TELLING A CLIENT that she is not going to look like Catherine Zeta-Jones is tough. But that is what hairstylists have to do every day when they receive requests to deliver the impossible.
Many customers bring along magazine clippings of models and movie stars to imitate their hairstyles without considering the texture, strength or length of their own hair. Being diplomatic is, therefore, a necessary attribute for a stylist who wants to do well.
However, friendly service could not compensate for a bad haircut, said Alan Lam, director of Yes Salon.
Mr Lam said it required an experienced hairdresser to interpret what a customer really wanted.
Hairdressers should always put their customers' opinions before their own, but at the same time they should make clients aware that the outcome will depend on the type of hair they have.
The hair care industry in Hong Kong is serious business. People, mostly women, spend hundreds of dollars on treatments and hair products without a moment's hesitation.
There are now 7,400 hair salons in Hong Kong, compared with 5,727 in 2000. The industry employs 31,509 people.
