It’s your first week living in a new town. You’ve now memorized the route to the neighborhood gas station and grocery store, the kids are settling in at their new school, and you’re making a great impression at work. You’ve got this.
But there’s a few things you’re still missing. You miss your friends. You miss your old neighbors. You miss seeing your favorite 6:30 am barista who made your latte just right. But most of all, you miss the relationships you built with these people. And that’s the thing you know that will be hardest to replace.
The reality is that at some point we all face having to move outside our comfort zone. Whether it’s a new job, a new physician, or moving to a new city, rebuilding is hard. And it’s tough leaving behind what you knew. So when the time comes to leave the stylist you’ve worked with for years and the person with whom you’ve built a great relationship, is there anything that can be done to make the transition easier? I recommend asking yourself three questions to give yourself the best chance of finding the right fit.
- Research in Person, Not Just Online
The Internet is full of information, some fact, some fiction. When it comes to searching out a place to have fun—a favorite restaurant, a local bar, recreational activities—chances are you could visit any one of the first 15 places that show up on Google and not be too disappointed with the results. But finding a stylist is different—you’re looking for a person you can connect with, someone who intrinsically understands your needs. That’s very different from hunting down a great burger or pasta.
The Internet is a good place to start, but when building a relationship with your doctor, dentist, hairstylist, or anyone else who will be helping you care for your health and body, it takes more than a Google search to find a home. Ask to set up an appointment to meet with your perspective professional—a consultation only takes about 30 minuets and it can mean the difference between being happy or having regrets. Take time to ask the right questions. And remember, opinions are like noses—everyone has one. That 5-star or 1-star review you read might not be accurate—these days everyone rushes to write and post anything, particularly if the writer has some sort of agenda. Do yourself a favor and meet your practitioner in person then judge for yourself. What may have been the best or worst experience for someone else may turn out to be something completely different for you.
- Keep an Open Mind
You’ve likely heard the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover.” We tend to gravitate toward people who look like us and who share similar beliefs. But if the only people we ever experience are those who mirror us, then we miss the opportunity to learn from others.
I’ve said for years that hair loss doesn’t discriminate—it strikes women of every race, age, economic background and social strata. If all 30 million of the estimated women who experience hair thinning only interacted with hair professionals in their immediate circles, they’d likely miss finding the solution they seek. Sometimes the answers to our problems come in packages we least expect. As a specialist, I treat women from all walks of life—sometimes they are local, other times they’ve come from far away seeking my solutions. The point is, when we see hair as a part of our health rather than a source of vanity, we realize our stylists are professionals, and we can trust that regardless of where we come from or what we look like, we’ll be well taken care of. I believe all hair has a story to tell—don’t be afraid to look outside your comfort zone to find the right listener.
- Speak Up
When it comes to our health professionals, we tend to assume they know best. Their years of practice and medical knowledge certainly puts them in a position of authority. But it’s important to remember that the only person who knows you better than your practitioner is you. I’ve heard countless clients tell me that visits with me were some of the first times they’ve been asked for their hairstyling opinion. I couldn’t imagine adding to the stress of an already-thinning woman by insisting that she only follow my advice and not share with me her thoughts on my services. It might seem easy to sit back and let the “people in the white coats” handle your appointments, but it’s much more worthwhile to share your ideas about what’s important. You’ll emerge from your appointment feeling empowered, knowing that you were an integral part of keeping yourself healthy.
