We've all been there. You sit down in the salon chair, maybe show a quick picture on your phone, and before you can even finish your sentence, the cape is on and the scissors are snipping.

A client named Sandra came into James Geidner Hair Studio last year with this exact story.

"I went to a salon in Sebastian," Sandra told me. "Showed her a picture. She said 'okay' and started cutting. Never asked me anything. The haircut looked great in the salon. But at home? I have no idea how to make it look like that."

Sandra had been fighting with her hair for three months. The cut itself was fine. But it required 30 minutes of blow-drying and a flat iron. Sandra didn't have 30 minutes every morning.

"Why didn't she ask me about my routine?" Sandra asked, frustrated.

That's the question. Most salons skip the most important part. The conversation before the cut.

Let me show you what actually happens when you start with a real consultation.

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What's Actually Missing From Most Haircuts?

Sandra's Sebastian salon experience is common. Stylist looks at the picture. Cuts the hair to match the picture. Calls it done.

But that picture? It's a model with a professional stylist and 45 minutes of styling time. Not a real person with five minutes before work.

I had another client, Ellen, from the Beachland area. Same problem.

"I showed my stylist a picture of Jennifer Aniston," Ellen said. "She cut my hair exactly like the picture. It looked amazing in the salon."

"But?" I asked.

"But Jennifer Aniston's hair is thick," Ellen said. "Mine is fine. At home, it just hangs there. No volume. Nothing like the picture."

Ellen's previous stylist had copied the picture. But hadn't considered Ellen's actual hair type. Fine hair doesn't move like thick hair. You can't cut them the same way.

"What should she have said?" Ellen asked.

"She should have said: 'Jennifer Aniston has thick hair. Your hair is fine. Let me show you a version of this cut that will work with your texture,'" I explained.

That's the conversation that was missing. The consultation before the cut.

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What Does a Real Consultation Look Like?

When Sandra came to me, I didn't start cutting. I started asking questions.

"How much time do you spend on your hair in the morning?"

"Maybe five minutes," Sandra said. "I wash it. Towel dry. That's it."

"Do you use a blow dryer?"

"No," Sandra said. "I don't have time."

"Flat iron?"

"Never."

That told me everything. Sandra needed a wash-and-go cut. Her Sebastian cut required tools she didn't use and time she didn't have.

I cut Sandra's hair completely differently. No layers that needed blow-drying to look good. No angles that required a flat iron. Just a clean, simple cut that looked good air-dried.

"This is what I needed," Sandra said when I finished. "Why didn't anyone ask me these questions before?"

Because most stylists skip the consultation. They assume everyone has 30 minutes to style their hair. Everyone doesn't.

Ellen's consultation revealed different issues. She worked from home. Had more time for styling. But she'd never learned how to use a blow dryer properly.

"I own one," Ellen said. "But I just kind of... wave it at my hair?"

That explained why her Jennifer Aniston cut looked flat. The cut required proper blow-drying technique. Ellen didn't have that technique.

"I can teach you," I told Ellen. "Or we can cut your hair in a way that doesn't require blow-drying."

Ellen wanted to learn. So I cut her hair in a style that worked with blow-drying. Then I showed her exactly how to do it. Which sections to dry first. How to hold the brush. How to direct the airflow.

"No one's ever shown me this," Ellen said. "I've been guessing for 20 years."

Visit James Geidner Hair Studio to experience a real consultation.

What About Face Shape?

Sandra's Sebastian cut ignored her face shape completely. She has a round face. The cut was all one length. Made her face look rounder.

"Did your stylist talk about your face shape?" I asked Sandra.

"No," Sandra said. "Is that important?"

Very. Different face shapes need different cuts. A round face needs height and angles. A long face needs width and softness.

I cut Sandra's hair with a slight angle. Longer in front. Created a line that drew the eye down instead of across. Made her face look longer.

"My face looks different," Sandra said, looking in the mirror. "Better. Less round."

That's what face shape analysis does. It's not about rules. It's about creating balance.

I had a client named Joyce from Indian River Shores. Square jaw. Strong features. Wanted a blunt bob.

"A blunt bob will make your jaw look more square," I told Joyce honestly. "Is that what you want?"

Joyce thought about it. "No," she said. "I want to soften my jaw."

So I didn't do a blunt bob. I did a bob with soft, face-framing layers. Softened her jaw. Made her features look more balanced.

"This is so much better than what I asked for," Joyce said. "Thank you for being honest."

That's the consultation. Having the honesty to say "what you're asking for won't give you what you want."

Book your consultation to get honest advice.

What If Your Hair Texture Doesn't Match the Picture?

Ellen's fine hair trying to look like Jennifer Aniston's thick hair is a perfect example.

Different textures need different cuts. You can't cut fine hair like thick hair. You can't cut straight hair like wavy hair.

Ellen's previous stylist had cut her fine hair with lots of layers. That works on thick hair. On fine hair? It just looks stringy.

I cut Ellen's hair with fewer, longer layers. Created the illusion of thickness instead of actually removing hair.

"My hair looks thicker," Ellen said. "But you cut less than the other stylist did."

Exactly. Sometimes you need to cut less to make hair look fuller.

