3 questions that will ensure you never have a bad haircut again.

Image: HBO.

There’s nothing worse than sitting in those delightfully spinny chairs at the hairdressers feeling ill at ease that you’re not going to like the end result.

While finding a qualified hairdresser that you like (opting for a ‘friend with scissors’ doesn’t exactly bode well) is a good start, it doesn’t always guarantee a happy ending. The secret? It all starts in that pre-cut consultation, something international stylist Kevin Murphy insists can never be skipped.

“It’s all about communication and making sure both the client and hairdresser are on the same page, especially with length and styling abilities,” he says. (WATCH: Mia Freedman knows a good haircut…check out her latest ‘sliding doors’ inspired chop. Post continues after video.)

In fact, ensuring that you never have a bad haircut again is as simple as being able to answer three easy questions during that initial chat.

1. How committed are you to styling your hair daily?

Complete honesty here, please.

“It helps when clients share with me how much time and effort they would like to spend styling their hair,” says Murphy.

“You need to know the client is not only going to look good when you are doing it and that every day they can handle it.”

So if you’re a roll-out-of-bed-and-go type of gal, probably don’t go for the cut that requires a minimum 15 minutes of wrangling it into shape every morning. And be warned – short hair isn’t as low-maintenance as you think. Lie to your hairdresser at this point and you could be hating every individual strand on your hand until it grows out.

2. Do you normally wear your hair natural?

Particularly if you’ve got textured or curly hair, the way you wear your hair on a day-to-day basis massively affects the cut that works best for you. Same goes for judging length based on your hair straightened when you actually wear it curly – you’ll get a major shock after that first wash!

If you’re not sure, discuss with your hairdresser options that will work well with both. They can then recommend a shape and cut that you’ll love both the look and the upkeep of. (Post continues after gallery.)

3. What will make you feel confident?

We change our hair for a whole host of reasons, but you should always leave feeling happy, beautiful and above all, confident. Yes, it’s a little nerve-wracking in the lead up to a major hair cut but feeling good in the new style is the deciding factor in whether it looks good or not.

As a result, Murphy says you need to make sure you’ll be able to wear your selected style proudly.

“Confidence is the key,” he says.

Obviously knowing what you want can be helped by bringing in a picture reference, but even that can be misleading.

"It helps especially with colour, but you need to cover the face and make sure it is the hair style the client loves, not just the model or actress that’s in the photo!," he says.

Ultimately, the secret to avoiding a bad hair cut is honesty.

"You need to be really honest with each other and I think the client needs to trust that you only want to make them look as good as possible – you need to have good communication and trust with your stylist and realistic expectations," he says.

Duly noted.

What's your tip for beating a bad hair cut?