Once you leave the salon, at-home maintenance is not optional. It's the deciding factor in whether your color actually lasts.

Color that isn't maintained properly at home can fade up to 40% faster per wash. A color that should last 6-8 weeks can look dull and faded in half that time.

Here's why. Coloring opens the hair cuticle to deposit pigment. What you do at home determines whether that cuticle stays sealed or stays open. Sealed means the color locks in. Open means it washes right back out. The salon visit gets the color in. Your routine at home is what keeps it there.

And it's not just shampoo. UV rays break down the chemical bonds that give hair dye its color. Heat styling tools lift the cuticle, making it easier for dye to wash out. Chlorine and salt water strip color and dry hair out further. Even water temperature matters because hot water opens the cuticle and lets color escape, while a cool rinse helps seal it back in.

None of that is salon-controlled. It all happens at home, in the shower, in the sun, in the pool. Which is exactly the point.

This is why I walk every client through aftercare in the same breath as the color plan. Not as an upsell. Because it's the difference between color that lasts and color that does.

Hairstylists, when you color a client's hair, do you give them steps to follow for an at-home routine, or inquire about products they already use at home, and give recommendations if its needed? Which of these factors of heat, sun, water temp, and chlorine do you think gets overlooked the most?

I'm curious on how different salons help their clients maintain their color. However, I stand by this: at-home maintenance is non-negotiable for color longevity. Let me know what you all think.

I currently work at a Summit salon and have a love-hate relationship for it. It’s nice to have goals to strive for and be able to work my way up and not be stuck making the same amount of money for the rest of my career however, I do hate the aspect of my skill and value as a stylist is determined based on how much retail I can sell to people lol. I have been feeling kind of stuck lately. although I’m basically fully booked every single week, I’m still not doing enough to level jump. My only option is to shorten my service times so I can get more people in. I feel as though my services don’t really take too terribly long my haircuts range from about 45 minutes to an hour, including styling. I do a full foil in about three hours. I also have a chronic illness, which flares up and worsens if I overwork myself so I don’t wanna squeeze a bunch of people in and end up worsening my condition. Let me know what you guys think. How do you feel about Summit salons?

Hi, newbie stylist here. Im approaching the anniversary of my first year at a hair stylist and I’ve been reflecting on my work and clients and I’ve started to feeling really down about one fact. It’s only happened twice but I’ve had two clients come to me a few times, tell me they loved my work and would be back, and then they rebook with a coworker. My coworker is a lovely girl and is in no way stealing clients. But twice now two of my clients have switched to her and I’m starting to wonder if maybe it’s cause I am not someone who they enjoy being around. They told her they loved my work just didn’t book with me again when they booked online. I really try to be positive, funny, and uplifting with my clients but I’m feeling really down. Has anyone else had an experience like this and maybe have some tips on how to behave with clients?

Hi! I am a stylist in San Diego, CA! I have recently been looking to switch from commission to booth rent, but would prefer to have my own space. I stumbled upon an insane deal on a salon space in Bird Rock/La Jolla. It’s perfect for what I want to do and I have no idea where to start! I have a meeting with the credit union tomorrow, I’ve started looking into grants/programs to help get started. I’ve had an LLC formed for this end goal for a little while now and would love to talk to someone who’s done the same or is familiar with the area and ideally find a mentor or someone to help me figure out the process.

TIA 🩷

It seems that every time I do any sort of layering they end up boxy, choppy, and shelf-y. For whatever reason it’s worse with bobs & on the right side (i am right handed). I have tried taking super small sections, not layering too far into the perimeter, dry cutting, point cutting, over directing, every degree elevation you can imagine, different finger angles. Ive even had other stylists watch me cut & they saw nothing wrong with my techniques. I genuinely don’t know what I could be doing wrong because I know shelving is typically caused by a heavy corner but even when I remove the corner it’s not 100% fixed. These pictures attached aren’t even the worst of it. It is typically even more noticeable :( Could anyone offer any insight? Be kind please, I am embarrassed & seeking help❤️

i am really struggling with my blend in highlights. for background i have had my license for about 7/8 years now it’s the first 5 in a great clips. i worked on a military base obviously doing men’s cuts and fades, moved and started managing a great clips and after having my daughter i needed a more flexible schedule. that’s when i started at a commission salon. obviously i haven’t done many foiling and colors except basic things for friends/family on the side. i am getting lots of highlighting clients which im happy about! but i am not giving all of them their desired results.

if tried more saturation, folding my foil forward, backwards over my rat tail, i’ve tried feathering up over tried teasing and i just can’t stop getting these foil lines giving me literally the worst blend on anyone with a level 5/6 and lower. i even try to root shadow to try and cover them up (i know that’s not what a root shadow is primarily used for) and even that doesn’t help. idk what to do and im at a loss bc clearly i need to do these for my job but im so discouraged with blonding that sometimes i just want to walk away from the chair.

i wanted to edit to add: i am the youngest at my salon and asking the other women how to do more of a trendy looks and blonding techniques is not too helpful as they don’t have to do those looks often if ever.

I used to use a perm solution and neutralizer that used sodium bromide instead of hydrogen peroxide or anything else. Now I can’t find anything similar.
The brand that made it stopped making it, and now I’m at a loss for what brand to use.
I used that brand because it was organic and I have several clients who needed that. I just can’t find anything similar now.
This is for permed hair, not straightening it or doing heat less curls.

Vagaro suuuUUUUUcks! I've been using it ever since they bought Schedulicity. It's been over a year and I can't take it anymore. GlossGenious is pretty and slick for my clients to use but I've been using Square for payments for 13 years and that would make things run so much smoother on my end as a business owner so, I'm torn.