Joyce had the opposite problem. Very thick hair. Wanted a sleek bob. Her previous stylist had cut a bob with no texturizing. Just thick, heavy hair cut blunt.

"It looks like a helmet," Joyce said. "And it puffs out in humidity."

I removed weight from the interior. Texturized. Left the perimeter strong for shape. The bob was still sleek. But now it didn't puff in Florida humidity.

"This is what I wanted," Joyce said. "Sleek but not heavy."

That's understanding texture. Working with what the hair wants to do, not fighting it.

Another client, Maria, had naturally wavy hair. She straightened it every day with a flat iron.

"Do you like straightening your hair?" I asked during her consultation.

"No," Maria admitted. "I hate it. Takes forever. But my hair looks messy if I don't."

"What if I cut it to work with your natural wave instead?" I suggested.

Maria was skeptical. "Will it look professional?"

"Let me show you," I said.

I cut Maria's hair in layers that released her natural wave pattern. Removed bulk so the waves didn't get poufy. Created shape so the waves looked intentional.

Maria came back two weeks later. "I haven't straightened my hair once," she said. "Everyone at work keeps complimenting it. They say it looks more 'me.'"

That's what happens when you work with hair texture instead of against it.

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How Often Will You Need Maintenance?

Sandra's wash-and-go cut? She could go 10-12 weeks between haircuts. The cut grew out gracefully because it was simple and clean.

Ellen's blow-dried style? She needed trims every 6-8 weeks to keep the layers looking right.

Joyce's textured bob? Every 5-6 weeks to maintain the shape.

Maria's wavy layers? Every 8-10 weeks.

Different cuts require different maintenance. We talk about this during the consultation.

Sandra's previous stylist never mentioned maintenance. Sandra went six weeks and her hair looked terrible. She thought the cut was bad.

"The cut wasn't bad," I explained. "It just needed maintenance you didn't know about."

Sandra's cut from me? I told her upfront: "This will look good for 10-12 weeks. Then you'll need a trim."

She went 11 weeks. Hair still looked great.

"This is exactly what you said would happen," Sandra told me. "Thank you for being upfront."

Ellen's previous stylist also didn't discuss maintenance. Ellen waited eight weeks. Her layers looked stringy and disconnected.

"I thought haircuts lasted longer," Ellen said.

"Some do," I explained. "Yours needs maintenance every 6-8 weeks because of the layering. I'll tell you that upfront so you can plan."

Ellen appreciated the honesty. She schedules her appointments in advance now. Hair always looks good.

Visit James Geidner Hair Studio for honest maintenance guidance.

What Products Do You Actually Need?

Sandra's wash-and-go cut? No products needed. Just wash and go.

Ellen's blow-dried style? She needed a heat protectant and a light volumizing spray.

Joyce's bob? She needed a smoothing cream for humidity.

Maria's wavy layers? She needed a curl-defining cream and a diffuser.

We talk about this during the consultation. What products you'll actually need. Not what I want to sell you. What will make your hair work at home.

Sandra's previous stylist recommended six products. Sandra bought them all. Never used any of them.

"Why did she tell me to buy all this?" Sandra asked, showing me the products.

"Because she was trying to make a sale," I said honestly. "You don't need any of these for your cut."

Ellen's previous stylist recommended nothing. Ellen struggled for months trying to figure out how to style her hair.

When I cut Ellen's hair, I recommended two specific products. Showed her exactly how to use them. She bought them. Uses them daily.

"This is all I needed," Ellen said. "Two products and proper instructions."

That's the balance. Honest recommendations. Not zero products. Not six products. Just what you actually need.

What Actually Matters?

After 40 years of consultations, here's what I've learned:

Most haircuts fail at home because they skip the consultation. Sandra's Sebastian cut looked great but she couldn't recreate it. Ellen's cut required blow-drying she didn't know how to do.

Real consultations start with lifestyle questions. How much time? What tools? What skills? Sandra needed five minutes wash-and-go. Ellen had time but needed technique training.

Face shape changes which cuts work. Sandra's round face needed angles. Joyce's square jaw needed softening.

Texture determines what's possible. Ellen's fine hair couldn't be cut like thick hair. Joyce's thick hair needed texturizing. Maria's wavy hair looked better natural than straightened.

Different cuts need different maintenance schedules. Sandra 10-12 weeks. Ellen 6-8 weeks. Joyce 5-6 weeks. We discuss this upfront.

Honest product recommendations build trust. Not zero. Not six. Just what you need with instructions on how to use it.

Sandra comes back every 11 weeks. Her wash-and-go cut still works perfectly. Saves her 30 minutes every morning.

Ellen comes every 7 weeks. Finally knows how to blow-dry her hair properly. Loves her style.

Joyce comes every 6 weeks. Her bob works in Florida humidity. No more helmet head.

Maria stopped straightening completely. Her natural waves look professional. "I should have done this 10 years ago," she said.

All of them said some version of: "This is the first time a stylist actually listened to me. Asked me questions. Designed a cut for my actual life."

Ready for a consultation that actually listens? Book your appointment at James Geidner Hair Studio.

James Geidner