Most hair advice online is vague, recycled, and written by people who’ve never actually stood behind a salon chair. This series is different.
Every piece here is written by one of our Salon Era stylists — sharing the real conversations they have with clients every week in Vancouver. No fluff, no filler. Just the things they genuinely wish you knew before walking through the door.
Most people get four to six haircuts a year. Maybe one or two are genuinely great. Ken says that’s almost never about luck — it’s about what you bring to the appointment. Here are the eight things he wishes every client knew first.
Clients come to Zoey talking about their hair — the thinning, the dullness, the dryness. But the conversation almost always ends up in the same place. Think of the scalp as the soil. No matter how good the conditioner, if the soil is off, the plant won’t thrive.
Balayage, highlights, ombré — the terms get used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing, and the difference matters more than most people realise. Amika Wang breaks down each technique and shares the four questions she asks every client before picking up a brush.
“The best clients aren’t the ones who know everything about hair — they’re the ones who are genuinely curious about it.”
Every article is written by the person who actually does this work — day in, day out, in a Vancouver salon chair.
Founder & Master Stylist · Salon Era Vancouver
Vidal Sassoon London · 2023 IBI Award Winner
Cannes Film Festival Stylist · 26 years
Senior Stylist & Scalp Care Specialist · Salon Era Vancouver
Aube Hair Academy Tokyo · Precision Cutting
9 years · Bilingual EN / 中文
Colour Specialist & Balayage Artist · Salon Era Vancouver
Hand-Painted Colour · Ombré · Natural Root Blending
10+ years · Bilingual EN / Thai
Reading is one thing. Walking into your next appointment prepared — knowing exactly what to say and what to ask — that’s where the good haircuts actually start.
