Beyond the Chair: How Hairdressers Can Support Mental Health

The link between hairdressing and mental health is about connection, compassion and community. Many people feel able to talk in the salon chair, which makes the salon a place where you can notice when a client or colleague is struggling and point them towards support. Whether it's through active listening, a confidence-boosting hairstyle or simply a kind word, your work as a hairdresser can make a difference in someone's life.

What is mental health?

The World Health Organization describes mental health as "a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community". It is integral to our overall well-being. Struggles with mental health can show up in different ways, from changes in mood to physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach problems or unexplained aches and pains.

Signs Someone Might Be Struggling

As a hairdresser, you may notice signs that a client or colleague is experiencing mental health challenges:

• Mood changes: Irritability, or seeming unusually low or tearful
• Withdrawal: Avoiding conversations or seeming uninterested in things they usually enjoy
• Finding it hard to concentrate: Losing track of the conversation or struggling to make decisions
• Physical issues: Mentioning unexplained aches and pains, tiredness or poor sleep

These signs are not definitive, but they warrant sensitivity and support. You're not there to diagnose.

How Hairdressing Positively Impacts Mental Health

Salons can give clients more than a new hairstyle. For many people, the salon is a familiar, trusted place where they feel comfortable enough to talk.

1. Talking Can Help Clients Process Emotions

Clients often share what's on their mind with their hairdresser, from family news to worries about their health. The NHS notes that some people find it easier to open up to someone they don't know that well, and that talking can help people see things differently.

2. Boosting Confidence with a New Look

Research shows hair is a meaningful part of how people feel about their appearance and how they express who they are. A cut or colour your client loves, chosen with them, can leave them feeling more confident and more like themselves.

3. Fostering a Sense of Community

Salons are social places, and regular clients get to know you, your team and often each other. Studies link even friendly chats with people we know a little, not just close friends, to feeling happier and more connected. For a client who lives alone, that regular catch-up and warm welcome can mean a lot.

4. A Break from Daily Stress

A salon appointment gives clients time to sit back and focus on themselves for a while. A calm, welcoming space helps them relax and enjoy it. For ideas, see our guide to creating a relaxing salon experience.

How Hairdressers Can Support Mental Wellness in the Salon

You don’t have to be a therapist to make a difference in someone’s day. Here’s how you can create a supportive environment:

1. Establish a Judgement-Free Zone

Make it clear that your salon is a welcoming, inclusive space. Let clients know they're welcome to talk, or not, and that whatever they share will be met with kindness, not judgement.

2. Be Resourceful

Keep a small card at reception, or a note on your phone, with the main UK support numbers so you can share them in a quiet moment:

• NHS 111, mental health option: in England and Scotland, call 111 and choose the mental health option. In Wales, call 111 and press 2. In Northern Ireland, call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.
• Samaritans: call 116 123, free, day or night, 365 days a year (Samaritans).
• Shout: text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential support by text, 24/7 (Shout).
• NHS Talking Therapies: adults in England can refer themselves without seeing a GP (find your local service). Elsewhere in the UK, their GP is the place to start.

If someone's life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E (see "What to Do When Someone Needs Urgent Help" below). For hair and beauty professionals facing money worries, the Hair & Beauty Charity offers financial help: read our guide to the Hair and Beauty Charity.

3. Invest in Education

Take a mental health awareness course and encourage your team to do the same. Two good places to start:

• MHFA England: Mental Health Aware (four hours), MHFA Champion (one day) or the full Mental Health First Aid course (14 hours, often run as four half-days online), online or face to face (MHFA England courses).
• Hair & Beauty Talk: from the Lions Barber Collective's training site (home of BarberTalk), made for hairdressers and beauticians. It covers spotting when someone is struggling, asking, listening without judgement and helping them find support (Hair & Beauty Talk).

Research shows this kind of training builds knowledge and confidence to start the conversation and point someone to help, though it hasn't been shown to improve the mental health of the person being helped.

