...to ask your honest thoughts when someone tells you they're a hairdresser?

Good post.

Would you have that as a reaction if someone were a builder or plumber or electrician?

The world wouldn't run properly if everyone had desk jobs. All honest and ethical work is deserving of respect.

Curious. I'm interested in fashion & beauty & imagine they hear a lot of gossip.

Ugh what a gross opinion.

That’s actually quite a disgusting opinion to have.

My hairdresser is one of my most favourite people on the planet and I only see her 4 times a year, which I pay for every time. She's trilingual, incredibly intelligent, wildly knowledgeable and has all the gossip. On top of that, she works wonders on my hair.

So, I'd presume a hairdresser was like mine. But I would be careful about what I told them!

And no, there's no stigma around hairdressing, unless you are one of those ridiculous twerps who doesn't consider anyone worthwhile without a PhD.

Most think nothing of it, it's just a job. It is not a particularly admired job, but it's not looked down upon either. Some people personally admire or like their own hairstylists but overall the job is just seen in a neutral fashion.

It's a neutral job that a lot of people could learn to do reasonably well with training.

If that's not an attitude you can live with, you should not train to be a hairstylist.

If I like them as a person, I wonder if they're any good and if I should go to them instead of my usual hairdresser. If I don't like them as a person I don't really think anything at all. I guess I get a vague sense of 'that's nice' because it seems like a cool thing to be good at.

To be absolutely honest, and I am aware this sounds judgemental, my visceral reaction would be to think they were not very intelligent and couldn't do much else.

I wonder if they've seen Edward Scissorhands ✂️

I would never have the patience

I wouldn’t think anything, it’s just another profession.

Yet is people never did the wrong thing there wouild be no need for traffic wardens

You are answering a different question - what do you think when someone says they run their own business, including doing all ther own books and employing several hairdressers?

That their back must be killing them! Never met a hairdresser who didn't have backache

I just worry that they are judging me for the state of my hair - a haircut never makes it close to the top of my financial priority list. Not out of any sense of superiority but just lack of money and prioritising the expenditure that affects my children.

I wonder if they get achy feet

It’s a job that requires a high level of skill to do well, yet is physically demanding. It seems very underpaid.

My thought is that the person didn’t have other options.

Running your own business, managing staff, setting prices, working out profit margins, accounts, tax, VAT. It's really skilled work.

And then there's being responsible for taking care of so many people's hair and ensure they have a great experience.

I think it's really hard work, highly skilled and I am so grateful for my hairdresser.

As for retraining as an apprentice, you can and should do it. AI can't ever take your place.

This. Excellent hairdressers, ie: the most skilled/talented/knowledgable are very hard to come by. It’s an unregulated profession that realistically anyone can do/call themselves - doesn’t mean they’ll be any good but it’s still safe and legal.

My thoughts are that they are very skilful and talented.

I love mine, she's a great friend too. Didn't go to university but is far more informed with regard to world events, current affairs than lots of friends who were better educated so...

I could learn to be a hairdresser. Yes, I could. I might not end up a top stylist but I absolutely, definitively could learn to cut hair to a decent standard.

Yes, I could. Yes, I know this for a fact based on reality and my own experiences.

It's not looking down on the job to say it's just an everyday, ordinary job. I don't look down on anybody who works for a living, all work has dignity.

I could not learn to be an electrician, a builder, or a plumber. I might manage to be a painter though again it is an incredibly taxing physical job.

Hairdressing is not an equivalent to those jobs they are much (much) more physically taxing and require a lot of stamina.

Electrician training involves electrical theory, maths, code compliance, blueprint reading and safety training to prevent lethal errors. Plastering and bricklaying require precise calculations for materials and mixes, structural alignment, load bearing knowledge, and handling heavy physical setups.

Plumbing requires in depth knowledge of pipe systems, water pressure, drainage and gas lines and in many cases building codes blueprint reading maths for calculations and strict safety protocols to avoid leaks, contamination explosions or structural damage.

Hairdressing centers on artistic techniques like cutting, colouring, and styling, with far lower technical or safety thresholds.

What would I do without a hair stylist? Cut my own hair. I have and often do and particularly since discovering the unicorn technique, and I've been using Schwarzkopf wash in wash out colours for years. What would I do without a plumber or an electrician? Possibly die, or lose my home or live with an unbearable problem. The stakes are not the same.

You're not hearing disrespect to hairdressers, it's just indifference.

And it's not a British attitude it's the attitude of the commenter you replied to.

I just think I hope they don’t mind I take my kindle out and read my book. Tell me when we’re done.

@Blueeberry I have no words, not polite ones at least.