Choosing wrong here costs more than money. A dismissive or clumsy first experience puts people off for years, which is reason enough to spend twenty minutes checking before you book anywhere.
Read the Portfolio Properly
Anyone can post three flattering photographs. Look for the things that are difficult to fake.
Check the jawline and the neck
If the face is a different shade from the neck, the base was not blended and the artist does not do this often. It is the fastest tell there is.
Check the hairline
A wig that begins in a hard line across the forehead was placed, not fitted. A properly fitted wig has a blended front and small hairs laid at the temples.
Look for variety in the faces
A portfolio showing the same slim, soft featured profile repeatedly tells you little. You want to see square jaws, taller frames, deeper skin tones and older clients. That range is what tells you the artist can work on whoever walks in.
Look for daylight and full length shots
Studio lighting is forgiving. Daylight is not. Full length photographs show whether the silhouette, outfit and proportion were handled, or whether the work stopped at the chin.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Book
- How often do you do male to female transformations, and for how many years?
- How do you handle beard shadow?
- Are wigs, outfits and jewellery included, or charged separately?
- How long is the appointment scheduled for?
- What is the total cost including everything we have discussed?
- What is your policy on photographs of me?
- Will anyone else be in the room?
The answers matter less than how they are given. A specialist answers the beard shadow question with specifics about colour correction. Someone who does this occasionally answers with something vague about good coverage.
Warning Signs
- Reluctance to give a total price in writing before the booking
- A portfolio built entirely from heavily filtered close ups
- Any hesitation, curiosity or discomfort when you describe what you want
- No clear answer on where photographs of you would end up
- A salon floor rather than a private room, unless that is what you asked for
- Being asked why you want this
That last one deserves emphasis. A professional does not need to know why. If someone asks, they are satisfying their own curiosity at your expense, and that will colour the entire appointment.
Price Is a Poor First Filter
Use it last, not first. Shortlist on portfolio quality, specialism and how the first conversation feels, then compare prices between the two or three that pass. The cost guide covers how to compare quotes so you are comparing the same thing.
Ask for a Short Conversation First
Ten minutes on a call or on WhatsApp tells you almost everything. Whether questions are answered directly, whether you feel comfortable, whether you are being sold to. If the conversation feels wrong, that instinct is usually correct and it costs nothing to keep looking. You are welcome to test that here by sending an enquiry before committing to anything.