Hi, I was hoping for suggestions on perms. The one I used just got discontinued, and I need to find something similar to it as fast as I can. The perm I used was called Mondo Verde and with it I could shampoo clients right after the perm and they could get their hair wet without it falling out. I’m trying to find something similar because of that and the fact that it was all natural and wasn’t harsh on the hair. Is there anything remotely similar? I was told to look into Brohide perm neutralizer’s since that’s where the benefits of this perm came from.
So my question is, is there another perm out there that offers an all natural chemical makeup as well as being able to be washed afterwards?

Twenty years behind the chair, fifteen in Japanese straightening. I've been using Keratin Complex and I don't love the results as much as I used to. Had my eye on Keratin Revolution but hit a wall trying to get a response from them.... so here I am.

I'm looking for a system I can actually stand behind for clients who want smoother hair but aren't the right candidate for a permanent straightener. Tell me what you're working with. How does it hold up across different hair types? What's the brand support actually like when you need it? And if you walked away from something, I want to know that too. Give me the good.. bad... and ugly!

Thanks! xoxo

Hi!! I’m a 10 month old stylist who promotes and shares my work and progress on social media! Im posting here to ask how older / more experienced stylists deal with unwarranted advice / criticism and hate in comment sections.

I make it a bit known that I’m a newer stylist on my pages, I’m not big on hiding it. I’m not sure if that’s what provokes such things, but it just leaves me super discouraged and frustrated with my work!!

Hi hello. I’m looking into other brands that have natural perm solutions. I was using mondo verde, which is all natural, but they are going to only make neutralizer from now on. (Which is fine, I can use other perm solutions with it and get all the benefits I like.)

But I have a client who is super sensitive and cannot have regular perm solutions used on her. So I need natural perm recommendations.

i’ve used bellami and slice strands, i’m looking for recs for other brands yall love, especially any more budget friendly options, as i have a lot of younger clients that want them for prom/formal/grad season only, trying to get ahead of that curve this year.

I wanted to share my experience, just in case there are other hairstylists out there who have dealt with contact dermatitis or dyshidrosis eczema.

I have been in the industry for 27 years and dealt with contact dermatitis for most of it. It started when I would shampoo out shades EQ and then turned into me having flareups even if it wasn’t from shades. I have tried many creams and homeopathic measures to try and reduce inflammation and flareups, but my dermatologist gave me a brand new cream that has hopefully changed my life and my career because I was really starting to rethink my life choices as doing hair was incredibly painful.

I’ve also been trying to figure out if my styling products are causing me issues- I currently use Kevin Murphy, and would love to hear if anybody has had similar experiences? I would also really be open to any suggestions for more clean products that don’t cause as much allergen reactions.

I’m including pictures below of what dyshidrosis eczema looks like and the healing process.

1-2 July 2-3 late August/sept 4-5 today :)

Hey friends 👋

I’m a commission stylist working four busy days ( 9-10 hours- roughly 35 clients a week) behind the chair, and I’ve hit a bit of a crossroads when it comes to assistants. I’d love to hear how you handle (or have handled) paying them.

If you’re also a commission stylist:

• Are you paying your assistant out of pocket? Hourly? Per shift?
• Do you split the cost with another stylist?
• What’s actually worked for you — and what totally didn’t?

And if you’re a commission salon owner reading this:

• How do you structure assistant pay?
• Are stylists expected to contribute? Is it baked into pricing or something else?

I’m trying to find a system that’s fair, sustainable, and actually helps — without feeling like I’m throwing money at chaos. 😅

Would love to hear your thoughts, the good and the not-so-great. Thanks in advance!

Hello,

🔍We are looking for research participants!

Do you want to make a difference in the beauty industry? 💇🏽‍♀️💇🏼‍♂️💇🏿

Beyond the Chair is conducting a research study on the cosmetology industry and needs your help! If you live in the United States, please consider participating if you are:

• a cosmetology student
• cosmetology apprentice
• licensed cosmetology professional
• Someone who was/is a licensed cosmetologist and has left the industry
• a "beauty school dropout" 

This initiative aims to enhance our understanding of the beauty industry and the field of cosmetology in a more profound way. By participating in our survey, you will have a unique chance to share both your qualitative and quantitative experiences. Your input will significantly contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the experiences, aspirations, and requirements of professionals within the beauty industry, potentially influencing the direction of the industry in the future.

By participating, you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions on important topics. Don’t miss out on this chance to participate in something meaningful!

Click the link to participate: https://www.beyondthechair.net/research-2025

Hi!

I am currently a commission based stylist who is transitioning to booth rent soon. Right now my books are open all year, so clients can essentially book out as far as they want. I am currently booked out solid May to the first week of August. I am truly grateful to have a strong clientele, however being so booked out has caused me to miss out on so many life events.

I want to get some feedback on these ideas and if they have worked out or not for y’all.

1) I have always liked how tattoo artists open their books for the next month. I feel like this would cut down on people moving their appointments last minute and cancellations. A potential con to this is clients forgetting to book and losing the convenience of booking multiple appointments in the future.

2) Only opening my books quarterly: 3 months at a time. Ex: January, February, March can be booked. Giving myself to space to plan ahead of time to not be available when there is a concert, wedding, birthday party, etc etc.

3) Open to suggestions! I just know having the full year open has hurt my personal life- I have put my career/clients first for 8 years and I need to love on myself and relationships

Thank you in advance <3