Consent, Communication & Hair: How we provide Affirming Haircut & color services at our LGBT Queer Boulder Hair Salon

credit: queerhairboulder.com

Sometimes hair services can be emotionally charged experiences

Your hair, and how it makes you feel as you move in the world, is often tied to your sense of self. The shape, length, texture, color, and density of your hair all contribute to how you relate to it. The haircut and style you choose express how you view yourself and it can be modified to change how others perceive you. Hair is wild! And then factor in the intersections of race, religion, age…

I have learned as a hairstylist (and just as a human with hair) that the only good hair services are the ones that are affirming for the person sitting in my chair.

If you can think of a time in which you had a really positive haircut, color, or styling service where you felt comfortable enough to express what you wanted or what bothered you and left feeling empowered and f*cking hot, that was, without a doubt, an affirming hair service for you. For Queers subverting the prescribed gender expression, that same affirming service is more difficult to find. Please come see me!

“Tell me you asked for a skin fade and got a pixie cut without telling me that you asked for a skin fade and got a pixie cut.”

It’s really important to me that my clients have a space that cultivates that affirming experience so I approach all my hair services by asking consent and communicating about the process and options throughout the service.  

This is the same client. Photos taken over the span of ~2 years.

credit: queerhairboulder.com

“Is it okay to touch your hair?”

“Are you okay with getting your hair wet today?”

“Is it okay to use styling products today?”

Asking for consent means that my clients maintain bodily autonomy and it fosters trust.

“Are you looking for more masculine or more feminine details in your haircut?”

“How much time do you spend styling your hair in the morning?”

“How long do you want to go between haircut/color appointments?”

Ongoing communication between myself and my client ensures that we unpack expectations resulting in hair that feels authentic and maintainable.

These are powerful tools for every hairstylist. I really believe that your hair service should be an affirming experience, if it isn’t, let’s talk hair.

– Maeve