Especially when you've always worn your hair long it can be a little scary to go somewhere new to get your rough ends trimmed away and keep your long hair beautiful but it must be done. When meeting with a new stylist here are a few things to talk about to make sure you get what you want.
If you're asking for a blunt trim (straight across the bottom with no layers) don't just talk about how many inches you're ok with cutting off, make sure you show them. Two things I like to do before I start cutting is to hold up a section of hair and mark the point at which I plan to cut. There are too many stories about what one person thinks of as an inch versus what another thinks is an inch. Make sure you both agree visually on what is ok to cut. The second thing I like to do is place my comb on the clients back at the point the hair currently reaches and at the point where I intend to cut the new length. When you wear your hair long you're very aware of how it feels and where it sits and this is another great way to be sure it feels like the length you want.
If you're interested in getting layers but have not had them before or maybe just not very recently or even if you always wear your hair layered but are interested in more layers than usual, make sure that you and your stylist agree on where the shortest layer should be. If you're making a dramatic change -such as waist length hair with the shortest layer just below the chin- be prepared to see some very long pieces of hair being cut off. This can be very disconcerting for wearers of long hair so it's good to be prepared for it.