Dyeing to Know: 10 Questions to Ask a New Hair Colorist During Your Consultation

Whether you’re booking with a new stylist for the first time or switching colorists, knowing the right questions to ask a colorist during a hair color consultation can make all the difference — especially for blondes, redheads, and clients maintaining dimensional or corrective color.

You’ve likely spent hours searching for inspiration and saving photos you love — but photos don’t answer the practical questions.

• Will this color work for your hair?
• Will it require frequent toning, glosses, or touch-ups?
• And how will it look weeks after your appointment, not just day one?

Online advice can be conflicting and generic. That’s why the most important place to get answers is during your hair color consultation — especially when you’re seeing a new hair colorist and setting expectations from the start.

1. Is my hair/scalp healthy?

This may seem like a silly question. After all, you wash and condition your hair regularly at home and see your stylist often for haircuts. But when it comes to coloring your hair, you want to make sure your hair and scalp are healthy so that your color will look and stay fabulous.

This question is especially important for blondes, lightened brunettes, and corrective color clients, where hair integrity directly affects what results are possible — and how long your color will last.

Ask your hair color specialist to assess your hair. He or she can check if your hair is dry or oily, if you have excessive split ends, if there’s dandruff or if you’re experiencing product build up. Then your colorist can come up with a treatment plan to help you have the healthiest hair possible.

2. How long will it take to color my hair?

This is a great question for your hair color specialist because different color treatments take different lengths of time to process. Are you going from light to dark? Dark to light? Do you have long or short hair?

Does your current color need to be corrected? Are you doing ombré hair color? Balayage? Be sure to share all of these details with your colorist, and he or she can provide you with the best possible estimate of how long the coloring process will take so you can plan your day. (Check out our hair color services including balayage and ombre»)

If you’re going lighter — especially blonde — or correcting an existing color, ask whether your goal can be achieved in one visit or if it should be approached gradually over multiple appointments.

3. Is this color right for me?

Ask your color specialist if you want an honest opinion about how a certain color will look on you. He or she can make color recommendations based on your skin tone and eye color. Bring inspiration photos, but be open to adjustments based on your skin tone, eye color, natural level, and long-term maintenance goals.

Remember: All colors come in various shades, and your colorist will help you pick the perfect shade for you.

This is especially important for blondes and reds, where undertones, warmth, and fade patterns can dramatically affect the final look.

4. What is maintenance like for this color?

Do you appreciate a hair color that is low maintenance? Or are you willing to undertake the upkeep needed for a more high-maintenance color?

Certain colors require more upkeep while others may be more forgiving if you can’t get to the salon on a regular basis. Whether you are low maintenance or high maintenance, like maintaining blonde hair between salon visits, when it comes to your hair, you should share your preference with your colorist, and he or she can then recommend the best color for you.

Blondes, reds, and gray coverage clients typically require more frequent maintenance than deeper brunette shades. Ask how often you’ll need toners, glosses, or touch-ups — and what happens if you go longer between visits.

5. What products should I be using at home to maintain my color?

Your hair is now the most gorgeous shade you could ever imagine, but you need to know what you should be doing at home to help it stay like this. Ask your color specialist. Salons carry many products for at-home use that are designed to be used after the treatments they provided. There are shampoos and conditioning treatments intended for not only specific colors but distinct hair textures. If you want to maintain that vibrant, fresh-from-the-salon color, ask your stylist to recommend products that are right for you.

Ask specifically whether your color requires toning shampoos (such as purple or blue), heat protection, or UV protection — and how often those products should actually be used.

6. How long can I expect this color to last?

While there may not be a definitive answer to how long a color will last, your color specialist has the experience and expertise to know approximately how long a color will stay true. Some colors tend to fade more quickly, especially on gray hair, while others have a longer shelf life. Additionally, your hair texture and hair health play a part in how long your color will last. Discuss your color choice with your colorist for the best possible information.

Some shades — especially blonde and red — fade faster by nature, while others soften more gradually. Your colorist can explain what “normal” fading looks like for your specific color.

7. Can you help me correct my current hair color?

Have you ever experienced a bad hair coloring? It’s the absolute worst feeling. Whether you tried to color your hair at home or visited another salon that didn’t provide you with the color results you wanted, don’t try to correct it yourself. When it comes to color correction for hair, seek out a color specialist like the expert color correction stylists at Barron’s London Salon. There is no one better to help you than a professional colorist to ensure you receive the color you want without damaging your hair.

If you’re consulting with a new colorist, this is the time to be honest about your hair history so they can build a safe, realistic correction plan.

8. How often will I realistically need to come in for maintenance?

When choosing a hair color, it’s important to understand not just how it will look on day one — but how it fits into your schedule long term.

Ask your colorist how often you should realistically plan on coming in for maintenance appointments. This may include full color services, glosses or toners, and root touch-ups. Lighter shades, blonde hair maintenance, reds, and gray coverage often require more frequent visits than deeper or more dimensional colors.

Knowing this upfront helps you choose a color that works for your lifestyle, not against it.

9. What will my color look like as it fades?

All hair color changes over time, but not all colors fade the same way.

Ask your colorist what to expect between appointments. Will your blonde stay soft or turn brassy? Will a red fade warm or muted? How noticeable will regrowth be? Understanding how your color evolves helps prevent surprises and allows you to maintain your color more confidently at home.

This is especially important if you don’t plan to visit the salon frequently.

10. Can this color be adjusted over time if I change my mind?

Hair color doesn’t have to be a permanent commitment — and your colorist should help you plan with flexibility in mind.

Ask whether your chosen color can be easily adjusted over time. This is particularly helpful if you’re transitioning lighter or darker, experimenting with blonde or red tones, or easing into a new look gradually. A thoughtful consultation considers not just where you want to be now, but where you may want to go next.

Color Me Pretty

Are you ready for a change of hair color? Fiery red? Deep chestnut? A cool blonde? Soft dimensional brunette?

Whatever color you choose, ask your color professional all these important questions so that together you can make the best choices when it comes to your hair. You can have the color you’ve dreamed of when you work with a color specialist to make it happen.

Working with an experienced color specialist — like those at Barron’s London Salon — helps turn inspiration into results you can actually maintain.

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