Silent hair appointments are on the rise, here’s why

Shhh.

For a long time, chatting was an essential part of the haircut experience, almost on par with having your hair washed or a cape draped over your shoulders. It’s rare in any other job that you’re stuck in an intimate one-on-one scenario with a client, often a complete stranger, sometimes for hours at a time.

To fill those awkward silences, we clients usually talk, often about mundane topics like our weekend plans but sometimes about the scandalous details of our love lives and family dramas as well. There’s a reason they call them hairapists (they don’t, I just made that up.)

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But the days of salons filled with the sound of scissor snips and relentless chatter may be coming to an end. More and more hair salons are starting to offer a silent service, taking talking off the table and allowing their clients to have some peace and quiet during their appointment.

While some have criticised this trend for being anti-social, many others have embraced it. James Yong, owner of Saint James salon in South Melbourne, decided to start offering the silent service when his studio re-opened after the pandemic-induced lockdowns.

“You get a lot of news, too much information, so we figured the salon would be sort of a safe space where you can let your mind relax and desensitise from social media, news, everything,” says James. Each salon does it a little differently – some dim the lights, some have a quiet chair or a time slot when talking isn’t allowed and some turn off the music completely.

While the Saint James silent service restricts discussion to only the topic of hair, it’s not entirely silent; they set the tone with gentle music. “No doof-doof music, really relaxing music. Classical music is one of those things after you listen, you always say, ‘I need to listen to more classical music’. It must be something in the timing or the beat that’s so relaxing.”

The process is similar to the ‘quiet hours’ grocery stores like Coles and Woolworths have been implementing for customers with sensory sensitivity. While improving accessibility for those with certain needs and aversions, it’s also a good option for anyone who just needs a break.

The silent service clientele is a mixed bunch. Business people bring their laptops and opt to squeeze in some more work, those who are shy get to avoid the awkwardness, and mums – usually those with three or more kids, James says – spend the time recharging and getting ready for the week ahead.

For some, it’s a rare moment of personal time better spent alone with their thoughts than engaging in small talk. And James tells me it’s not just the clients who enjoy it.

“Sometimes, it’s like hairdressers feel that they need to talk to clients and clients feel that they need to talk to hairdressers,” he says. “Sometimes we feel that we need to avoid the silence by having small talk banter that may seem a bit trivial when you’ve had a very big, heavy week.”

Of course, the stylists at Saint James won’t turn down a chat if the client seems interested in socialising. Because the salon offers silent and regular appointments concurrently, it’s a delicate balancing act of making sure each customer gets the experience they’re after.

“You almost have to watch where the client is at, and perhaps if another client comes in who’s a bit chatty, you put them quite far away from each other so the one who’s enjoying the silent time may not get interrupted by another client who’s just so keen to have banter,” he explains. James says the silent service is still quite rare – only around 10 per cent of his customers choose it – but those who do are very grateful.

“I think it’s a good service to offer, especially when we can be bombarded by so much information overload. You recharge yourself physically, your hair gets recharged, and mentally, you’re also recharged.”

Want to get the most out of your next hair appointment? Try this advice.