5 ways to be more gender inclusive in your salon

Is your hair salon inclusive of all genders (including those who don't conform to male and female)? Keri Blue offers some tips... HJ spoke to Keri Blue, barber and founder of educational platform Hair Has No Gender, to get an insight into what it's like to be a non-binary client and barber. Keri identifies as non-binary and goes by the pronoun 'they', which will be referenced through the article. Here are their 5 ways to be more inclusive when it comes to gender...

Get diverse on your social media

You may look at your business and think, “hey, we welcome everyone!” when in reality you may be sending out messages that exclude several people. By not using a diverse range of representative images on your social media you are actually stopping clients, who may be looking for a welcoming space, from trying you out. When was the last time you used a cisgender female for a “male” hair cut? How about using a guy for long hair?

Think about your service menu terminology

Do you deter non-binary/trans clients from being able to select a service because they have to choose under 'ladies' or 'gents' when they pick a service with you? This can be really tricky for people who don't identify as either. A simple inclusivity statement on your website could make that client hovering over the mouse click for an appointment at your business. Here is a great example: "In this new era of gender fluidity we want to make sure our pricing reflects the chosen service and experience level of your Stylist, not the gender you identify as. Not only do we believe that this is a fairer and more inclusive way of doing things, we also feel it’s necessary because of how hair trends are changing."

Think about your price list

The next step would be to remove gender where it is not needed. Which is pretty much everywhere. Hair has no gender (I had to get it in somewhere!), so why are we charging our client by their genitals or gender identity?! Hair cuts should be priced by a few simple factors: time taken, products used (cost of goods) and skill. Outside that I believe there should be no reason why two people of different genders should get charged different prices for their hair. If you think about it statistically men get paid more than women – so why have they historically paid less for a haircut taking a similar time (crazy, eh?)

Know your terminology

It can feel like a minefield out there when it comes to gender, particularly if you have never questioned your own gender. But know this: there are plenty of people out there that have, and they don't always feel comfortable in salons. Here's the basic terms that will help you navigate the world of gender non-conformity. Cisgendered = when your gender identity matches the gender you were assigned at birth. Non-binary = not identifying with either male or female genders. They = the pronoun often used by people who don't identify with either male or female genders.

Don't stop there...

Inclusivity doesn’t just stop at gender identity, it also might mean showing various ages, races or disabilities. Does your marketing speak to everyone? If not, why? For more information on how you can be more inclusive follow Keri on @hairhasnogender and visit www.hairhasnogender.co.uk Check out this salon, who launched pronoun badges in their aims to be a more inclusive hair salon. Pride Month is here, and to mark the annual celebration HJ hopes to shine a spotlight on the LGBTQ+ community and the influence and impact they have on the hair industry.