Estetica Magazine UK (2/2024)

haireditorial
Politicians -v- Hairdressers:
It’s a One Horse Race!
We in the UK, at least, have thankfully emerged from a long, drawn-out
election campaign which left many of us feeling more confused than we
were when the whole sorry business began back in May. It may have been a
‘snap election’, but there was nothing snappy about the 6 weeks that ensued
until polling day! What makes me despair the most, is how angry everyone
gets when they stray onto the subject of politics. The world of Westminster
certainly seems to be in stark contrast to our own industry, which is one
where clients can seek sanctuary from their cares and woes and are able to
leave their worries behind them for a while. The relationship between hair
artist and client is a very special one. We all feel we can open up about
ourselves when we place ourselves in the safe hands of our hairdresser. It’s
one of those great enigmas. What is it about hairdressers that makes them
so approachable? Why do clients feel they can reveal their most intimate
thoughts to someone who, in effect, they barely know, or might only see
once every few weeks? Are dentists, chiropodists and opticians afforded
the same level of trust? I very much doubt it! There is no straightforward
answer to the question, but I do think it has a lot to do with the type of
people who are attracted to hairdressing in the first place. Of course, I’m
biased - after over 30 years writing about hairdressing, I think all
hairdressers all wonderful, but do believe their combination of creativity,
warmth, empathy and sociability makes for a very special person indeed.
It’s a formula found perhaps only in our industry, so all things considered,
who wouldn’t love their hairdresser?!
Gary Kelly
Editor-in-Chief
03E