Questions?
Good.

We love a guest who asks questions.
Hair can be confusing, colour can be unpredictable, and the internet has a lot of opinions. Part of our job is helping you understand your hair — what it needs, what it can handle and how to keep it looking bloody good once you leave the salon.
Here are a few things we get asked all the time.

APPOINTMENTS + CONSULTATIONS

DO YOU OFFER CONSULTATIONS?

Absolutely — and for some appointments, they’re essential.

A consultation gives us a chance to understand what you want, look at what your hair is doing now, talk through your hair history and work out the best way to get where you want to go.

If you’re planning a big colour change, vivid, correction or major restyle, we may recommend a consultation before booking the full service.

Already a regular? We’ll still check in. Hair changes. Life changes. Sometimes you suddenly want a mullet.

WHY ARE CONSULTATIONS SO IMPORTANT?

Because the picture in your head and the picture in ours need to be the same picture.

We’ll talk about your:

• Hair goals
• Current colour and condition
• Hair history
• Lifestyle
• Styling habits
• Maintenance expectations
• Budget, if you have one

Then we can tell you what’s achievable, what it may take and how best to look after it afterwards.

SHOULD I BRING PICTURES?

YES.
Please bring the screenshots.
Your idea of copper, blonde, shaggy, soft pink or “just a little bit shorter” may be completely different from ours.
Reference images help us understand what you love — and sometimes just as importantly, what you don’t love.

DO YOU TAKE WALK-INS?

If we can, walk-ins are welcome.
If you’re nearby, feel free to pop in and ask. We just can’t guarantee we’ll have a stylist free, so if you have somewhere to be or something specific in mind, booking ahead is your safest bet.

WASHING + LOOKING AFTER YOUR HAIR

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SHAMPOO MY HAIR?

There’s no magic number because everyone’s scalp and hair are different.
For plenty of people, around two to three washes a week works well. But if your scalp needs washing more often, wash it. A clean, healthy scalp matters more than trying to win a competition for how long you can survive on dry shampoo.

We can help you work out a routine that suits your hair.

HOW MUCH SHAMPOO SHOULD I USE?

Enough to properly clean your scalp — but probably less than you think.

The important part is how you wash:

• Shampoo your scalp rather than piling product through your ends.
• Give it a proper massage.
• If the first shampoo doesn’t lather much, rinse and shampoo again.
• Conditioner goes mainly through the mid-lengths and ends.

And use products designed for what your hair actually needs. That beautiful colour was an investment. Look after it.

DO I NEED HEAT PROTECTION?

If you use a hairdryer, straightener, curling iron or other heated styling tools: yes.
Repeated heat can dry and damage the hair. A good heat protectant helps reduce that damage and gives your hair a fighting chance.
Think of it as one of the non-negotiables.

DO I REALLY NEED UV PROTECTION FOR MY HAIR?

Yep.
UV exposure can dry hair out and affect colour. Blondes can shift tone and coloured hair can fade faster with lots of sun exposure.
If you’re outside a lot — especially over summer — a good UV-protecting hair product is worth having in the bathroom cabinet.
Bonus: some of our favourites offer both heat and UV protection. Ask us what we rate.

COLOUR + VIVIDS

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I WASH VIVID COLOUR?

The less aggressively you wash it, the longer you’re likely to enjoy it.
Use a colour-friendly shampoo, avoid unnecessarily hot water and follow the home-care advice we give you at your appointment.
And yes: vivids fade.
That’s part of the deal.

HOW LONG DO VIVID COLOURS LAST?

The classic hairdresser answer: it depends.

The shade, condition of your hair, starting colour, how often you wash it, the products you use, heat, UV exposure and your general hair routine can all affect how quickly a vivid fades.
Pastels generally need refreshing more often than deeper, more saturated shades.

Before you commit, we’ll talk honestly about the maintenance involved. We want you obsessed with your colour — not surprised by what it takes to keep it that way.

HOW OFTEN WILL MY VIVID NEED TOPPING UP?

Again, every head is different.
Some colours and guests need more frequent refreshes; others can stretch things out for longer.
We’ll give you a realistic idea based on the shade you want, your hair condition and how you usually look after it.
No nasty maintenance surprises.

WHAT'S A PRE-TREATMENT AND WHY MIGHT I NEED ONE?

Some colour services benefit from preparatory or protective treatments to help us create the best possible result while looking after the condition of your hair.
Whether you need one depends on what we’re doing and what your hair has been through before.
If we recommend one, we’ll explain what it does, why we’re using it and what it costs. No mysterious salon potions appearing on your bill.

WHY DO HAIRDRESSERS ALWAYS SAY COME BACK IN 6 WEEKS?

Six weeks isn’t a law. It’s a useful guide.
How often we want to see you depends on your cut, colour, rate of hair growth and how polished or lived-in you like things to look.
For some lightening services, timing can also affect how consistently we can lift your regrowth because the hair closest to your scalp processes differently from hair further away.
Translation: leaving it too long can sometimes make the next appointment more complicated.
We’ll tell you when your hair needs to come back rather than automatically sticking everyone on the same schedule.

STILL GOT QUESTIONS?

Excellent.
Ask us.
We would much rather explain something properly than have you sitting there wondering what on earth we’re talking about.

Call us on 04 384 8024, email bookings@missfox.co.nz, or ask your stylist next time you’re in the chair.