We want that job! ashley lee

London stylist Ashley Lee has never let his disability hold him back from his dream career as a hairdresser - we find out more about his life so far. What made you pick a career where your disability could have been seen as a disadvantage? To be honest I don't really acknowledge my disability. I was born with one hand so I don't know any different. There are definitely challenges that I have had to work around, but I picked my career because I love hair. I’ve known what I wanted to do from such a young age that I haven't let anything stand in the way. Have you faced any adversity from clients or employees? If so, how have you dealt with it? Of course there are occasional clients that seem shocked and a bit scared that I will be looking after their hair. I know how much hair means to people and how protective they can be. Having a new hairdresser can throw people off a bit, let alone when it's a hairdresser with one hand. People are generally polite though and tend to just ask me how long I have been hairdressing. I let them know I am fully qualified and just put all my energy into making my clients happy. It would be easy to let people's scepticism get to me, but I have a lot of happy clients and repeat custom which is really encouraging. Were there any techniques that you found particularly tricky to pick up? You would think that braiding and highlighting would have been some of the hardest skills to learn because they are a bit fiddly, but I have been doing things like that since I was at school so I’ve had plenty of time to master them. I’ve had to spend a lot of time learning how to blow dry though, especially a curly blow dry. Most hairdressers use the two fingers on the hand they are holding the hairdryer with to wrap the hair around the brush. I have to hold the hairdryer in my arm, so I don’t have two available fingers to use. I’ve found a way to use the hairdryer to wrap the hair around the brush. It took a while to figure out and I'm always learning, but my clients always seem thrilled with the results. How flexible are your training providers with your disability? It took quite a long time to find a college who were willing to accept me. After a bit of research, I was put in touch with TLC Academy who were really encouraging and supportive of my situation. I had a brilliant teacher who treated me just the same as the other students. She was always willing to spend time with me if I was having difficulties and she realised that she wouldn’t always be able to give me the answers, but I’ve had a lot of experience working around challenging situations. These days I find YouTube is the best place to find everything I need. Are there any particular things you look out for in your tools to make your life easier? Like anyone, I am always looking for ways to make my life easier. In particular I have had troubles with hairdryers either being too heavy or having switches and buttons in awkward places. There is nothing worse than blasting someone with cold air when I'm blowdrying. What’s been your proudest achievement so far? It’s really hard to pick out just one moment on my journey so far. I'm just really proud that I have come as far as I have done and that I have had the opportunity to work on some amazing projects. I'm also proud that my regular client base is growing and that I'm lucky enough to have a job that I love which doesn't seem like work. What is your next career goal? I would love to work in TV. I am a massive Strictly and X Factor fan and I would love to work with a with a production team that does such consistently creative and high quality work. Follow Ashley on Twitter and Instagram to see more of his work so far!