A colour consultation is short, so what you bring to it matters more than most people expect. Ten minutes of preparation before you call or sit down can be the difference between colour that matches what you pictured and colour that needed a second appointment to fix a misunderstanding.

Bring several photos, not just one

A single inspiration photo tells a stylist what you like, but not what you are trying to avoid, or how far you are willing to go. It helps to bring:

  • Two or three photos of colours you like, ideally in different lighting.
  • At least one photo of a result you did not like — brassiness, a shade too dark, highlights too chunky. Knowing what to steer away from is often more useful than knowing what to aim for.
  • A recent photo of your own hair, if you are calling ahead rather than dropping in.

Come with your hair as it usually is

Arrive with your hair in whatever state it is normally in — a day or two unwashed is fine, unstyled is fine. A stylist needs to see your natural texture, your regrowth, and how your hair actually behaves, not a blow-dried version of it. Skip the hat, too; covering your hair on the way in just means undoing it the moment you sit down.

Your full colour history, honestly

This is the part people are most tempted to gloss over, and it is the part that matters most. Try to have a rough idea of:

  • Whether you have used box dye, and roughly when.
  • Any henna, ever — even years ago, since it can linger in hair permanently.
  • Previous lightening, balayage or foils, and how long ago.
  • Any home toners, colour-depositing shampoos or root-touch-up sprays.

Box dye in particular can lift unpredictably compared with hair that has only ever seen salon colour, sometimes turning warm or patchy under lightener in a way that is hard to foresee without knowing it is there. Leaving it out of the conversation does not protect you from that risk — it just means the stylist finds out partway through the service instead of before it starts.

If it is relevant to you, it is also fine to mention any medications or a pregnancy, in case you would rather discuss patch testing or timing — that is your call to make, not a requirement.

Think about your maintenance window before you arrive

Rather than trying to guess a number, come with a question: “How often would I realistically need to come back for this to look good?” Some colours need a visit every six weeks to stay sharp; others can stretch for several months. Telling your stylist how often you can actually get to the salon — not how often you would like to, in an ideal world — lets them suggest a technique that fits your life instead of one that will look neglected by week four.

The same goes for budget. It is more useful to ask what a service and its follow-up appointments generally involve than to try to guess a figure in advance, since colour is priced by consultation.

Questions worth asking

  • Will this need more than one appointment to reach the result in my photo?
  • How much lighter or darker can my hair safely go in one session?
  • What will the grow-out look like, and how soon will it show?
  • What at-home products will help the colour last?

What a consultation cannot promise

No honest consultation can guarantee that you will leave looking exactly like a photo. Hair colour depends on your starting shade, your hair’s condition and history, and how it individually reacts to lightener — none of which are fully predictable from a picture alone. A good consultation gives you a realistic plan, sometimes across more than one visit, rather than a promise it cannot keep.

Booking a consultation in Oak Lawn

Mary’s Salon is on Ridgeland Ave in Oak Lawn, convenient for clients from Chicago Ridge, Evergreen Park, Burbank and Hometown as well as Bridgeview, Worth, Alsip and Palos Hills. Consultations happen by phone rather than an online form, so call (708) 351-5110 to talk through your hair and book a time. You can also check our hours and directions before you come in, and read more about hair colour services at Mary’s Salon.

Once you have an idea of the technique, it helps to read up on the difference between balayage, highlights and foils and choosing a colour that works with your skin tone before your appointment.