Beauty Salons; The Lives and Careers of Beauticians

During a visit to a beauty or hair salon, what happens? Are beauty salons in North Perth salons simply a place to shape one's appearance, or do they have any other purpose? It has been shown in research that salons can offer clients intimate conversations with staff beyond "beauty." It means that employers are expected to handle the emotional needs of clients in addition to their technical skills. From the research and interviews conducted with salon workers in the beauty salons in North Perth in 2017 and 2019, most of them described themselves as makeshift counselors. The shopfront of a Melbourne store even had a sign that read: A haircut is cheaper than therapy, and we listen well.

Way More Than Just Beauty Care

Salon workers can be "lay health educators” based on a recent study. In beauty salons in North Perth, Clients are physically close to salon workers and potential members of different communities may be accessible. There have even been instances where US salon workers have supported public health campaigns to educate the general public about melanoma, diabetes, and teen pregnancy. During long-term physical proximity with the client, salon workers can establish a "commercial friendship" with them. Their neutrality relates to emotional disclosure, however.

Friendly Terms With Clients

As a result of this relationship at the beauty salons in North Perth, clients are more likely to share details about their troubles than they would with friends and family. Research also shows that workers sometimes provide clients with emotional support in salons. That's why awareness campaigns are underway around the world to train hairdressers to deal with client disclosures. A program called Hair-3R's (recognize, respond, and refer) is being run in Victoria by the Eastern Domestic Violence Services in response to the disclosure of family violence by salon workers. A form of formal training is required every two years for "cosmetologists" (hairstylists, manicurists, other salon workers) to renew their salon licenses in certain states.

Career  Development

Low wages and sometimes dangerous working conditions persist in the beauty industry, and workers are asked to handle issues such as domestic violence. The salon workers interviewed who participated in Hair-3R's program said they appreciated the fact they could speak frankly about the nature of their work and the support they received in dealing with these issues. Researchers have found salon workers are likely to encounter clients who reveal intimate partner violence as well as a wide range of other problems. Some of the issues reported by workers were relationship breakdowns, mental health issues, suicidal ideation, gender transitions, and job loss. Workers will likely come into contact with diverse and sometimes distressing stories, given the wide segment of the community they work with. Many workers report that the Hair-3Rs training was the first time they had spoken about the emotional aspects of their work or been given acknowledgment of it as a daily struggle.

Improving the Mental Health

Women's writers have long discussed how salons maintain gender stereotypes about how women should behave and look. This perspective is seen as reinforcing stereotypes about how women should behave. Beauty industry workers are primarily working-class and often immigrant women, and are often dismissed as "bimbos" in the media. It is no wonder the emotional and multifaceted nature of their work is undervalued, both economically and culturally. The city shopping centers are dotted with nail salons, day spas, and laser hair removal clinics, so it might be conceivable that people are using these services for reasons other than keeping an attractive appearance. It is easy to blame social media, such as Instagram, for fueling an ever-growing image-soaked world, but we might also ask the question of what kind of emotional refuge the salon provides in a world in turmoil. There is a need to do more research about how to support workers in this profession who do not have the training or recognition of the community to act as untrained social workers or therapists.