How to choose a colourist (from people who have hired a few)

Colour is the one salon service where a bad decision can take a year to grow out. It is worth twenty minutes of due diligence — and the consultation is where you get it.

Watch where they look

A good colourist looks at your hair in natural light, near a window, before they say a number. They will lift sections, check your regrowth, and ask what has been on your hair — including the box dye you would rather not mention. Someone who quotes you from across the room is quoting a photo, not your head.

Ask these four questions

• Can my hair actually take this in one session?
• What will this look like in eight weeks?
• What will maintenance cost me per year?
• What happens if it does not land where we want it?

You are not testing their patience. You are testing whether they have thought past today's appointment.

The answer that should worry you

"Yes, no problem" — to everything. Hair has limits. A colourist who never says "not in one session" or "let's treat this first" is either inexperienced or unwilling to lose the booking. Both cost you more in the end than being told no.

Experience is not a marketing word

Colour correction in particular is pattern recognition: having seen this exact failure before and knowing which way it moves. There is no shortcut to it. When you are choosing between salons, years behind the chair is a fair thing to weigh — ask, and expect a straight answer.

At Megas, that is 41 years for Gazi, 35 for Bülent, and 23 for Emir. Not because it makes a good line, but because it is why people bring us hair that somebody else has already been at.

Before a major colour change, review what to expect from a professional colour consultation so you know what a useful plan should include.