Before you tackle your gloss, it’s best to have an idea of ​​what you want. “It’s important to confirm verbosity about these services with your stylist to make sure you’re getting the right thing for your hair type and texture,” Azadganian explains.

For best results, come with your hair as you normally wear it (so they know your hair texture as it is) and a reference photo for color matching. Make sure you find an image that shows the right tone (warmer, cooler, neutral) and let them know if you want it to be a bit different than the reference image.

When showing an image to a professional, be sure to talk about it. People see and express color differently: what is chocolate brunette to you may seem a little dark brown to someone else. So tell us what you like about it, what tones you see, and what you’d like the end result to look like.

Talking about the image, rather than just showing it, will help you and the colorist find common ground.

When you get your shine on, your stylist will use a developer and finishing solution. They usually apply this to their hair after it has been washed and often towel-dried a bit. They will then rinse it and then blow dry the style you choose.