"Does she or doesn't she? Only your hairdresser knows for sure." That slogan from a Clairol ad many years ago hints at the close relationship between a woman and her hairdresser. Back then, when many women preferred to keep their dye jobs a secret, their hairdresser might have been the only one who knew about it.
Today, when women are complimented and friends inquire who colors their hair, women are likely to share their secrets.The relationship between client and stylist often is one that transcends hair and spills over into the client's most intimate life.
Though hairdressers aren't always necessarily categorized as friends, they may be confidantes, advisers, consultants, even sob sisters to the customers who sit in their chairs. As stylist, we have invested ourselves in your lives and we care. We too have shared many mile markers with our clients. They have seen many of us grow and change over the years as they have too.
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The close relationship between hairdressers and their clients has been examined by Lewis Losoncy, who was a psychologist in Redding, Pa., when he learned firsthand the influence that stylists have on their clients. When he asked a patient whether she had followed his advice, she said no.
"She had talked to her hairdresser about it and the hairdresser disagreed with me," Losoncy said. "I thought 'What's going on here?' "
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"I got so fascinated with the subject that the first book I wrote in the late '70s combined the fields of psychology and cosmetology," he said.
The close relationship between a woman and her stylist makes sense, he said. Clients get to sit and relax and be the focus of their stylist's attention for an hour or so.
Losoncy also thinks a rapport exists between hairdresser and client because the client is physically touched. We know that the power of touch creates trust. Sometimes a hairdresser is the only person in their life who physically touches them.This is one of six professions along with doctors, dentists, nurses, massage therapists, and estheticians where the client is touched.
Close relationships
As stylist, we generally see our clients every 4-6 weeks. We are reconnected,as though no time has passed since our last appointment. After developing a relationship with a client, stylists get worried when they don't see the client for a while, we are concerned and let them know we miss you.
If you ever wondered about the relationship you have with your stylist, ask yourself....do I trust he/she, do they know the name of my spouse and children. Do they know where I work and my hobbies? If the answer to many of these questions is YES, then you have built a close relationship with your stylist.
They have to know you care before they care what you know. In the season of being thankful, Hairthurium would like to thank all of our clients who share their time and lives with us
