When the New Year begins so many people make New Year resolutions that involve either getting in shape, loosing weight, getting organized or some other self-improvement.  This motivation only intensifies as summer is approaching. Have you considered improving your image?  If you have, you may have considered getting a new wardrobe or maybe go to the mall and have someone do your make-up to see how you can look different.  People tend to change things that seem pretty safe so if they don’t like the new look they can go back to the old look.  If you really want to improve your image take a hand mirror into the bathroom.  This takes a lot of courage!  First, look at yourself in the bathroom mirror.  This view shows you the basic image of yourself.  As you get closer you begin to see more details of your face.  Now turn sideways and hold the hand mirror in front of your face but angle it 45 degrees so that you can see your image in the mirror in front of you and to your side.  Now you are able to see in detail your side profile.  This would show you your facial structure, such as jaw line, cheek bones, and nose shape.  As you continue to turn slowly around, look through the mirror in your hand to see your image in the bathroom mirror.  You will be able see the hair line when you lift up your hair, the shape of your head, the nape area.  You will be able to see features that you like about your face and head and features you want to soften or if possible hide. 

You may wonder how you can soften or hide the features that you may not like.   It is not an easy task unless you have experience in this area.  Plastic surgery is what most people think is the answer to alter what you don’t like about yourself but the problem doesn’t get solved.  As one part gets changed it tends to create more areas that need to be changed.   Getting the right hair cut could balance the face and the overall image of a person.  An experienced hair designer will be able to create a hair cut that will soften sharp features on a face and cover imperfections of the head.  Remember that the face and hair is 80% of your look.  Since that is true, creating a new image needs to start with your hair.

In a day and age where plastic surgery and the focus on image have been so rampant, there has been so much talk about image consultation.  What is image consultation?  Image consultation is the study of the anatomy of a persons facial, hair, and bone structure.   The stylist begins by analyzing the face.   The facial structure deals with the shape of the person’s face. When we look at a face we see its individual features.  For example some people have square jars or they may have larger ears or some may have high cheek bones. The bone structure is a study that should be important part of any hair stylist.  The stylist needs to look past the obvious bone structure and look beyond the obvious of the shape of the cranium.  Some people have scoops and swellings of the skull that the hair stylist needs to know about in order to compensate in the hair cut.  Each skull is different and each hair cut should be specialized for that skull.

It is important for the stylist to study the hair structure.  The stylist needs to examine the natural pattern of growth and find the cowlicks and the pattern of the hair line. The hair texture, density or the thickness of the type of hair needs to be examined as well.  The studying of the person as a whole is analyzing their height, shape, personal style, and life style.  The information the stylist gathers will influence the type of style that he creates for the client. 

What has been described is more of the textbook description of image consultation.  I want to explain from a hair designer’s point of view.  A hair designer is like an artist is some ways.  He takes a person who may be tired of the look they have right now or maybe it is not working for them.  The stylist analysis his client and can see in his minds eye how more beautiful or handsome he can make the person by creating a style that compliments the face.  It would be like putting the right frame on a painting to make the painting really stand out.  When the stylist creates the right style and conscientiously does his best work the hair cut should last about two to two and a half months.  If the hair cut is done right even in the growing process the hair will still look good.