L'Oréal Professionnel Paris Launches New Head Up Initiative

Published 01st Sep 2023 by Sian Jones

L'Oréal Professionnel Paris has launched their new initiative, Head Up, to raise awareness of hair professionals' mental health.

Since 1909, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris has been the trusted partner of hair professionals by elevating, upskilling and supporting the industry. This year the brand has taken this one step further with the launch of their ground- breaking mental health initiative, Head Up.

Head Up: A Programme to Support The Hairdressing Community

Head Up, aims to support and provide resources to the hairdressing community. Being a hair professional means being a listener. On average, they spend 2,000 hours* per year listening to their clients and offer a service that goes beyond the physical transformation of a haircut or colour. For many clients hairdressers are a source of social and emotional support, in fact 75%** of clients consider going to their hairstylist as a form of self-care.

Aware of the pivotal role that hairstylists play in our society, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris has always strived
to develop and elevate the industry. When the recent coronavirus hit, hairdressers were left with no activity and a high level of stress. L’Oréal Professionnel Paris created Stand for Pros, an initiative that provided stylists with free e-learning and emotional support.

L’Oréal Professionnel Paris is now furthering its commitment through the launch of Head Up. Two studies were conducted which revealed that mental health is the number one challenge*** for hairdressers across six countries, and that 65%**** of hairstylists have experienced anxiety, burnout or depression during their professional career.

IN RECENT YEARS, RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH HAS RAPIDLY GROWN. THEREFORE, WORKING WITH L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL ON HAIR PROFESSIONALS’ MENTAL HEALTH WAS ESSENTIAL. I AM PROUD TO HAVE CO-DEVELOPED THIS FREE TRAINING PROGRAM.

Katrina Gay, Mental Health Expert at the NGO National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Head Up co-developer

AS A FORMER COLOURIST AND NOW LICENSED PSYCHOTHERAPIST, I AM ECSTATIC TO TAKE PART IN THE CREATION OF HEAD UP KEYS. MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER ALLOWS ME TO HAVE A 360° VISION OF THE SUBJECT

Hayley Jepson, Head Up Co-Developer

Education: A Core Pillar of Head Up.

Hosted by Hayley Jepson and Daniel Mason Jones, Head Up Keys is divided into four certifying modules that are eight minutes each:

  1. Head Up Keys Résumé
  2. Mental Health Matters
  3. I: Self-care
  4. YOU: Setting Boundaries

By the end of 2023, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris’ ambition is to train 20,000 hair professionals thanks to Head Up Key’s first module and 100,000 by 2025. Head Up Keys will be available online, through the L’Oréal Professionnel Paris website, YouTube and on the L’Oréal learning platform, ACCESS.

“Hairstylists offer a service that goes beyond a physical transformation as they care, listen, and are here for us. At L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, it is our duty to raise awareness of their mental health and give them tools to build resilience. We are proud to launch Head Up and we hope that this long-term programme will contribute to help the professional industry,” says Anne Machet, International General Manager of L’Oréal Professionnel Paris.

AS A HAIR PRO MYSELF, I KNOW HOW MENTAL HEALTH CAN AFFECT PROFESSIONALS’ PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES. THE STRUGGLES IT CAN CAUSE. SO, WORKING TO CREATE RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITY ON MENTAL HEALTH IS A TRUE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME

Daniel Mason Jones, Brand Educator, Head Up Co-Developer
* From Samaritans (2017) ‘Crop, look and listen: hairdressers help Samaritans highlight the life-saving power of listening’.
** From a study conducted by L’Oréal Professionnel Paris through the brand’s official Instagram account (March 2023) reaching up to 1.8M hair lovers.
*** From L’Oréal Professionnel research.
**** From a study conducted by L’Oréal Professionnel Paris through the brand’s official Instagram account (March 2023) reaching up to 1.8M hair lovers.

Find out more about Head Up at www.lorealprofessionnel.com/int/head-up #HeadUp #HeadUpKeys @lorealpro

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with L'Oréal Professional Paris

Sian Jones

Sian Jones

Published 01st Sep 2023

Sian is Editor Modern Barber and Deputy Editor Hairdressers Journal International. She has over ten years’ experience writing for print publications covering Youth & Children, TV & Entertainment and Lifestyle. Sian graduated with a degree in journalism, and whilst studying was nominated for the Guardian Digital Journalist of the Year award in 2011.

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