Estetica Magazine UK (1/2024)

haireditorial
Careers in hairdressing: a pathway
towards improved wellbeing?
Many of us who no longer define ourselves as being among the younger
cohorts of society (we’re getting on a bit!), may sometimes feel a little
out-of-touch when we hear about how many younger people nowadays
who are struggling with issues surrounding their mental health. Back then,
did we just bottle up our feelings, or was it that we were too embarrassed to
talk about a subject that was, not so very long ago, considered to be
something of a taboo? I, for one, am very relieved and reassured to know
that things have changed so much for the better. In our more enlightened
and caring world, people of all ages now feel empowered to talk about their
such important issues, in the knowledge they’ll be supported when they
seek help. In the hairdressing industry, we’re very well-placed to reach out,
not only to those we work with, but also by offering a listening ear to
clients who quite simply just need to get things off their chest once in a
while. Young people entering our industry can expect to embark on a
career-path that offers many of the opportunities and reassurances that
they crave: they have a chance to express themselves creatively; they have
the comradeship and friendship of others travelling the same path; they
have a developmental training and educational programme set out before
them, with achievable goals along the way; they have talented mentors and
experts they can learn from and turn to for help; they have a structured
work life, with regular appointments throughout the day and a rigid
timetable to work to. Perhaps the most important benefit they gain from a
career in hairdressing, however, is a chance to feel good about themselves
and to enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that they’ve done well, made
clients happy and been paid for the privilege of doing so!
Gary Kelly
Editor-in-Chief
03E