Is the hair industry catering to women who wear head coverings?

For most women who wear head coverings, it's all about finding one that fits their personal style and matches their beliefs. And it's the same when it comes to choosing a hairdresser and hairstyle too. It may sound obvious, but women who wear head coverings care about their hair just as much women who don't. But is the hair industry catering to their needs? Are salons offering private spaces, male-free environments and services that include rather than exclude? After reading Zeynab Mohamed's article 'The Hair Industry Ignores Muslim Women' on Refinery29.co.uk, we felt compelled to interview hairdressers themselves to find out how they're welcoming clients with head coverings. But it was also crucial to speak to clients themselves to get their perspective.

Head coverings, wraps and scarves

The salons and clients we spoke to all had experiences with the hijab, a head covering worn in public by some Muslim women. It's worth noting that head scarves, wraps and coverings are the choice for lots of women across the world and they're not always worn for religious and cultural purposes either. (As blow-dry expert Rianna Henry points out: 'I'll pop to the shops in a scarf if I'm feeling lazy or I'm conscious of my edges – and it's the same for a lot of black women!') And of course scarves are a choice for women who cover their hair due to alopecia or other hair or scalp conditions.

A hijab isn't just about concealing your hair. It’s about being ‘modest’ in speech and behaviour, as well as appearance.

However Sam and Zubeida, the two young Muslim women we reached out to, both wear a hijab for religious reasons. They kindly explained a little more about the hijab in Muslim culture. "A hijab isn't just about concealing your hair. It’s about being ‘modest’ in speech and behaviour, as well as appearance," explains Sam. Most hijab-wearing women only take their hijab off at home in front of their immediate family, including their husband, and amongst their female friends. So a trip to the salon needs to be navigated carefully. Having passers-by on the street or male salon staff see their hair is a big no-no.

Head coverings and the hair industry

However the last thing both women wanted was to be treated differently, especially in the salon. After all it's a place to relax, get pampered and come out looking and feeling amazing – not feeling on edge or that you've caused an issue. Speaking of their own experiences Sam and Zubeida said that hairdressers were on the whole accommodating, but it can depend on how multi-cultural the area the salon was located in. They also said they always had to be prepared to have a conversation about needing a private area and explaining why.

If a client is wearing a head covering I would have a conversation about their hair, the salon environment, whether they'll need a private area and what would make them feel comfortable.

"I recently moved house so had to find a new hairdresser," Sam says. "Luckily the second salon I enquired at had roller blinds on the windows that went from floor to ceiling so no one could see me. They'd clearly catered to Muslim hijab-wearing women before and this made me feel really comfortable." Making people feel welcome should be at the heart of your business. "I always do a consultation face-to-face and sitting down on the same level as my client," says Rianna Henry, a stylist who has a client-base that includes a lot of women from Dubai. "If a client is wearing a head covering I would have a conversation about their hair, the salon environment, whether they'll need a private area and what would make them feel comfortable." Sam and Zubeida both confirm that they would always remove their hijab themselves – "it's just like when you go for a massage you'd undress yourself and the therapist would leave the room," Sam explains.

Salons or at-home appointments?

Zubeida has worn a hijab since 2013 and in that time she's had both at-home and in-salon hair appointments. "I’ve used mobile beauty websites like Secret Spa where you can request a female hairdresser in the comments section which is really helpful," she describes. "I find independent salon chains can be really accommodating too as they can offer me time slots when the salon is free of other clients. They'll close the salon and roll down the blinds. Often larger chains have private areas or they use dedicated beauty rooms as a private space which works well."

We have an area at the top of the salon that has two sections with moveable artwork which we use as a screen to give clients privacy.

Melissa Timperley, owner of Melissa Timperley Salon in Manchester, has adapted her business to offer a dedicated, but welcoming space too. "We have a large client base of women who wear a hijab at our salon," she states. "We have an area at the top of the salon that has two sections with moveable artwork which we use as a screen to give clients privacy.  I do employ a male stylist, so I always ensure he is away from this area when it’s being used by a client who wears a hijab."

Inclusivity is rule number one

Are you ensuring that your retail area and the type of social media imagery you are posting is inclusive and are you doing all that's necessary to engage women who wear head coverings? To quote the aforementioned Refinery 29 article: 'In 2019, it was estimated that Muslim women in the UK would shell out an enormous $73 billion (approximately £65 billion) on cosmetics.  Muslim women want to recognise themselves in the worldwide beauty narrative."

I went for a cut, blow-dry and style and after cutting my hair the stylist actually refused to blow-dry and style my hair because she said: 'I was covering it up afterwards.

That's a market waiting to be engaged. Zubeida's excitement about a trip to the salon came through during our chat – she loves getting ready for a night out and wants to be shown by the stylist how to style her hair at home. But sadly Zubeida experienced exclusion from the beauty narrative on one memorable occasion. With good grace and humour she describes one scenario she was faced with. "I went for a cut, blow-dry and style and after cutting my hair the stylist actually refused to blow-dry and style my hair because she said: 'I was covering it up afterwards.' The idea of not getting my hair finished properly because I’m not showing it it to the world doesn’t make sense to me." Also, fundamentally she was paying for a full service so that fact that she was denied a vital part of it is rather disturbing. On the topic of hair styling and products Kerry Mather, owner of KJM Salons, has one rule – be an ear, rather than a voice. "I ask everyone about their own hair concerns," she explains. "Sometimes we tell clients what we think they should have done to their hair or what their issues are. But it’s really important to listen to your clients about the experiences they are they facing. I would always try to get my client to talk about her hair rather than me tell her what I think."

Social customs

As a primarily mobile stylist Rianna Henry has been invited into many of her Emirati clients' London homes and she's quickly learnt their particular social customs. "As a sign of respect I take my shoes off, I never walk in front of my clients and I cover up my shoulders and wear leggings if I’m wearing a skirt of a dress." And she has realised one crucial thing: "Word of mouth recommendations are very important." Being sensitive and open to people's customs means that Rianna has secured her position as the go-to for many Muslim women in search of a killer blow-dry. "My clients love bouncy blowdries!" she exclaims.

Just because I wear a headscarf doesn’t mean I don’t want my hair to look great.

The sense of wanting to play with different looks really came across in my conversation with Sam and Zubeida too. Sam explained that she and her Muslim friends style their headscarves, and consequently their hair, in different ways depending on the occasion. "For example when I go on holiday in warmer climates I’ll wear my scarf in a turban style. Or some women opt for padded buns that change the shape of their head coverings." And just like all women, one style doesn't suit everyone. Zubeida shared that padded buns "make me look like a camel!" What's clearly important is that whatever a woman's likes, dislikes and personal style everyone is entitled to a gorgeous cut, colour and style whether they're showing it off to the world, their family or friends or even just to themselves. Zubeida really hit the nail on the head when she said: "Just because I wear a headscarf doesn’t mean I don’t want my hair to look great." If you're a hairdresser who wears a head covering for religious or cultural reasons we'd love to hear from you! Please do get in touch on our social media direct messages if you'd like to contribute as we'd love to add your experiences to this article.