I am a hairdresser hussy, shamelessly flitting from one salon to the next in search of the perfect relationship with a stylist who, like, totally gets my hair… Well after many years of searching I think I may have found The One. Her name is, well… should I tell you? I think I won’t, but she works at the Trevor Sorbie salon in Covent Garden and she managed to turn my lifeless mop into something to be proud of.
A great hairdresser needs to be able to listen to their client, and really hear what they’re saying – what are their concerns? Their hopes and dreams for their hair? How important is it to their personal sense of style, their identity even? If they ask for something truly dreadful, that won’t suit them in a million years; the hairdresser has to find a way of gently but firmly suggesting that this might not be the best thing for their hair. If they insist, they must find a solution that won’t compromise their hairdressing principles, but will still satisfy the customer.
While my hairdresser was trimming, shaping and styling my lacklustre locks, she explained that they were suffering from a build up of product. The Trevor Sorbie range is tested in the salon before it hits high streets across the land, so they know that it delivers on its promises, but they also use different ranges in the salon and my grubby tresses were given a thorough going over with a brand called Pureology, which is vegan, zero sulfate and incredibly effective. It was interesting to hear that while the Nordic market demands products that give volume, hold and root lift, the English customer is more concerned with getting their hair to be smooth and flat.
We debated the myth that during times of recession, people sport shorter haircuts, and as economic ‘green shoots’ start appearing, so people start growing their hair longer. According to the stylists on the salon floor, this is actually true! I asked whether people still come into the salon clutching photographs of celebrities and asking for their hair, and this does happen, but interestingly most women are resistant to the more edgy, ‘editorial’ looks we see in magazines. Just because it’s a hot trend, that doesn’t mean real women are going to request it. A cut like Emma Watson’s gamine crop might have got the fash-pack in a tizzy, but it would take a brave woman to lop off her long, feminine locks to recreate the look, and most don’t. Trends come and go, but what my hairdresser has found is that season in, season out, women simply want hair that’s flattering, feminine and healthy – and that invariably means long (but not too long.)
Trevor Sorbie understands how vital a head of healthy hair can be for a person’s confidence, and that’s why he founded My New Hair, a not-for-profit organisation for people suffering medical hair loss, offering advice and wig customisation. “My New Hair isn’t just about hair, it’s psychological medicine for women suffering from hair loss through illness and for many of the women I have seen, it’s the missing link in their treatment… Finding a cure for cancer and alopecia is a medical task but supporting the wellbeing of those people suffering the effects demands much more than a doctor can provide. How can a patient feel positive and strong when their personal self-image has been rocked to the core by baldness? Giving women back their hair – hair that looks natural, attractive and feminine gives them back a little of the confidence to face the world in their darkest hour. It was my personal experience of helping a family member during cancer treatment that inspired the idea of ‘My New Hair’… This is not about earning money, it’s about using my skills to give people something truly meaningful and now my handpicked peers across the UK are joining me in doing the same.” www.mynewhair.org
