Since I travel so much, I often get questions from friends where to eat, drink, sleep, shop, dance, flirt, wax, customize, sell, connect,… You get the picture. My friends think, since I am the expert for all things travel, surely I know a great hairstylist, an amazing Cuban restaurant or a good place to buy vintage in any given city.

While I often can help out with some advice, obviously I don’t know everything and so I had to pass the other day, when my friend Anja asked me where her friend could find a great hairdresser in Paris. I might have lived in Paris for over three years, but I never went to see a hairstylist over there. So, assuming you’re travelling and are craving a good manicure, a new haircut or other beauty treatments you need to figure out where to come across a skilled stylist who understands where you are coming from and what it is you are looking for.

You don’t have to get your hair cut in the middle of a sidewalk like this guy in India

Recommendations from people you know, or more importantly, those who know you and what you like, are irreplacable but there are also other ways to get good recommendations. To help you find the best facials, massages, hairstyles and manicures in town, I’ve made a list of things you can do to make sure you go to the best (wo)man on the job.

1. Post a shout-out on Facebook and Twitter. This works for me every time. I have got great advice through this method, often with different options so I just had to pick one. If you don’t have Twitter or Facebook, consider getting both as they are great tools for networking, keeping in touch with new people you meet on the road and asking questions about anything.

2. Consult best-of-lists, often released by publications like Time Out. It’s a good start to google what it s you are looking for (e.g. best hairdressers in London) and find out what the lists recommend.

Me at Mollie Sudgen Hairdressing Salon in London

3. Forums are a great source to get good advice from people. You can search for a question you have or just ask it in the forum. There are tons of forums where you can exchange with other girl travellers, the risk here, however is to get advice from people who have little in common with you and might appreciate something you wouldn’t take a sniff at. The secret here is to look at lots of opinions and filter out the one that seems best relevant to you. I personally like to consult the Lonely Planet Forum.

4. Ask women on the street who look like they would know. When I had decided that I wanted to go blonde I stopped and asked every girl in Berlin who had a great (dyed) blonde mane, who was her hairdresser and that way collected valuable info. If you’re too shy to ask a random person, go to a hip clothing store and ask the personel, they’ll probably be able to help out.

5.  Websites such as Qype, Yelp and Unlike are great, because anybody can list their favorite beauticians (as well as restaurants, clubs and other services). On these websites the listings come with ratings, so just look out for spots that have received a high number of positive ratings and your chances of finding a quality establishment are pretty good. And if you’ve been happy with a recommended spot you can give back by writing about your experiences and helping others in turn.

You see, no reason to dispair when you’re abroad and you badly need pampering.

Relaxing Thai-style, with a massage by the beach