderstanding begins. Suddenly you feel like a tourist in a foreign country whose words are not understood. Don’t worry, we’ll save your next haircut by breaking down the most important hair color techniques!

Balayage

– Freehand technique: Your hairdresser creates with brush and color cream.
– Soft transitions: The result? Natural-looking highlights that gently reflect the light.
– Naturalness: Perfect for those who want movement in their hair and a touch of sunshine.
– Maintenance required: Requires the right styling routine, otherwise it can quickly look “meh”.

AirTouch

– Color + Air (Hairdryer): Here, the color is distributed using air – really! Only the shortest hairs remain dark.
– Effect: Ultra soft and elegant.
– Investment: Yes, it takes time and therefore costs a bit more, but the result is worth every penny.

Foilyage

– Balayage + foil: The magic of the foil provides more brightening.
– Power and statement: More bang, less “I am the natural one here”.
– Perfect for anyone who wants to go lighter but doesn’t want classically highlighted hair.

Highlights (classic)

– Foil, structure, control: Here everything is meticulously planned and precisely implemented.
– Smooth & clear: Ideal for a perfect hairline or when the gray returns.
– Solid craftsmanship: No trendy fluff, but solid craftsmanship.

Not every technique suits every head of hair. And none of them will guarantee the perfect look if your idea is “all” there. Come with a concrete idea and tell your professional what you want: How light, how soft, how much effort are you willing to invest? The more you tell your hairdresser, the better the result.

and

“Stand up straight!” – Why this “command” saves hairdressers’ backs

Sounds like army, but it’s pure self-care, because while you’re using scissors, hair dryer, and color perfectly, your back often gives out – and reports back pain, tension, or long-term misalignment.

So, time to change that – easy and without a drill sergeant

Being a hairdresser is high-performance sports – just without the warm-up.

You know it. Standing for eight hours, slightly leaning forward, arms at shoulder height, plus the famous “barber lunge” at the sink…

the result:

– Guarded postures (unconscious avoidance of pain)
– Unilateral stress
– Misalignments that creep in over the years

The good news: you can train your posture. And you don’t need a gym membership.
Good posture starts in the mind – and doesn’t end in a hollow back.
“Standing firm” doesn’t mean standing firm militarily. Good posture is dynamic, relaxed, and changing.

The basics for everyday hairdressing:

– Head “floats” above the spine (do not push forward)
– Shoulders loose – don’t shrug
– Abdominal tension slightly active (no drawing in, rather “stabilizing”)
– Distribute weight evenly on both feet

The most common mistake: working from the back instead of the legs
Many back pains occur because hairdressers:

– bending down to the customer
– not setting the chair correctly
– always work from the same position

better do this:

– Consistently adjust the customer chair to working height
– Bend your knees instead of bending your back
– Regularly change sides

This will cost you a few seconds at the beginning, but it will save you years of back pain.

Micro-movements beat marathon stretches
You don’t need a 60-minute yoga session at the salon (although… why not?). Even small things help enormously:

– Circle your shoulders between customers
– Gently mobilize your neck
– Shake out your hands
– Shift your weight
– Consciously use mini-breaks

Adopting a protective posture is not protection – it’s a trap.

If something hurts regularly, it’s not a “professional risk,” but a signal. And signals should be taken seriously – don’t overdo it, or your body will stand still like a 70s memory wig.

Good posture is a career booster

A healthy back means:
– less pain
– more energy
– longer working life
– better appearance (yes, posture is noticeable!)

So: Adopt a posture – but with humor, movement, and intelligence.

Your body is your most important tool. Treat it at least as well as your scissors.

And now please: relax your shoulders 😉

Clay Blond… how not to do it.

Social media loves effects. And right now, it loves one thing in particular:

People who tilt their heads back and pour bleach over their heads like thick cement. A little wipe, some back-and-forth smacking – the supposed wow look is done…At least in the video.

This technique may shine on the internet, but in real life, you’ll fail miserably

Sure, it all looks spectacular on the screen. The mass shines, the camera lens dances, and the algorithm cheers. Direct route to the cover!

But reality?

The regrowth looks like a zebra stripe, the lightening is uneven, and the result is hardly practical for everyday life. Not to mention the wasteful product consumption: half the bleach ends up in the towel, on the floor, or trickles slowly down towards the earlobe. Sustainable? Absolutely not.

