5 ms·

I interviewed at a hair salon once. The owner/manager was female as were all other employees. I'm a guy. Needless to say, I did not hear back. The owner told me

I interviewed at a hair salon once. The owner/manager was female as were all other employees. I'm a guy. Needless to say, I did not hear back. The owner told me during the interview that her clients are all females, mostly wealthy, with many 40-50 years old and she basically explained I would not fit in.

wonderwonder 5y ago
hmm, I have never really thought about it before but I don't think I have ever seen a single heterosexual male hairdresser in my life outside of a barbershop. Never really even registered I guess because that's how it has always been in my experience but interesting now that you mention it. I know there are a ton of male hairdressers just from going to barbershops. Wonder if they just gravitate towards barber shops or its extreme discrimination.
- NikolaeVarius 5y ago
  You have never been to an Asian hair salon. Its self chosen discrimination
- johnchristopher 5y ago
  When I was young AND I HAD HAIR, ahem, it was 50/50. I still think it is. Western Europe.
- praash 5y ago
  Heck, how would you identify a hairdresser walking by the street?
- ecshafer 5y ago
  FWIW there is a difference in certification to be a hair dresser vs a barber in most states in the US. So one has to specifically choose to be a barber or a hair dresser when they go through said process.
- kkielhofner 5y ago
  This entire comment thread is identical to a "King of the Hill" episode: https://kingofthehill.fandom.com/wiki/My_Hair_Lady https://kingofthehill.fandom.com/wiki/My_Hair_Lady
- Chris2048 5y ago
  From my experience, there is such a big difference in style/culture of womens vs mens hair fashion that the respective hairdresser/barber business become v culturally differentiated - e.g. Hairdressers branching out into many other fashion items such as nails, pedicure etc; which barbers becoming v "manly" e.g. branded "manish" beard care products, sweary hip-hop music, offers of whisky/alcohol as you wait.
- disgruntledphd2 5y ago
  > I don't think I have ever seen a single heterosexual male hairdresser in my life outside of a barbershop. You probably have, but many of them pretend to be gay professionally (source: my wife worked as a hair stylist for many years).
- an9n 5y ago
  I had a mate that trained at Vidal Sassoon in London. There are plenty of heterosexual men in hairdressing, and they aren't exclusively in barbers, at least in the UK. As it happens you can have a pretty reasonable business with it if you have a dash of entrepreneurial skill and drive - the pay at VS as an apprentice was pitiful but this guy left school with basically no qualifications whatsoever but ended up owning several salons. There can be lots of work handling the emotional ups and downs of a group of younger hairdressers though... Lots of hormones etc flying about!

wonderwonder 5y ago

hmm, I have never really thought about it before but I don't think I have ever seen a single heterosexual male hairdresser in my life outside of a barbershop. Never really even registered I guess because that's how it has always been in my experience but interesting now that you mention it. I know there are a ton of male hairdressers just from going to barbershops. Wonder if they just gravitate towards barber shops or its extreme discrimination.

NikolaeVarius 5y ago
You have never been to an Asian hair salon. Its self chosen discrimination
johnchristopher 5y ago
When I was young AND I HAD HAIR, ahem, it was 50/50. I still think it is. Western Europe.
praash 5y ago
Heck, how would you identify a hairdresser walking by the street?
ecshafer 5y ago
FWIW there is a difference in certification to be a hair dresser vs a barber in most states in the US. So one has to specifically choose to be a barber or a hair dresser when they go through said process.
kkielhofner 5y ago
This entire comment thread is identical to a "King of the Hill" episode: https://kingofthehill.fandom.com/wiki/My_Hair_Lady https://kingofthehill.fandom.com/wiki/My_Hair_Lady
Chris2048 5y ago
From my experience, there is such a big difference in style/culture of womens vs mens hair fashion that the respective hairdresser/barber business become v culturally differentiated - e.g. Hairdressers branching out into many other fashion items such as nails, pedicure etc; which barbers becoming v "manly" e.g. branded "manish" beard care products, sweary hip-hop music, offers of whisky/alcohol as you wait.
disgruntledphd2 5y ago
> I don't think I have ever seen a single heterosexual male hairdresser in my life outside of a barbershop. You probably have, but many of them pretend to be gay professionally (source: my wife worked as a hair stylist for many years).
an9n 5y ago
I had a mate that trained at Vidal Sassoon in London. There are plenty of heterosexual men in hairdressing, and they aren't exclusively in barbers, at least in the UK. As it happens you can have a pretty reasonable business with it if you have a dash of entrepreneurial skill and drive - the pay at VS as an apprentice was pitiful but this guy left school with basically no qualifications whatsoever but ended up owning several salons. There can be lots of work handling the emotional ups and downs of a group of younger hairdressers though... Lots of hormones etc flying about!