4. Offering Quiet Appointments

A quiet appointment is one where your client has their service with little or no small talk. Plenty of people love a chat in the chair, but a YouGov survey found that a quarter of Britons would rather not talk to their hairdresser or barber. Offer it as a simple option when clients book, and still do the consultation so you've agreed what they want before you start.

A quieter slot can also help clients with sensory needs: the National Autistic Society explains that autistic people may find sounds louder and unexpected touch distressing, so a calmer time of day, the music turned down and checking before you touch can make the visit easier.

Supporting Your Team’s Mental Wellness

Looking after your team is part of running a salon, and it’s also the law: employers have a legal duty to protect staff from work-related stress by assessing the risk and acting on it. The HSE’s stress risk assessment guide and its Management Standards walk you through it, covering workload, control, support, relationships, role and change. Day to day, small habits make a difference:

• Foster open communication: make it easy for staff to raise concerns early.
• Offer training and resources: point people to counselling or stress-management training.
• Encourage work-life balance: plan rotas with proper breaks and honour time-off requests.
• Create a relaxing staff area: somewhere comfortable to recharge during breaks.

For the full guide for salon owners, see Prioritising Mental Wellbeing.

Prioritising Your Own Mental Health

As a hairdresser, you’re often giving emotional energy to others. It’s essential to look after yourself, too. Seek support if you’re feeling overwhelmed, whether through a trusted friend, a therapist or a wellness activity.

Looking After Yourself: Mind and Body

Your wellbeing isn’t only in your head. Hairdressing is physical work too, and three habits go a long way:

• Your hands: the HSE advises disposable non-latex gloves for shampooing, colouring and bleaching. Dry your hands thoroughly and moisturise often.
• Your breathing: persulphates in bleach powders can cause asthma, so keep the salon well ventilated.
• Your back and shoulders: working with raised arms, bending and twisting can strain your back, neck and shoulders. If pain doesn’t improve after a few weeks, see a GP or physiotherapist.

This article is general information, not medical advice.

What to Do When Someone Needs Urgent Help

If a client or staff member is struggling severely, advise them to seek help immediately. It isn't your job to judge how serious things are. Your role is to point them to the right help. If it isn't an emergency, encourage them to talk to someone they trust or their GP.

• If their life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E: for example, if they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose, or they don't feel they can keep themselves safe. You will not be wasting anyone's time. (NHS urgent help)
• England: call NHS 111 and select the mental health option.
• Scotland: call 111 and choose the mental health option to reach the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub, 24/7.
• Wales: call 111 and press 2. It's free, 24 hours a day, even with no phone credit.
• Northern Ireland: call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000, 24 hours a day.
• Anywhere in the UK: call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, day or night (Welsh Language Line: 0808 164 0123).
• Prefer to text: text SHOUT to 85258 for Shout, a free, confidential, 24/7 text service.

Keep these numbers somewhere easy to find, such as on a card at reception or in the staff room.

Read Next

• Prioritising Mental Wellbeing: Supporting Your Salon Team and Clients
• The Hair and Beauty Charity: Caring for the Heart of Our Industry
• Celebrating Teamwork: How Salons Can Show Support for Their Stylists

Recommended Resources

• NHS mental health services: how to get urgent help, refer yourself for talking therapies and find local support. NHS mental health services
• NHS Every Mind Matters: practical tips on listening to someone who's struggling and what to do if they need more help. Helping others with mental health problems
• Mental Health Foundation: a guide to starting the conversation and supporting a friend, family member or colleague. How to support someone with a mental health problem
• Mind: how to help someone take the first step towards support, at their own pace. How to help someone seek mental health support
• NHS Talking Therapies (England): adults can refer themselves for talking therapy for anxiety and depression, without seeing a GP first. Find NHS talking therapies
• Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: in Scotland, call Living Life free on 0800 328 9655 (16+, weekdays 9am to 9pm). In Wales, sign up for free online support with NHS Wales SilverCloud. In Northern Ireland, speak to your GP.
• Hair & Beauty Charity: financial help for people in the UK who have worked in hair and beauty and have fallen on hard times, including through illness or mental health problems. Apply for help from the Hair & Beauty Charity