Photo: Courtesy Bravo

How patient is firebrand hairstylist Tabatha Coffey with small children? Not very, apparently.

Cutting it up with kids is just one of the challenges we will see on the third season of her hugely enjoyable Bravo reality show, "Tabatha's Salon Takeover," which premieres Dec. 6.

The former "Shear Genius" star, who began working in salons at age 14 in her native Australia, goes above and beyond the call of beauty this season to save more than one struggling salon.

Here's some of our preseason chat with the tell-it-like-it-is salon savior:

StyleList: So, you do an intervention at a salon with a stripper pole. I'm betting my next blow-dry Tabatha Coffey did not pole-dance.
Tabatha Coffey: I did not like the stripper pole and did not get on it. And I am so happy to report it is gone from that salon.

StyleList: Well, it was an interesting marketing gimmick.
T.C.: Oh, the owner of that salon was full of shtick. He was walking around Provincetown (Mass.) wearing this crazy mullet wig to try to get people in the door. So just to prove how crazy he was, I put the mullet wig on and walked up and down the street to try to recruit customers myself. I proved my point. It was a disaster.

StyleList: What's the worst thing you've ever seen in a salon?
T.C.: Well, it varies. This year, we visit a kids' salon where some of the stylists don't like kids. Can you imagine me surrounded by little kids? I frighten children for some reason. I'm not that patient with kids, but if you work with them, you better like them.

StyleList: You're so tough on stylists' technical skills. Did you ever botch someone's haircut?
T.C.: I had a client who was very pregnant and very emotional. She came in and said, "Cut off all my hair." All of the sudden, she looked in the mirror and felt ginormous. As you can imagine, she got even more emotional. I felt terrible, but it was a really good lesson in the importance of a great consultation. I needed to ask her, "Why do you want to cut it all off?" She wasn't feeling good about herself. It wasn't the right time to do something so drastic. By the way, she's still my client.

StyleList: You always wear black. Do you hate color?
T.C.: It's just really easy for me. It's the color I wear in when I'm working and since I'm always working, it's easy. But even on my downtime, it's the only thing I wear. Even jeans -- I just stick with really, really dark denim.

StyleList: So what fabulous black designer clothes are in your closet?
T.C.: I'm a huge fan of Comme des Garçons and adore Alexander McQueen. I was devastated when McQueen died. I thought he was a genius.

StyleList: Your short hair has become a signature, but surely you've had a bad-hair day?
T.C.: I have those '80s bad permed-out hair pictures that are just so not good.

StyleList: What's the biggest mistake people make with their hair?
T.C.: They overdo it. Too much of everything. Too much color, too many blow-dries, too much time with the flat iron. I like to see healthy, shiny hair, and you don't see that with hair that's been overdone. Get it trimmed regularly. Use the right products.

StyleList: It's getting cold. Should we change our hair care?
T.C.: Hair gets dry just like skin. Take some time once a week to moisturize it. And here's a tip: Use those clothes dryer sheets and rub them on your hair and brushes. It's great for fighting flyaways.

StyleList: You have a new memoir out in which you write about a breast augmentation that made you sick. The press jumped on it. Any regrets about being so honest?
T.C.: My Google alert blew up when those stories came out, and I'm surprised that's what's so interesting to them. But I don't regret writing about it. It was a huge life lesson for me. I thought the only thing stopping me from being myself was boobs. I did have breast implants and it went horribly wrong, but there's a lesson there: You have to be comfortable with who you are; there's just too much pressure to feel perfect. I've learned what makes people attractive is great confidence. It's really not just about the hair.

"Tabatha's Salon Takeover" Season 3 premieres on Bravo Dec. 6 at 10 p.m. EST, 9 p.m. CST.

And speaking of interesting hair days check out Justin Bieber's new do.

Also, check out this roundup of the worst celebrity haircuts.