Finding a Hair Salon in Washington D.C

Whether you've recently moved to the capital city of the U.S. or just arrived for a short stay hoping to rub elbows with influential politicians, one of the first things on your agenda is, of course, to locate a good hair salon. Washington D.C. has no shortage of top-notch places to choose from, but what's the best way to find one if you don't know anyone in the city?

No friends? No Problem!

Now, every woman knows that the best way to find a hair salon, Washington D.C. or otherwise, is to ask other women friends whose opinions you trust. But if you're a new resident or just here for a vacation or political convention, that option is probably not going to work for you. So how do go about locating a salon that will give you a cutting-edge style, one that gets you noticed as you become better acquainted with D.C.?

First, let me tell you what not to do. Don't just walk into a shop that you happen upon while walking down the street. If these Washington D.C. stylists are any good at what they do, they will be busy with other clients and won't be able to have a consultation with you about what you are looking for. Even if you did happen to walk in at the right time, do you really want to chance it? The short answer is no-hair only grows about one-quarter to one-half inch per month, and a bad cut or color will haunt you for a long, long time.

However, you can (and should) look in the city's yellow pages for a hair salon. Washington D.C. has a population of around 600,000 people, and the phone book will give you an idea of which salons offer the various services you are interested in. Take down some numbers of the hair salons whose ads appeal to you most, but don't call any of them yet.

Get thee to where the people are

In addition to the White House, D.C. has government buildings all over the city, and these locations are teeming with everyone from interns and senators, to judges and lawyers. These people typically place a high value on looking good, and they are well acquainted with what salons are the best. So find a nice people-watching spot and when you see someone with a hairstyle you like, put on your friendliest face and approach them. If you compliment them on their great style, they'll likely tell you the name of their hair salon. Washington D.C. people may be busy, but they are also, as a general rule, cordial and helpful.

Write down all of the hair salon names that are given to you. Then sort them by the number of times they were mentioned. Two is good, but if you discover that a particular hair salon was mentioned three or four times, that's a sure sign they can put an end to your bad hair days forever. Cross reference this list with the names you took down from the telephone book. You might also want to see if any of the salons on the list have a website.

Once you've analyzed your list, it's time to arrange a no-cost consultation. Most beauty salons will provide this service to new customers who ask for it, so pick up the phone and call your first choice hair salon. Washington D.C. is a bustling city, so you might not be able to get in right away. If the time-frame doesn't work for you, call your second or third choice to see if they can get you in sooner.

Following this method, it might take you a little while to find the perfect hair salon. Washington D.C. probably has more salons per capita than any city in the U.S. however, so you are bound to find one that can give you the cut, color or updo of your dreams!