A trip to the hairdresser seems innocuous enough. Book an appointment. Turn up. Discuss cut, colour, style options. Bliss out. New hair. But, according to Hermiz Daniel, celebrity and editorial hairstylist at Joey Scandizzo Salon, you actually need to be prepared before you hit the hair salon. Translation? Do your hair homework.

“Recently, I have been getting bombarded with clients coming in saying, they feel dull. There is no life in their hair. They can’t do anything with it and they’re sick of their look,” says Hermiz. But for a colourist or stylist to really work their magic, Hermiz maintains they need to be well-versed in some fundamental lock language. “Clients need to be prepared when coming to the hairdresser, and trust the stylist or colourist.”

Here, Hermiz shares his top five tips on how to really prepare for a salon visit…

1. Don’t focus on one thing
Expand your hair horizons. “People concentrate on one thing and that’s why it never works. When clients come to the salon, make sure you have an open mind.”

2. Bring Inspo pics
A visual mood board is the best way to convey your hair goals with your stylist. “Find inspo pictures of the colour and cut, plus the style,” Daniel notes. Remember, what you perceive as “honey blonde”, or “just 1-inch” can be very different to what you stylist envisages (read: very true story), so come armed with visual references.

3. Understand what your concern is
Is it a chop? Is it a colour? Or is it both? “Clients walk in and only ask to change the cut thinking that that’s enough, and they still feel no difference.” Take the blinkers off; hone in on your hair problems(s) and understand there may be more than one.

4. come with your normal makeup on
Makeup before you wake up (hit the salon). “Come with makeup on…some clients sit there looking at themselves in the mirror without makeup on and they freak out!”

5. leave your trust issues at the door
And have confidence. “Trust is a very crucial thing to have with clients. I mean, some of them come in knowing exactly what they want and I like what they ask for because it works with them and they are very confident about it.”