A bad haircut may be the worst thing you could bring home from a visit to a salon. Sometimes poor communication and understanding between you and your hairdresser contribute to this bad experience. You need to make sure that you let your hairdresser know and understand what you like. However, you also need to lend a listening ear and consider your hairdresser’s ideas on what suits you best.

Here are some tips on how to speak to and interact with your hairdresser and get the haircut or hairstyle you’ve always wanted.

• See to it that your hairdresser touches and inspects your hair, checks the thickness or thinness before he grabs a pair of scissors. It is necessary that your hairdresser checks at the current look of your hair, checks out the growth patterns of your hair, and asks you how you style your hair at present time before he or she proceeds with cutting your hair.

• As much as possible, use the lingo of your hairdresser. There are terms that are exclusively used in hairdressing and there are words which mean a different thing when you are at a salon. Your hairdresser would appreciate it if you be more specific and descriptive. For example, when your hairdresser is currently working with your bangs, tell him or her if you prefer soft bangs or hard bangs. Say the things you do not like up front like “I do not like hard lines.”

• Bring a photo of a haircut or hairstyle that you like. Sometimes this is the best and quickest option. Just hand in the photo to your hairdresser and he or she just needs to remake it with your hair.

• Remember that there is a huge difference between the words “shorter” and “short.” Be extra careful in using such words, otherwise you would not get the right length you want and go home disappointed and irritated because your hair is way shorter than you expected. The best thing to do is to give a specific figure to your hairdresser. You can say, “Chop off no more than two inches.” This way, your hairdresser would have a clear idea of how short you would want your hair or bangs to be.

• After elaborating the things you would want for your hair, ask your hairdresser nicely if you have conveyed your point clearly. However, you could also consider the ideas of your hairdresser and be open to his or her suggestions, besides he or she is expected to be good at determining what is best for clients.