HEADS-UP

Ready for a major switch? Avoid badhair-day purgatory by repenting these salon sins.

SIN 1 Blurring the lines of communication. Hair colour is like a Rorschach test: Everyone sees something different. “There isn’t a mass formula where one plus one equals two,” says Susan Carter, portfolio colourist for L’Oréal Professionnel Canada. “Golden blond to you could mean something completely different from what golden blond is to your hairdresser.” Show your stylist or colourist photos of looks you both love and hate. “Say ‘I don’t want this to happen’ or ‘I don’t like these tones.’”

SIN 2 Fooling yourself about your true hair regimen.

If, like us, you go days without a shampoo( sleep = priority), then it’s in your best interest to pick a style that doesn’t require you to spend 20 minutes every morning with a curling iron.

SIN 3 Expecting miracles. Yes, Kim Kardashian went from jet black to blond and back again in what seemed like a minute, but

she’s a (celebrity haircolour) unicorn. A major shade overhaul takes several hours and sometimes several appointments. It’s hard on strands, so go forth with caution.

SIN 4 Fan-girling. Don’t let your love of Gigi Hadid’s honey highlights distract

you from this fact: You are not Gigi Hadid. Look for muses with similar eye and skin tones and hair texture.

SIN 5 Rushing your appointment. According to Louis Hechter, editorial director for L’Oréal Professionnel Canada, you should spend at least 15 minutes in a pre-cut consultation. Be honest about your hair’s history— how often you trim it, colours you’ve done in the past, how much time you really want to spend on maintenance—so you can get accurate information.