This is the complete guide to cuts and styling. The shorter guides linked through it go deeper on each question, and the cuts and styling page has the salon's prices.
The 3 questions
How does your hair dry on its own? Straight, wavy, curly, or a mix. A cut that works with that is a cut you can air-dry; a cut that fights it needs tools every morning.
How long do you give it in the morning? 5 minutes, 15, or 30. The answer sets how much of the shape the cut has to do by itself.
What should it look like at week 6? A cut that only looks right on the day it's done is a cut you'll be back for in 3 weeks. The stylists at Jenna Ellen Hair cut for the middle of the interval, so the shape is right at week 3 and still good at week 8.
Shapes by texture
| Hair | Shapes that suit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fine, straight | Blunt bob or lob, one-length with a soft fringe | A blunt line reads thicker; layers thin the ends |
| Thick, straight | Long layers, a layered lob, a textured bob | Layers take weight out and add movement |
| Wavy | Long layers, a shag, a lob with face-framing | Layers let the wave form; a blunt line can look heavy |
| Curly | Layers cut to the curl pattern, a curly shag | Curls need weight removed evenly or they triangle |
| Fine, wavy | A lob with subtle layers, a curtain fringe | Enough layer to move, enough line to look full |
Length: lob, bob and long layers
The lob (long bob), between the chin and the collarbone, is the most-requested length in the salon because it air-dries well, ties up, and suits almost every face. The bob, at the jaw or above, is the sharpest shape and asks for a trim every 5 to 6 weeks to stay sharp. Long layers on hair past the shoulders keep length while giving the ends movement, and they're the cut that shows off a lived-in blonde best, because the colour has somewhere to fall.
Fringes
Curtain bangs, parted in the middle and longer at the sides, suit most face shapes and grow out into face-framing layers; the curtain bangs guide covers who they suit and how to ask. A full fringe suits straight hair and a longer face, and it needs a trim every 4 weeks. A side fringe is the softest option and the easiest to grow out. Fringe trims between full cuts are quick and keep any of them at the right length.
How often to trim
Short cuts and fringes hold their shape for 4 to 6 weeks. Shoulder-length styles sit best at 6 to 8 weeks. Long hair that you're growing needs a trim every 10 to 12 weeks to keep the ends healthy. The how often to cut your hair guide explains the reasoning, including why trims matter when you're growing it.
Blow waves
A wash and blow wave ($60 to $110 by length) is a styling appointment for an event, a photo, or a week you'd like to start well, and a salon blow wave lasts 2 to 3 days with the right care. The blow wave guide has the routine. Roller sets are the longer-lasting, bouncier alternative for a big night out.
Kids and men
Men's cuts are $50, with late nights on Tuesday and Thursday for after work. Kids aged 5 to 12 are $60, or $70 with a wash, and the same stylist each visit helps younger children settle. For under-5s, call the salon first.
Adding a cut to your colour
Every foil, balayage and all-over colour service is paired with a finishing package, and 2 of them include a cut: the mini cut and blow-dry ($125) and the cut and blow-dry ($175). Choose one when you book and the cut happens in the same visit, which is the most efficient way to keep the shape and the colour on the same rhythm.
Bringing a photo
Bring 2 or 3 photos of the same cut on hair with a texture like yours, and say what you like about them: the length, the layers, the fringe, or the way it falls. Then answer the 3 questions honestly. The cut that comes out of that conversation is the one you can live with, and the full price list has every option.