Further to previous hair/dressing discussion, just overheard news story of a new anti-domestic violence project: based on a successful program in America, hairdressers are being used as information dispensers, giving out domestic violence support information to their clients who are identified as at risk. Training is provided to the hairdressers and, importantly, they are not expected to behave as professional counselors or social workers.
One of the older hairdressers made an interesting point that she thought the opening up of confidence, of revelations, secrets came about because the hair dresser is so occupied with the hair of the client. That this distracted air was like non-direct eye contact and enabled the clients to talk without self-consciousness, she described the head tilted forward, a curtain of hair over the face, the ridiculousness of foils etc.
I found this quite surprising because a) if I am divulging anything I need that eye to eye contact and a fortified wall of privacy around myself and my listener. I can't think of anywhere more exposed than a hair dressing salon to shut my mouth entirely. And b) the bloody mirrors! They are confronting at the best of times, imagine confessing your soul whilst making eye contact with it?
1 comment:
i think the reason why peeps talk deep to the hairdresser is because the hairdresser is no-one to them and at the same time someone they trust: the trusting nobody. that's my position, always has been. and it took me years of cutting hair and listening to people to figure it out.
i think your one friends take on it might hold some water, or at least some super ammonia perm solution perhaps.
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