Integrity is the quality of having high moral principles.
When I first moved here, as is the case with all newcomers I suspect, the question was, who can I trust locally for the things I depend on to maintain my quality of life?
Things like which club or pub to go to, which dry cleaners to use, and also which new hair stylist is going to enhance my image?
The thing is, you really don’t know which is the best, worst or in the middle when looking for a new stylist. When we end up with the “worst” and the “ugly” we suffer, we literally have to wait to outgrow the results.
Our friends stare in disbelief, confidence seems to dwindle and that’s not the worst of it. Health can be affected. Scalps are left itching or burning from poor reactions to something used. Colour applications don’t turn out exactly right either, sometimes damaging hair.
In today’s hair salon, integrity is more important than ever. We all assume it’s there. But we should check.
Take colour for example, the EU is very clear about what is safe. Glancing at someone for a moment or two is not, according to EU recommendations, a consultation.
A consultation for colour according to EU recommendation requires a colour patch test before any colour service is carried out in any salon. Did your salon offer you a patch test as part of your initial consultation? Did they apply it correctly? A patch will identify any colour reaction, protecting you against any colour treatment mishaps including allergic reactions. That is why you use a salon.
What about “off the shelf” products at the supermarkets? Sure the package says try a small area first, but some reactions will still be uncomfortable even on the smallest area, and it may take a while to recuperate. The disclaimer on the package in little tiny print says it all, “results may vary.”
So what do we do? I talked to people I met with great-looking hair about their results.
One woman whose new hair colour was an exact match to her freckles, said: “I had tried, unsuccessfully, with several salons to get the deep natural colour and feel I wanted. One place burnt my hair using wrong solution and then told me my hair was the problem! My hair was worse because they weren’t careful enough, it was awful for me. When Stone Hair Art opened in Todmorden a few years ago, Trevor and Loucas were very polite and fun and they learned everything about me and what I wanted first.
“They did a patch test and we talked about the results. Then they gave me just what I wanted, they really understood me. I am much more confident about my hair now because of Loucas and his team; they repaired my hair and scalp. Now finally my hair is the right cut and colour for me.”
Professionals feel it’s important to fully comply with EU consumer standards while using their years of experience to give the customer exactly what they really want.
Loucas, owner of Stone Hair Art, which is in Todmorden town centre, puts it this way: “Trust is not given, it must be earned and we believe at Stone Hair Art that our integrity is key to building a lasting impression. We realise it comes down to the initial consultation. We invest time in our client’s initial consultation.”
Loucas says that being an expert takes a very specific type of experience and training. For clients, “it has to be a unique service, individual; bespoke hair at its best,” he says.