Shy Hair Stylist Tips: How to Talk to Clients About Scalp Care

Firstly, be aware of the space the client is in. Sometimes it’s best to perform a client consultation in a private space, or at least away from our co-workers and other clients.

Speaking with clients over the years has made me very aware of salon environment. Some of our clients feel intimidated going into a salon. There’s a lot of people, a lot of conversations and because we know how to look after our own hair/scalps clients sometimes think we will ”tell them off”. Because of this, you need to be judgement free. You don’t know what a client deals with in their daily life. Keeping consults either in a private corner, in that chair no one uses in the salon or even outside with a tea will help ease a sensitive client who is aware of people around them.

Should I as a stylist keep it very personal?

Absolutely, were in the business of people. We do more than just hair, scalp care is care. So, take an interest in your client’s condition.

Find out how your client has been in these last few months. Genuinely show an interest in looking after your client in the salon. If a client has booked for a scalp care treatment or they have had a flare up it can be down to a number of things. Asking a client how they are doing is the perfect way to find out if they are dealing with a lot of daily stresses. Some of these issues can be personal, so be professional, keep things confidential, and keep records of related issues that can disrupt a healthy scalp.

Should we be keeping records of scalp care treatments?

Keeping records will help you identify if you need to change the treatments for the scalp and also if you want to do the same treatment again.

Let’s face it – Hairdressers have a hard job remembering what every single client has done in the salon. And can you blame us? We see SOOO many clients in a day. So having a record can help us when our scalp care client returns, giving us feedback and if we need to adjust the scalp care, we can. It also shows professionalism and organization, and when a client walks in and you already know what happened the last time they were in, it gives extra confirmation you want to help them care for their scalp.

There’s plenty of software for hair and scalp professionals to keep track of our conversations, advice and product recommendations/purchases. Not only that but scalp photos, client information and treatment details, taking it one step further with client care.

How do I check a client’s scalp?

Checking through will help you visually identify scalp irritations and issues.

Separating the hair and having a thorough physical consult is as important as communication.

Check the top and underneath. Separating the hair at the root and having a good look. Some salons even use microscopes that connect to a device so you can zoom in on follicles scalp and hair health. With JuliArt’s scalpX you can see close up what’s going on and give a client a visual too. This can be a little scary, so if you want to introduce this in the salon maybe mention to your client it can look scary but we see this all the time.

How do I talk to a client about their scalp issue?

Once you have identified the scalp issue – talk.

This is the hardest part I feel for a hairdresser, but once its approached, it gets easier.

If the client isn’t booked for a scalp analysis or scalp care treatment, they may not know. So, it needs to be approached mindfully. We don’t want to bring stress or concern to the client. My go to sentence is – ”I don’t know if your aware, but your scalp seems a little off balance”. Once the client is aware it opens the space to talk, so let them speak, and listen. If they were unaware, then tell them what you see and why it’s good to take care of the scalp.

Is talking about scalp care taboo?

I’d say it’s something were uncomfortable doing as a hairdresser. It shouldn’t be – since its pretty normal.

We all go through a lot in our lifetime and it’s a bit silly we see it as unusual. We can get scalp issues from hormone changes, thyroid issues, stress, environmental factors, diet, lifestyle choices, and the list goes on. I love telling my clients I see unhealthy scalps all the time and its normal because were human and deal with a lot of different things in our lives. Telling clients this can put them at ease that they’re not the only person suffering with scalp issues.

Do we need to explain why we need to look after our scalp to the client?

It’s so important but I believe because we don’t see the scalp up close often, we overlook the importance of scalp.

Think about it – our hair is born at the scalp. If we don’t have healthy scalps, it can affect our hair. It can cause hair loss. It can cause pain; it can affect confidence and overall effect our wellbeing. The scalp needs to breathe for healthy hair growth.