Preparing For Your Appointment
The First Step to Transformation: Preparation
Getting Ready To Partner With Your Curl Mentor
Being highly effective is top priority. This requires a little effort from you prior to your upcoming appointment.
Unprepared hair will sabotage even the best stylist’s work. We don’t gamble with your results — and neither should you.
Imagine running a marathon without training.
That’s what skipping prep is like for your hair.
Product buildup, oils, butters, and residue don’t just dull your shine — they block the very treatments you’re paying for from doing their job. Your curls can’t drink in the hydration or bond repair they need if they’re still coated in last month’s leave-in, and it becomes a costly service in time and product.
We reset because we respect your time, your investment, and your goals.
The rule of thumb is that preparation has to take at least 5 times the time allocated-
At least 21 days before your first appointment, please avoid BRAIDS, ALL butters, oils and heavy gels, such as, Eco-Styler, Ampro, Gorilla Snot, and Got2B for 3 weeks. These products prevent absorption of water and will greatly impact the outcome of your upcoming appointment. If you want curls to pop, you will need to start the detox process before your visit.
Following the instructions in the Wash Hour Resource Guide will help reduce buildup, making your hair more manageable and receptive to water. It will also give you a much better, shorter in-salon experience.
The confidence which stops you from preparing is not worthy of having.
The Proof That Prep Matters
The Velcro Agony- Client hadn’t been seen in months.
No prep, and we did not detox. She came to color her roots. Her hair behaving like velcro - matting even after detangling.
- 45 minutes just to apply color (should take 15) as I have to part thin sections on thick thirsty hair.
- 1 HOUR to detangle with conditioner. To add insult to injury- Tender-headed = tiny sections, glacial pace.
In this photo, I am organizing the hair to be blow-dried.
- 25 minutes just to section for blow-dry.
- 40 minutes to blow dry (hair knotting as I worked).
- Multiple passes on HIGH heat just for mediocre results and no longevity.
Total time: 4+ hours of mutual torture.
That day, I made a decision: Never again.
same client. Same hair. different prep regimen. Different results. Different experience.
The Real Transformation
Months later. Same exact service. Proper regimen. Full prep.
- Color application: 15 minutes (hair was easier to part)
- Detangling: Quick and PAINLESS. Less than 10 minutes.
- Sectioning: 10 minutes.
- Blow dry: 20 minutes
- Flat iron: ONE pass on LOWER heat
- Total time: 2 hours
THE LESSON THAT COST US BOTH:
She paid for 4 hours of unnecessary pain. I provided 4 hours of crisis management (extra intensive labor, more products, and time) instead of artistry.
This is why prep isn't optional. Your hair will demand more. It's essential.
Your choice: Velcro hair that fights every step, or silk that cooperates with transformation?
We have a choice too
We have a choice to protect our standards, our time, and our other clients by modifying your service to fit the original time slot, charge for the actual time, labor, and product usage your unprepared hair requires, or or stop service altogether. We won't know until we shampoo. The water does not lie, and the shampoo will reveal the truth, but once we know, decisions must be made. Preparation prevents hard choices at the shampoo bowl.
Which story do you want?
- Multiple passes on HIGH heat just for mediocre results and no longevity.
Hours of mutual torture. Being set aside to attend to another client because your service took longer than the time allotted.
ONE pass on LOWER heat
Predictable timing. Imagine you make an appointment and you have to be somewhere for a certain time.
NO TIME TO PREP?
Book from our Premium Hours/Priority VIP menu - where we allocate extra time, energy, and products for unprepared hair - because unprepared hair requires premium effort.
