To think it's ridiculous that they wouldn't cut my DD's hair?

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

Took my kids (DD who is 8 and DS who is 5) to a new barbers down the road today for haircuts. I'd booked in 2 kids haircuts on their website, but when I got there I was told "We can only cut your sons hair as we don't do girl's hair". I said I only wanted a trim round the bottom of it, half an inch, really simple haircut and was told no.

The things is, my kids have the same hairstyle!! Both have shoulder length bobs, except DS has a fringe and DD doesn't. They cut DS's hair no problem and I sat wondering what it was about my DD's biology that made them unable to cut her hair in the same way as my son's.

AIBU to think this is quite ridiculous? Unless there's some genuinely good reason to do with the material difference between male hair and female hair? It reminds me of a colleague who once came back to the staff room ranting after getting her (very short, like a Sue Perkins hair cut) hair cut because although it was the exact same trim as the bloke in the chair next to her except he paid £8 and she paid £21!

[TheMadRatter]

It's unlawful - as per the Equality Act - for a barber to refuse to cut a woman's hair, or to charge her more than they would a male.

www.salonbusiness.co.uk/barbershops-cant-refuse-to-a-cut-a-womans-hair/

[Confusedaboutlots]

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

Re the barber who got into trouble - Surely, surely, penalising businesses for providing their services to two sexes and not just one is discriminatory?

I understand when it's bikini waves as scrotums are a completely different kettle of fish to female genitalia. But Isn't head hair just head hair?

it’s probably his insurance. barbers and hairdressers are trained differently and need to take out vicarious liability insurance etc.

so he didn’t do anything wrong

[Crunchymum]

Your usual barbers is closed at the moment?

You only allowed DS to have his cut to prevent an eye infection?

Odd.

[Jumpers268]

I don't understand this insurance thing? How can insurance be dependant on gender? I understand them not offering a service to a woman that they don't already offer to a man, but otherwise surely it's discrimination? Genuinely curious.

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

@Crunchymum I thought it was quite obvious that the eye infection comment was tongue in cheek 🤷‍♀️ but he did have it in his eyes.

Why is it odd my usual barbers is closed? The owner (and 1 of only 2 staff) has sadly been going through chemo so they've closed until he is recovered.

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

@Jumpers268 it IS discriminatory isn't it!

They offer the service of haircuts. They can presumably do any short haircut. And they will for a man but not a woman - to me that's quite obvious discrimination. And no idea how insurance would affect it. What kind of insurances restricts a business from offering the same services they offer men, to women? What's the risk?

[Gumbo]

This reminds me if the time I took 18-month-old DS to the barber for a hair cut (obviously didn't need much off, just to get it out of his eyes and not look so daft around the ears). The lady looked at me strangely when I arrived and I asked if they cut children's hair. They said they did, but 'just boys'. 'Er...OK', I said, 'shall I just wait here?'. The lady looked at me oddly and repeated that they only cut boys hair . 'Oookkkkaaay', I said, wondering why they kept repeating it, 'he's a boy'. They then actually started disputing it!! He was dressed in brown dungarees and a brown stripey shirt ffs... it's not like he was sporting pink bunting from his lacy tutu!

They finally cut his hair, although I'm pretty sure they still thought he was a girl. Even if he had been, the toddler haircut requirement would have been he same. I never went back, they were clearly nuts.

[Purpleweeks]

Tabby. In this day and age it is simply ridiculous, being dictated by training or insurance does not make it any less ridiculous or discriminatory.

[Viviennemary]

I think they were in the right. Barbers cut men's hair. I thought everyone knew that.

[Parker231]

When DT’s (b/g) were small if I took them with me they both had their hair cut at my hairdressers. If DH took them they had a cut at his barbers. It’s just hair whether boy or girl.

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

IMO barbers should either say they only cut men's hair or only cut short hair. Cutting men's long hair and refusing to cut women's short hair is ridiculous

[Londontown12]

Hairdressers and barbers are completely different ! I’m a hairdresser and my son is a barber ! I am qualified to cut gents classic styles but I can’t do a skin fade ! And my son wouldn’t be able to cut a Bob ! But if the barber cut your sons and your daughter had the exact same haircut that is a bit odd ! X

[Jumpers268]

@Hairobsessed123 agreed. I take my son to a barber because of the style haircut he has. Barbers do a better job of it. They are completely different, but I'm still confused by barbers' insurances not covering cutting women's hair. Do you know?

