There's always that first frantic look at your new hairstyle, the one you catch in your car's rearview mirror.
It's when you try to smooth those spikes your stylist left.
Or you brush out the hairspray she overused.
If you're lucky and you like that picture in the rearview -- or if you've been simply been through this over and over before -- your reflection won't get blurry from the tears welling up.
We all know it is just hair. It will grow back. It will grow out. It will be OK.
But our hair is your everyday, every-season accessory. We don't have to feel silly for caring about it.
The trick is to start doing something about it before you climb into the stylist's chair.
1. Make sure you get a good stylist. It sounds simpler than it is. Those of us who get the last-minute haircut from the stranger in the strip mall are less likely to be satisfied. Talk to your friends about who they see. If you see a woman whose hair you like, don't be afraid to ask her who styled it.
2. Ask for a consultation. Spend 10 minutes with the person you're considering for the job of your stylist. You'll know pretty quickly if the two of you can communicate well. If a stylist isn't willing to meet you in advance, he or she probably isn't going to listen to you later.
3. Take in a photo of a style you like. Another option: Go to Web sites that let you "try on" celebrity hairstyles. Our favorite: The Hollywood Makeover at www.instyle.com. But don't expect to come out of the salon looking just like Rihanna or Katie Holmes. Everyone's hair is different, but a picture gives your hairdresser an idea of what you like.
4. Pay attention to your stylist. If you've already seen good work he or she has done, you don't have much to fear. Ask your hairdresser for recommendations and be open-minded when he or she gives them. Also concentrate on how he or she fixes your hair. Ask questions. Take notes if you have to.
5. Choose the right appointment time. Don't try to rush in and out during your lunch break or in the hour before work. Go for a haircut or hairstyle on a day you have no other commitments so you can focus on the style and how to reproduce it.
