A reference photo is useful. So is the story that comes with it. We want to know what you enjoyed about your last cut, what you had to work around, and what your mornings actually leave room for.
Texture, density, colour history, and the shape of your face all matter. So does the simple question of how you want to feel. There is no reason to hurry past any of it just to get to the chair.
The consultation gives the work its direction. Once that direction is clear, technique can do what it does best: make the idea precise.