[EmeraldShamrock]

Local barbers usually have an agreement with the local hairdressers.
It is traditionally men only but since we're all sharing space and blurring the lines they need to get with the time or be sued.
OP I hope you're and others in agreement are not against men using women's facilities too?
Can't have it both ways.

www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/transgender-man-awarded-5000-after-haircut-refusal-at-barbershop-37159596.html

[worriedatthemoment]

But everyone knows barbers are for men , its always been like that
In fact many say mens barbers

[Confusedaboutlots]

[quote FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]@Jumpers268 it IS discriminatory isn't it!

They offer the service of haircuts. They can presumably do any short haircut. And they will for a man but not a woman - to me that's quite obvious discrimination. And no idea how insurance would affect it. What kind of insurances restricts a business from offering the same services they offer men, to women? What's the risk?[/quote]
the risk is that they are providing services to someone they shouldn’t and wouldn’t have insurance to cover in case of an accident

why would they risk it

it’s not discriminatory. unless barbers and hairstylists train in exactly the same way and have the same customer base such that they are the same profession it’s not discriminatory, just business

it’s like tesco being asked to colour hair - wouldn’t happen under their current insurance policy

[Jumpers268]

@Confusedaboutlots but I still don't understand how insurance would be based on gender. If I went into my son's barber and asked for EXACTLY the same hairstyle as my son, would that be okay? Or not, because I'm a woman? I just don't understand 🙈.

[steppemum]

@worriedatthemoment

Also its well known barbers are generally mens where as hairdressers are unisex , so why not just book in at the local hairdressers , rather than barbers

my dd is 16, by choice she goes to a barbers because that is the style she wants.
Really your genitals don't change your hair.

If you want a barber cut, it doesn't matter if you're male or female.

Dozens of barbers round us, and they all take women and men for short haircuts

[DennisTMenace]

I have been in the hairdressers before and a man was arguing at the door for ages to get them to cut his hair. He had long, golden, wavy locks and said barbers couldn't get it the same as hairdressers. He was still turned away. Seemed most odd.

When ds 2 was a baby I had taken ds1 to barbers and asked them to just trim his fringe. He took one incredulous look and said "is it a boy?" Ds2 had beautiful baby curls and I couldn't bear to cut them.

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

@EmeraldShamrock having your hair cut is not a 'man's facility'

[RosesAndHellebores]

The barber who used to cut ds's hair was happy to ut dd's when she was a toddler. When she turned into an infant, she came to my hairdressers.

I once walked into Headmasters on spec because she desperately needed a trim, we were passing and the shop was totally empty. They refused because they only did children's hair between 3.30pm a nd 4.30pm. It was money. The shop was empty. Utterly bizarre. When I told my hairdresser, she said if the shop was empty, she'd cut an English sheepdog for £30. Funnily enough her shop was never empty.

They should have cut her hair imo.

[JennyWreny]

Reminded me of this - www.stylist.co.uk/beauty/sexist-barber-refuses-to-cut-womans-hair-because-shes-not-a-man-equality/138012

"I just do girls when we're not busy," he says.

"A lot of the time, we don't want to mess up a girl's hair. They can get all funny if you get it wrong."

Grrrrr. FFS

[EmeraldShamrock]

having your hair cut is not a 'man's facility'
A barber shop is a mans space if you like they're not trained or insured for women's hair.

[Quartz2208]

Yes they have different training requirements and different certificates. In effect it is different subjects. Take Solicitors you would do to a probate trained one to do a will but you wouldnt use the same one for a divorce there you would need a family trained one.

But within that if a women wanted the same haircut as a man then no they couldnt refuse. If she wanted a layered bob done by a barber than they could because they are not trained to do it.

When I (pre COVID) took DS to the hairdressors only certains ones could cut his hair because they were the ones who had done the certification in boys hair

[Chocolateandamaretto]

My friend had this - she has very short hair that needs clippers not scissors. She went into a barbers who turned her away and had to have it done at the hairdressers for nearly twice the cost. Totally ridiculous.