And that is exactly the core of the problem:

It’s all about more: more show than technique, more consistency than concept, more hair coloring on the floor than in the hair. If you’re celebrating it optically: Congratulations, you have too much money and no idea. If you’re upset about the rough transitions and blotchy textures after four weeks: My condolences.

The clay-blonding trend is not new

Clay products (thick, blonding products based on clay) were originally developed to make freehand techniques like balayage more controlled. So for stylists who know how product volume, departmental technique, and temperature behavior harmonize.

What works differently in professional hands

A professional lightening treatment – whether classic, clay, or high-end technology – includes:

1. Analysis of the original hair: porosity, prior treatments, natural tone level, color history. Without analysis: casino.

2. Precise sections: To ensure even lightening and smooth transitions.

3. Control over product quantity & consistency: Professionals know where clay makes sense and where it doesn’t.

4. Exact exposure time & constant monitoring: Bleaching develops – and must be observed. A lounger and a phone trick won’t do that.

5. Gentle after-treatment & toning: So that the result is not only bright, but also beautiful. Professional lightening is based on technique, knowledge, and experience – not on spectacular camera angles and viral effects.

SO: Don’t do it like in the video – do it right

If you’re serious about a beautiful, healthy, and sustainable blonde, you shouldn’t just blindly copy trends and slather bleach on your head, but rather find someone who knows what they’re doing.

Social media shows you effects. Professionals deliver results.

That’s not what I expected – I’m not paying that!

There are those magical moments in the hair salon: You sit there, the cape tied around your neck like a royal sash, full of hope that you’ll leave the shop looking like a mix of a runway model and a Renaissance painting. The hairdresser nods sympathetically, the customer beams with anticipation—what could possibly go wrong? Well, that’s just it.

“I would like a layered cut, but without the hair looking thinner at the ends.”

It’s a bit like saying in a restaurant, “I’d like my steak medium, but well-done.”
Layered means: shorter hair on top, longer hair on the bottom. And what happens when you cut hair shorter and lift it? Exactly: the lengths look thinner. That’s not a surprising plot twist; that’s basic hairdressing.
So the hairdresser does exactly what was requested. He cuts layers. Professionally. Precisely. Technically correctly. And the customer? “Oh. So these are… layers?” Yes. Yes, they are. Surprise.

“I want curtain bangs! But not so fringy…”

Curtain bangs are fringed. That’s literally their entire character. Curtain bangs without soft, thinned edges would simply be: a pony that’s gotten too long. Or two sad tufts of hair on the sides of the face.
The hairdresser knows that. The customer often doesn’t. And when the result looks just like it has to, but not like the customer imagined it in their romanticized TikTok vision – well, that’s not a mistake. That’s reality vs. Pinterest.

I don’t really like the hair color…“

Colors are tricky. Anyone who’s ever tried to paint a wall “vanilla cream” and ended up with a shocking “baby duckling yellow” knows that. Hairdressers mix professionally, taking into account pigments, the hair’s starting color, and texture.

What he can’t influence: the lighting conditions in the customer’s living room. The opinion of the partner (“I liked the old one better.”). The sudden realization that copper might not be the inner Boho goddess, but rather Aunt Erna with her henna hobby.

But is this the hairdresser’s fault?
Can one then refuse to pay the price, or does one have the right to complain about it?

No.

He delivered exactly what was ordered. Why shouldn’t the hairdresser charge the full price then? Because a hairdresser is not a fortune teller. Because a hairdresser can’t install a Photoshop AI on a customer’s head either.

Because a hairdresser works as a craftsman — and if he does what was commissioned, he has fulfilled his obligation.

You pay for the pizza even if you suddenly don’t feel like eating salami anymore; the taxi ride even if you realize in the car that you would rather go somewhere else; or the custom-made clothing even if you realize that beige might not be your color after all.

So why should the hairdresser work for free or apologize just because the customer misjudged their own styling fantasies?

The truth ist very simple

A hairdresser owes professional execution, not the implementation of an Instagram filter in reality.
The hairdresser has done his job. The customer has made his decision.

And if the two don’t match – that’s embarrassing for the decision, not for the hairdresser.

So yes: It is absolutely fine for the hairdresser to charge for the full service.

For professional work remains professional work – even if the customer ends up saying:

“I wanted it exactly like this – but different.”