I’ve been doing hair professionally for about 6 years now, which is the longest I’ve done anything really. It wasn’t a planned career, it was more like something that I sort of fell into and had a knack for. It’s a really fun job in a lot of ways. You are exposed to a lot, you meet new people and sometimes awesome opportunities come your way.

On the flip side, It’s really a pretty gross job. You are constantly covered in hair clippings (which results in hair splinters. Yes, this is something that exists, and I don’t recommend googling it) and sometimes you have deal with weirdos. The most surprising thing about this job is that I’ve learned quite a few life lessons so far. I’ll admit I didn’t go into this expecting to learn much outside of the hair realm, but I did.

Here are 3 life lessons I have learned from being a hair stylist.

1. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
This is something people tell you to do, but have a hard time doing themselves. It’s human to judge people, we all do it every now and then. Honestly, this is the biggest lesson I’ve learned. More often than not, if I have a client I think looks boring or uncool, I am wrong. People are surprising. You absolutely never know what you are going to get. Some of the most interesting people I’ve ever spoken with were often the most unexpected.

2. Sometimes, people just want you to listen.
People make jokes about how hairstylist are kind of like therapists. This is sort of true. Clients will most definitely open up to you about some pretty personal stuff, but they don’t want your advice. They just want someone to talk to, who has no opinion, just a pair of ears. I try to apply this to all of my relationships… sometimes, people just want you to listen.

3. Be confident.
Or at least act confident. How can someone trust you if you don’t even trust yourself? Sometimes people will ask questions you’re not sure how to answer; So it’s best to be prepared to confidently say you don’t know or confidently B.S. an answer. If you’re going to rant on about something, do your research… it’s much easier to be confident when you actually know what you’re talking about.

I guess sometimes lessons can only be learned through experience, and I am grateful for mine.

What are some life lessons you’ve learned through your experiences?