Timing for colouring

[CathyBryant]

Hi,

i am a salon owner seeking some advice on how long i should allow my employees when doing colouring

One in particular seems to take forever when colouring, although is fine when doing cuts, perms etc. She has been hairdressing for a couple years now with lots of clients so would of expected her to be up to speed by now.

Its making it very difficult to book appointments for her as we are unsure of how long to leave her.

How long would you allow to apply :

Tinting (full Head)
Tinting (roots touch up)

Foils
Tsection
Half head
Full Head

any ideas appriciated, dont want to put unreasonable pressure on her but obviously need to make it profitable and also the clients get bored as it takes so long.

Thanks

 

[user 28883]

It really depends on the development time of the colours used. I use colours that take 30 - 45 mins. I would say around 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours for ful head colour and re touch, thats what it takes me with a cut and blowdry.

Highlights about an hour to put the foils in (always takes me longer), development time of around 45 mins depending on product used. I think total usually takes me 3 hours 3 1/2 hours for full head, but I think it can take as long for 1/2 head also. I would say around 2 hours for parting, all with cuts and blow dries.

There is not a real set time, its what the salon thinks is reasonable, although when at college it has to be done in certain times, like we were given 1 hours to put foils in.

 

[angelina221]

An hour to put foils in! Oh my-lol. I'm dark haired now but i was blonde for years. If i had a full head of highlights i would be in and out the hairdressers in 2 hours maybe a tad longer, and that was with a cut!
In my salon i have highlighting combs so you don't have to weave the hair and it cuts the time down a lot!

 

[user 28883]

Well Angelina, with ref to your 'Oh my' comment, that really depends on how many the client wants, e.g. lots of fiddly fine ones with very very fine sections or chunkier ones with larger sections between, I must admit whenever I do them I do fine sections with fine highlights at the clients request as that's what is more popular. I have come across many clients who have spent 4 hours or more in salon getting highlights and that's at the expensive, well known salons.

 

[blutopaz]

its always going to be hard to work out as everyone works differently, experience plays a part etc etc.

iv been hairdressing full time for the past 6 years (although trained and worked longer) applications (processing not included) takes me:

20-30 mins for root retouches,

top section only highlights takes for 20-30 mins depending on how heavily done,

a t-section takes me 45-1hr - as im a talker!

i dont tend to do full head foils, as i feel alot of the hair underneath is covered by the t-section, and to me feels like im wasting my time, the clients time and the clients money,

so once iv explained i put in a few packets on the bottom hair line so the client can wear it up with the effect of a full head, and maybe every now and then take it through with a full head - which i would be looking at 1 hour 30, as most of the time its bleach and id need to stop and rinse off the first part.

as iv said im a talker, and when i talk i slow down, but my clients are talkers to and its always a good catch up to them, they know they get a good service, and if they need to be out by a time i get them out on time. as we all do, i have other clients on the go as well, and this can effect the time they finally leave the salon.

to me, what matters is the enjoyment of the clients visit, an extra half hour isnt an issue, if its an enjoyable one. but i know where your coming from with respects of an employee. you need to maximise your profits, as time is money.

maybe its worth putting her on some courses, or doin specials to get more of a certain procedure through the door to get her working faster

how long does she actually take?

 

[Roxi]

Full head tint - 30 mins
Roots - 20mins
T section foils - 30 mins
Half head foils - 45 mins
Full head foils - 1 hour

Sometimes it's longer, depending on thickness of hair and amount of highlights.
How long is your girl taking? The main thing is that she does a good job and her clients keep coming back, but I do understand what you mean. But tbh, without knowing how long it takes her, we can't give any advice.

 

[natsel]

depending on the length of the hair and what the client wants ,for me its normally

full head tint - 30 to 40 mins
root top up - 20 mins
foils (just parting) - 20 mins
t section - 30 mins
half head -30 to 45 mins depending on length
full head - 45 mins to 1 hour 15 depend again on length

thats the application, then you have to take into account the development time and then if they want it c/bd etc

 

[CathyBryant]

thanks guys, it has been known to take her up to 2.5 hours just to apply the colour (full head foils)

obviously the development time and cut & blowdry at the end is not a problem as she is fine with this, and she tends to be ok with tinting, in line with your suggestions its just the foiling, i think she does a very good job with a great end result but is so particular with putting the foils in it takes forever and am sure it puts clients off.

 

[scottydolly]

two and a half just to put the colour on? YIKES. . . mabye when u do ur appraisal u shud gently have a word and ask about her technique, and offer her some advice on how to pick up on her time etc. . .
in our salon we generally get 30 mins for full tint, half headfoils, and regrowth (obv regrowth dont take that but u cant squeeze 20 mins into on 15min space so u get the full half hour), 45 min for tbar and 45-1hr for hull head foils. . . if i was gettin a full head of foils and they did the last foil 2 and a half hours after the first, i wud be very concernec bout the condition of my hair after wards. . . xx

 

[Roxi]

Eeeek, 2.5 hours?? I agree with ScottyDolly, have a word with her at her next appraisal. I actually can't understand how she can possibly take that long, was she taught how to foil at college or just meche? Maybe she could use some more training, just to get her speed up.

 

[user 28883]

Is she highlighting the whole of the hair on every client, as in taking extremely fine sections then also highlighting the dropped parts, so no parts of the hair are not highlighted. I would imagine this would take a couple of hours esp if the clients hair is very long and thick.

Is she very talkative with her clients as this will also hold her time back, but then you couldn't ignore the client.

 

[dee]

maybe you need to get some product training guys in (whichever brand you use) , to see if they can offer her a bit of a refresher ?? maybe she isnt very confident ??

 

[myhairdressers]

Hi there

Perhaps she needs a little coaching and training on the applications of various colour techniques. As the above said she might not be overly confident and is therefore being hesitant or extra cautious when doing colour.

Have a little look at our website How to cut hair | Hairdressing Training - myHairdressers we have a growing library of online hairdressing training videos that she could easily subscribe to and practise at home on a model head to improve her techniques, and in her own time!

Good luck!

MHD x x x

 

[nora525]

I agree with the training and refreshing. One of the factor is too, how thick is the clients hair? I have few clients who have a really thick and long hair, when you pull it back to tie up, it is like an adult wrist, it really is that thick. On the hair like that you can not just put normal 5 foild/section, what I attempt to do, you have to put more. So to these clients, I recommend T-section and couple scattered ones to the nape.
I think college times a good time guide, but what NVQ does not take into the consideration is the different volumes of hair. It is true they allow 1 hour foiling in college, but for the full head foils.
another thing I would be looking at is, if she takes 2,5 hours to apply the color, does it develop still? The set times with the color means if she high lights with the tint, the color might not take propally and then the end result is not effective. and with bleach the consern is opposite, because it does not stop developping, does she have to rinse off between before she has finished the application? I think that these are mostly training issues, but you could speed test her on the block and see what her real speech is and where the time goes, is it chatting or lack of skills?
Just couple of thoughts.....