Unpopular opinion: I think we talk too much about 'damage' and not enough about hair health

I was talking with a regular client, Sarah, last week. She's been coming to me for years for her color. She said, 'Pat, I'm so tired of hearing my hair is 'damaged'... it feels like a dirty word. Can't we just talk about making it feel good again?' That hit different... she's right. We get so focused on pointing out split ends and breakage, it can make people feel bad about their hair. I've been guilty of it. Now I'm trying to switch my words. Instead of 'your ends are fried,' I'll say 'let's add some moisture back here to make it softer.' It's a small change, but it feels better. Has anyone else tried shifting how they talk about hair care with clients?

2 comments

2 Comments

richard_lee15h ago

Totally agree. I started saying "let's work on the feel of it" instead of "this is damaged." Like last week, I had a client with dry ends and I said "the ends are feeling a bit thirsty, let's give them a drink" and her whole face changed. It's not about hiding the truth, it's just a nicer way to talk about fixing it. Makes the whole process feel more positive.

kim.stella10h ago

Honestly, that's smart. Tbh it probably makes clients way less defensive so they actually listen to your advice instead of feeling attacked.