Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

I don’t know why, but changing hair dressers is a tricky business. I’ve known more than one woman who complained about the haircut she got or the perm she just paid for and yet returned four weeks later for a trim. There must be something about the client/hair stylist relationship that keeps the client returning. Truth be told, I’m equally guilty of participating in this love/hate relationship.

I’ve gone to the same hairdresser since I moved to St. Joseph, and I’ve always felt she didn’t cut hair well. But she had other qualities: she gave good perms, she could do color, and when I was in her chair I was always her number one priority. Forget that she also always ran late, even when I had her first appointment of the day. Forget that she sometimes had to cancel appointments altogether because of family illness. I kept coming back, and I suppose I did because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

Recently, however, my hairdresser took an extended leave of absence due to health issues, and I finally took the opportunity to shop around. I would never insult her by going to someone in the same salon, so I tried a new one which is much closer to my home.

That’s the other tricky part. The first time someone does your hair, it’s a learning experience on both sides. The stylist has to get a sense of how your hair acts. Is it thick? Thin? Curly? Long? Short? What? And you have to accept that you might pay for a style you’re not all that crazy about. It can make even the bravest woman return to her old salon. It’s a case of living with the devil you know versus the devil you don’t.

At the same time, it’s the only way to find a better hairdresser. And that seems to be exactly what I’ve done. So far, I’ve had two haircuts with Ashley and so far I’ve been pleased both times. The style she gave me is contemporary and easy to maintain. The odds of my returning to my old stylist when she returns to work are growing slim.

One other thing has occurred to me in this transition. Ashley had been out of beauty school a little less than two years. This means she’s short on experience, but long on current techniques. My other hairdresser had been in the business over twenty years. And maybe, in the long run, that’s what made the difference. It isn’t about the cut so much as it is about the style.