I am always telling clients that communication is the key to success. It is important to make sure that you and your hairdresser are on the same page and understand what it is you want. What you see may not be what the hairdresser sees. The best way to communicate is by using pictures.

However, pictures do not work if your expectation is for your hair or makeup to look exactly like the picture that you are bringing in. Some of you may be saying, 'Well, obviously.' But I know that there are many of you who think that if you bring a picture in, you wonder, 'Why can't it look just like that?'

You are basing your expectation on a (no doubt photoshopped) picture of a professional model taken by a professional photographer. That 'flawless' skin you see in the photo doesn't exist. That model doesn't even look like the picture, and I guarantee that your hair is nothing like that model's hair. Unrealistic expectations lead to disappointments.

Photos are a great tool, no doubt. You should most definitely use them to communicate what you want. You should have many of them, and you should use them as an inspiration of what you want your hair to look like. After all, don't you want to look unique and original? Your hairdresser is an artist, so allow them the creative freedom they deserve. If you do that, you will love the final outcome. Set yourself up to win; don't set yourself up for failure.